I recently set up a table at the City of Whitesburg Farmers Market, which is also part of Cowan Community Action Group for our sweet potato slip distribution. The day was filled with great conversations and smiling faces. It’s not just the gardens that are growing here in Letcher County. The City of Whitesburg Farmers Market incentive programs are also growing. We have CFA Fresh Rx for MOMS, Aetna Backpacks, Aetna Farm Cares and MCHC Farmacy.

The CFA Fresh Rx for MOMS offers pregnant women 32 weeks or less and Medicaid eligible, $36 a week in tokens to spend on local fresh fruits and vegetables. When they sign up they also receive a bag with several cooking utensils in it. As a bonus with the help of Hickman Holler we are able to also give them a $15 gas card each week.

The Aetna Backpack Program offers $35 a week for families who children need addition food outside of school. Those families also receive a $15 gas card each week to help with transportation. A representative from the school board homeless program also comes each Thursday for that market and gives vouchers for those families to be able to buy food from the food trucks at our Whitesburg Levitt AMP Music Series. Thursdays are meals, market, music and more.