NEWS

Dear Friends of the Davidson Farmers Market,

This past Saturday at the Market, we witnessed the quiet power of community. With the help of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Food Policy Council, we welcomed forty-six SNAP shoppers from Mecklenburg County. The Davidson Farmers Market then drew on its own operating reserves to extend support to twenty additional shoppers from within one hundred miles of Davidson, reaching into the same rural communities where many of our farmers live and grow. This represents a more than 500 percent increase over typical monthly SNAP usage at DFM, and the morning was, as always, filled with gratitude and connection.

Moments like these matter even more now. Beginning November first, federal SNAP benefits were paused as part of the ongoing budget impasse in Washington. Across North Carolina, more than 1.4 million residents depend on these benefits each month, including nearly six hundred thousand children.

For many households, even a brief lapse in benefits could mean skipping meals, turning to food pantries, or delaying bills just to get by. And because every dollar in SNAP spending generates up to $1.80 in local economic activity, the effects extend far beyond individual families, touching farmers, food producers, and markets like ours.

That is why your support through the DFM Cookbook and other initiatives is so meaningful right now. Proceeds from cookbook sales helped us provide fifty dollars in tokens to out-of-county SNAP shoppers this weekend, ensuring that more families had access to healthy food and that more farmers were supported in the process. We are proud that at the Davidson Farmers Market no one was turned away on Saturday.

 We are awaiting information from the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Food Policy Council that will help to inform our plan for this Saturday, but we do anticipate drawing directly from our operating reserves again. Our commitment to caring for our community remains strong, and we will continue to do what we can as we navigate this developing situation together.

 At a time when so many are struggling, your generosity has a ripple effect, strengthening the local food system and reminding our community that we take care of one another. As this situation unfolds, there are many ways you can help us continue this effort:

• Bring canned or nonperishable food items to the market for our Giving Wagon. All donations will be given to the Ada Jenkins Center and you can read more about their greatest needs here.

• Raise awareness by telling friends and neighbors about the SNAP pause and how DFM is responding.

• Donate to the Davidson Farmers Market, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, to sustain programs like this one and to help us respond quickly when needs arise. Donate Here.

• Purchase the DFM Cookbook as a holiday gift. Every dollar of proceeds supports our operations and community initiatives. Available at Main Street Books here. 

Your support keeps our tables full, our farmers working, and our community strong. In moments like these, that simple act of caring makes all the difference. 

 Thank you for being part of our Davidson Farmers Market community,

The DFM Board of Directors