Farmers market season returns in Eastern Iowa

Farmers market season is back, and Cedar Rapids and Iowa City markets are aiming for greater social responsibility.

The Cedar Rapids Downtown Farmers Market, put on by the Cedar Rapids Metro Economic Alliance, has three new initiatives this year aimed at making the market and the fresh produce sold there more accessible to low income residents.

The first initiative, a SNAP booth, will allow people with Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program cards to swipe them at a central booth in exchange for tokens that can be spent with vendors. The tokens can be used for anything SNAP cards can, including produce, bread and honey, though not for prepared food from food trucks.

View a full list of Farmers Markets in the Eastern Iowa area

Previously, individual vendors could register to accept SNAP cards, but this initiative takes the burden off the vendors and opens up more options for customers, said Economic Alliance events planner Jen Draper.

The second initiative will be a free shuttle from the southwest side of Cedar Rapids to the market. Exact pick up locations and times will be announced later.

'The market is a really wonderful place to spend your Saturday morning, but I think accessibility has always been one of our challenges,' Draper said. 'We don't want that to be something that is limiting.'

The third initiative will collect food from vendors for distribution through Hawkeye Area Community Action Program (HACAP)'s food pantry network. At the end of each market, volunteers will go from booth to booth with wagons to collect unsold produce that vendors would like to donate. Previously, vendors had to bring the food themselves to a central location if they wanted to donate it.

'We want to take away some of the challenges,' Draper said.

The downtown market kicks off June 3 from 7:30 a.m. to noon and will run every other Saturday through September. The night market will return for a third year on Aug. 26, from 6:30 to 11 p.m.

The downtown market's footprint will shift slightly this year to accommodate road construction; it will be based along Third Avenue SE, with one block on either side of Third Avenue on Second, Third and Fifth Streets SE.

The City of Cedar Rapids' market, at Noelridge Park, begins May 1 and will be on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays except May 29 and Sept. 4, from 4 to 6 p.m.

In Iowa City, the downtown market begins May 3. The market will be 5 to 7 p.m. on Wednesdays and 7:30 a.m. to noon on Saturdays at the Chauncey Swan parking garage. There will not be a market at Mercer Park this year due to low attendance last year.

You can view a full list of farmers markets in the area here.

New this year, Iowa City market vendors will not accept plastic bags. Shoppers are encouraged to bring their own bags instead.

'This fits with the goals of the farmers market and it fits with our sustainability goals,' said Iowa City Parks and Recreation director Juli Seydell Johnson. 'It's only one small area, but we feel we can make an impact.'

The Iowa City market also will continue it's program to swipe SNAP and EBT cards for tokens. Those buying the tokens will have their dollars matched through Double Up Food Bucks, Iowa's statewide healthy food incentive program.

l Comments: (319) 398-8434; alison.gowans@thegazette.com