Accepting Food Stamps

The Georgia Office of Financial Services, Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) Office and the East Atlanta Village Farmers Market are launching the pilot program in an effort to provide low-income residents access to fresh, locally grown and produced food.

“This is a great opportunity for people to get fresh fruits and vegetables from local growers,” said Deputy Commissioner of Agriculture Terry Coleman. “We want Georgia Grown products to be available to as many people as possible.”

As part of the program, Georgia food stamp recipients can use their EBT cards to purchase special tokens to buy fresh, locally grown produce and locally produced foods directly from farming vendors at the community-based farmers markets.

The East Atlanta Village Farmers Market is one of four farmers markets participating in the pilot program throughout the state. The pilot is a collaborative effort including the following agencies: Georgia Department of Human Resources consisting of the Office of Financial Services, Division of Family and Children’s Services, Division of Aging

Services and Division of Public Health; USDA Food and Nutrition Service, USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service, DeKalb Cooperative Extension Service, Georgia Department of Agriculture, Georgia Organics and local non-profit organizations.

“I am glad we are able to assist in this program,” said Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Tommy Irvin.  “This will benefit both farmers and city dwellers.  We want as many people as possible to purchase Georgia Grown products.”

The East Atlanta Village Farmers Market is an open-air, handicapped accessible facility open on Thursdays from 4:00 p.m. until dusk.

For more information about the EBT Farmers Market Pilot, contact the EBT office at 404-657-3706 or cahayes1@dhr.state.ga.us. For more information about the East Atlanta Village Farmers Market, contact Jonathan Tescher, Market Manager, at 404-275-4064 or jt@abright21st.com.