Lynne Hnetka looks forward to Saturdays.
The 60-year-old gets up early at her apartment in The Manor and heads to the Squamish Farmers' Market hunting for the freshest eggs and vegetables.
I don't miss a Saturday, she said.
It's not just her taste buds she's shopping for. Hnetka is a caregiver. She seeks out juicy cherries and plump raspberries for her good friend who is unable to make the trek to the market.
I think it makes her feel better because she is getting the vitamins she needs, Hnetka said.
Hnetka's market outings are aided by a partnership between the market's organizers and Sea to Sky Community Services (SSCS). In its fifth year, the Farmers' Market Nutrition Coupon program enables 55 low-income Squamish families and 20 senior citizens to buy fresh produce with market money. Participants are handed $15 coupons they can only use to buy nutritious items. They are also offered SSCS workshops, which cover a range of subjects from how to use kale in cooking to health tips.
It is so healthy and so empowering, Squamish Farmers' Market manager Carolyn Morris said.
In mid-July provincial officials announced the government would pump $2 million into B.C.'s Farmers' Market Nutrition Coupon Program during 2015 and 2016. The funding allows the B.C. Association of Farmers' Markets to administer the initiative for five years and enable multi-year planning, Morris noted.
It will continue to be expanded to different farmers' market throughout B.C., she said and noted the program trickles into many facets of people's lives, from encouraging healthy lifestyles to supporting local farmers.
To learn more about the program visit www.squamishfarmersmarket.com.
