By John Dean
As reported last month, MarketMatch is off and running in Leesville. However the program is exceeding even the highest expectations.
As part of the Central Louisiana Local Foods Initiative, and in partnership with New Orleans’ MarketUmbrella.org, the Farmers and Artisans Market of Leesville began implementing MarketMatch on September 25th. Since its inception, the excitement has only grown.
States market director Anne Champney: “Not only has the market seen an increase in visitors, other producers have experienced a noticeable improvement in sales. As a result, MarketMatch is not only increasing access to local food, it is also improving the sales of our local producers.”
The MarketMatch program, which matches up to $20 spent by individual EBT card users at each farmers market visit, has already been implemented at both the Natchitoches’ Cane River Green Market and the Winnfield Farmers Market.
An added benefit of the MarketMatch program is that market visitors are able to use both their debit and credit cards to purchase produce, as well as their EBT cards.
To learn more about the Farmers and Artisans Market of Leesville and MarketMatch, contact Anne Champney at CandCMiniFarm@gmail.com or visit the market’s facebook page at facebook.com/FarmersArtisanMarketOfLeesville.
The above article first appeared in the Regional Food Digest, produced by John Dean, regional food systems planner for the Central Louisiana Economic Development Alliance (CLEDA) and a partner with the Central Louisiana Local Foods Initiative (a Challenge for a Healthier Louisiana grant funded wellness initiative). For more information, check out www.freshcentral.org .