Special to The PREVIEW
This Saturday, July 29, the public is invited to the Pagosa Farmers Market for a free tour. All tour participants will receive a free $10 voucher good for any Farmers Market purchase.
Sponsored by Cooking Matters Colorado, the informational tour will begin at 9 a.m. from the Farmers Market manager booth.
Free and open to the public, all tour participants will receive a free Cooking Matters shopping bag, a cooking brochure and the $10 voucher. The tour will include how to navigate the market, stops at a few Farmers Market food growers’ booths and Cooking Matters tips on how to shop smarter, use nutritional information to make healthier choices and ways to cook delicious, affordable meals.
The tour will also include grower stops, and growers will each give a short informational talk about their business and the benefits of growing, cooking and eating healthy foods.
The tour will conclude at the market manager’s booth with an explanation of how to purchase Market Bucks with a check or debit card, good for use at all the booths.
The Farmers Market participates in the SNAP program, which provides equal access to quality local food. SNAP recipients will learn about DoubleUp Bucks, a benefit program administered by LiveWell Colorado. Free to SNAP recipients, DoubleUp Bucks increases their spending power at the market. For every dollar spent (up to $20), SNAP recipients will receive a matching dollar good for fruits and vegetables. DoubleUp Bucks allows individuals and families the opportunity to spend their benefit dollars on breads, eggs, meats, etc., with the matching dollars available for fruits and vegetables.
SNAP recipients qualify for DoubleUp Bucks every week from July 29 through Sept. 16 at the Pagosa Farmers Market. DoubleUp Bucks can also be used at the Durango Farmers Market (May 13-Oct. 28) and the Cortez Farmers Market (June 3-Oct. 28).
The tour sponsor, Cooking Matters, a national organization with regional headquarters in Durango, helps families to shop for and cook healthy meals on a budget as part of Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry campaign. Recognized by the U.S. Department of Agriculture for excellence in nutrition education, Cooking Matters offers cooking classes for low-income parents in Pagosa Springs on a regular basis. More information about the classes can be obtained during the tour.
The Pagosa Farmers Market is located at the East Side Market in downtown Pagosa Springs, on U.S. 160, two blocks west of the intersection with U.S. 84.
