PRESS RELEASE: The Bongards Farmers Market, a fellowship and mission program of St. John’s United Church of Christ, is introducing a new free program: Power of Produce (PoP) Plus!
This program was created at the Oregon City, Oregon, farmers market in 2011. Due to its success, it has spread to farmers markets all over the nation. The PoP Club for youth has been in Minnesota since 2014 and is growing to markets around the state. Bongards Market has been participating in the Power of Produce program for youth since 2017.
Just like the youth participants, each adult age 65 and older participant will sign up and receive a $2 market token to be spent on fresh produce. Participants will receive their token once per market. They can choose to spend it on their own $2 selection of fresh, locally grown produce, or save their token for a future market.
The goal of the Power of Produce (PoP) is to empower participants to make healthy choices when selecting food to eat. The program offers an incentive for participants to explore the farmers market and learn about the different varieties of fruits and vegetables, while also learning about how food is grown, by connecting them with local farmers.
Beginning June 2 and running through September participants are welcome to visit the farmers market and join the PoP Plus! Registration and check-in will be located at the designated PoP desk at the market. More information about the program can be found on the Bongards Market website or on our Facebook page.
We hope to see you at the market!
Bongards Farmers Market 