Beacon Farmers' Market To Remain Open During Ice Storm To Help SNAP, and FMNP/WIC Customers

This Sunday, the Beacon Farmers’ Market will remain open for vendors to pop up and customers to pop out to purchase food and goods from them. “We’re open for all, and especially to ensure our food benefit customers can double their dollars to access fresh, local food. Because food justice means showing up—no matter the weather,” the market manager Amy Bandolik said on their Instagram.

The Beacon Farmers' Market accepts SNAP, and FMNP/WIC Benefits to service more people at different income levels. The Greens4Greens program is a food benefit incentive program using eligible state funded food benefits that are matched dollar for dollar through Greens4Greens. “The program has been completely community funded through contributions made by local businesses as well as the annual 'Soup4Greens' event,” according to the Beacon Farmer’s Market website.

Amy continued: “Last week’s closure is behind us, and we’re back with all your favorite fresh produce, local goods, and cozy market vibes...With a smaller vendor turnout this week — but still a mighty 30+ vendors — we’ve adjusted the market layout to one main corridor, looping around to the back to create a more cohesive shopping experience.”

While the City of Beacon had been plowing the night before, some vendors could not make it for safety reasons. Conditions in Beacon are icy and slushy on the streets. A Little Beacon Blog has been checking in with several member businesses, who are so far open if their employees can make it in. Several farming vendors live outside of Beacon, and the drive is too risky, and some have more snow on their properties.

The Beacon Farmers’ Market has the added pressure of staying open, as they are in the county parking lot, the DMV, which the City of Beacon can close down when they needed it for emergency snow parking for cars who cannot park on the streets when snowfall is more than 2” and the plows are out. This is why they closed last week, and the City’s mandate.