Starting off as a small, weekly farmers market in a gravel parking lot with seven to 10 vendors, the Galveston’s Own Farmers Market has expanded significantly, now offering various programs focused on food access, community gardens, and creating a meeting space for all Galveston County community members to come together and ideate and broaden horizons.

The Collaborative Innovations for Community Health funding will focus on Galveston’s Own Farmers Market Food Access Program and Young Gardeners Program.

The Food Access Program allows the market to accept SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program—formerly known as food stamps). When using SNAP, it amplifies a customer’s buying power through Galveston’s Own Farmers Market Fresh Bucks & Bonus Bucks initiatives. When using it at the market, Galveston’s Own Farmers Market matches funds in Fresh Bucks & Bonus Bucks for the purchase of more fruits and vegetables (Fresh Bucks) and SNAP-eligible items (Bonus Bucks). The Young Gardeners Program brings the benefits of growing food, eating healthy, being outdoors, and working collectively to local children, one school at a time. Galveston’s Own Farmers Market is proud to have a garden in nine of the 11 Galveston ISD schools. Each garden has a part-time garden leader hired, managed, and trained by Galveston’s Own Farmers Market in partnership with GISD, who pays each part-time employee.