WEST ALLIS, Wis. – The depletion of SNAP benefits nationwide is taking a toll on farmers markets in Milwaukee County. West Allis Farmers Market vendors and the market attendant report a significant drop in customers over the past month.
Jessica Sobojinski, the West Allis Farmers Market attendant, serves as the main point of contact for shoppers who rely on SNAP benefits at the market. She swipes their SNAP cards and provides tokens to be spent at vendor stands, but has witnessed panic among customers as benefits run low.
“It’s sad to see how many people aren’t coming back to the market,” Sobojinski said.
Sobojinski says she knows of at least 11 farmers’ markets in the county that allow customers to use their SNAP benefits. She says the decline in SNAP customers is directly impacting local farmers’ livelihoods…