David R. Roefaro, Mayor

City of Utica, New York

                              Utica is Fresh

August 14, 2008 – (Utica, NY) – New York State has a program called ‘NY Fresh Checks’. It’s part of a statewide effort to attract food stamp customers to the Farmers’ Market. The program provides an incentive for people who use food stamps to shop at the local farmers’ markets. The City of Utica began our extension of the New York State program on August 6, 2008. We will continue the program every Wednesday during the month of August at Chancellor Park on Bleecker Street.

Food stamp customers will receive an additional $5.00 to spend at the market. When food stamp customers purchase a minimum of $5.00 in food stamp tokens to use at the market, they are given an additional $5.00 in the form of ‘NY Fresh Checks.’