This week on the FarmHouse, a podcast by Lancaster Farming, we're talking to Sophie Brauns.
She coordinates Maryland Market Money, a program run by the Southern Maryland Agricultural Development Commission and the Maryland Department of Agriculture that provides a dollar-for-dollar match, up to $30, for purchases made using federal nutrition benefits at farmers markets and farm stands throughout the state.
About 70 markets currently accept Maryland Market Money.
"When I came on board two years ago, we had 30," Brauns said. "So we've over doubled our access points, which is insane."
The program is a win-win for farmers and consumers.
"It's really wonderful for supporting our farmers," Brauns said. "It's a way for people to engage with their community. When you build that relationship with the farmer, that becomes like your go-to farm, like your go-to market. I think that breeds health. Not only like cellular, like bodily health, but also relational health."
Brauns, who is from Maryland's Calvert County, developed a passion for agriculture and food access while working in Houston, Texas. Now back in her home state, she is focused on connecting people to nutritious fresh food.
"A third of Marylanders are facing food insecurity. That is absurd, but that's real," Brauns said. "When you think about your health, when you think about the community's health, when you think about the future of our children, if they're not getting baseline nutritious food, I don't know how we can really expect anything much better moving forward."
In addition to the Maryland Market Money program, Brauns has also been working with local farmers and churches to establish free fridges where community members can pick up free, fresh produce and other farm products.
According to Feeding America, about 750,000 people in Maryland are food insecure, but with the taxing job of farming, Brauns said many farmers are often unaware of this insecurity right in their own backyards.
Her job with Maryland Market Money is to bridge that gap between farmers and consumers in need. She said once farmers are aware of the lack of food access, they often want to be part of the solution.
"It's innate in farmers to care about your community. Farmers are some of the most intelligent, caring individuals that I have ever met," Brauns said. "I think that once they're told about the food insecurity, they can't help themselves but wanting to figure out how they can be involved in it."
