It is with the most unbounded excitement that we break our silence and finally introduce everyone, officially, to SAMM: The Seacoast Area Mobile Market!
Many months of work (and years in our dreams) will lead to our official launch of New Hampshire’s first mobile market program on August 2, 2016. This new program is generously supported by the Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Foundation’s Healthy Food Fund and by a grant from the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation’s Thomas W. Haas Fund.
The goal of SAMM will be to provide access to local foods in communities within our service region that may lack farmers’ markets of their own, have high concentrations of low-income or at-risk residents, are designated as being at higher risk for food insecurity, or have a reportedly high number of residents with lack of access to consistent means of transportation. In addition to these community stops, SAMM will also service a small number of employers in our region as an employee benefit service.
Aligning with our goal to provide greater access to local foods in all of our Seacoast communities, SAMM is also aimed at spreading and increasing the number of sustainable agricultural businesses in these areas. By sourcing product as locally to market stops as possible, we hope to incentivize and support small scale agricultural businesses in their growth.
In similar fashion to Seacoast Eat Local’s SNAP program at farmers’ markets, SAMM will accept EBT/SNAP benefits for purchases and will also run incentive programs that are aimed at helping low-income individuals stretch their dollars at markets and purchase more fresh, local and healthy food. SAMM will accept SNAP tokens as well as Granite State Market Match fruit and vegetable coupons that SNAP customers may receive at traditional markets. Rather than receiving matching coupons for purchases, SAMM customers will receive an automatic $1 for $1 discount off of their fruit and vegetable purchases.
To follow SAMM and get updates on our stops and other information, follow us on instagram @SAMMVAN. If you are interested in supporting our program through volunteering, please contact Celeste Gingras, SAMM Coordinator, at [email protected]. Financial contributions are also greatly appreciated and help to further our important mission. Donations made be made securely online at this link. If you are interested in having a stop in your area or in contracting with SAMM on behalf of your business, please contact Jillian Hall, Seacoast Eat Local Director of Programs, at [email protected]