SNAP recipients in Greater Cleveland can still receive matching dollars for fresh fruits and vegetables through Produce Perks at participating farmers markets across Cuyahoga County.
The program matches SNAP spending dollar for dollar, up to $25. Anyone with an Ohio Direction Card can participate at an eligible market, including SNAP recipients who live outside Cuyahoga County.
Shoppers begin at the market’s customer service booth and swipe their SNAP or EBT card. They tell staff how much they plan to spend and receive EBT tokens for that amount. Produce Perks then provides matching tokens, up to the $25 limit.
Produce Perks tokens can be used for whole fresh fruits and vegetables, seeds, and fruit or vegetable plants. Regular EBT tokens can be used for other SNAP-eligible foods sold by participating vendors, including items such as meat and dairy products.
The farmers-market benefit remains available even though Produce Perks was discontinued at Dave’s Markets after a federal grant was canceled. Local foundations provided enough replacement funding to continue the farmers-market portion of the program.
Participating locations include Coit Road Farmers’ Market in East Cleveland, Kamm’s Corners Farmers’ Market, Tremont Farmers’ Market, Shaker Square, Cleveland Clinic, University Hospitals, Crocker Park and several other sites.
City Fresh also participates through weekly farm-box locations in communities including Cleveland, Euclid, Westlake, Lakewood and Berea.
Unused EBT tokens generally must be spent at the market where they were issued. Produce Perks tokens can be used at other participating farmers markets.
The program has roots in Cleveland dating to around 2009, when local food advocates and foundations began testing dollar-for-dollar SNAP produce matching at farmers markets. It later expanded across Ohio and into grocery stores before the recent funding change.
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