An Apple A Day...

Do YOU eat enough fruits and vegetables?  If you're like most Virginians, probably not.  In a 2009 national survey, only 27% of adults in Virginia said that they eat fruits and vegetables more than 5 times  each day.  Although this number is gradually rising, it is still not very impressive.  Most adults need about 2 cups of fruits and 3 cups of vegetables every day to stay healthy and maintain their weight.  Do you fall into that 27% of Virginians who don't eat enough fruits and veggies?  If so, here are some ways that the Rappahannock Area Health District makes it easier to get those important servings every day.

Farmers Markets

Farmer's Markets are booming in our area, and every weekend people of all ages are flocking to the many farmer's markets around town.  They have tons of local vendors selling everything you could think of, including fruits and vegetables, flowers, baked goods, and locally raised meat. 

You might be thinking, "That sounds great and all, but I just can't afford to shop at the farmer's market for my family."  Well, that may have been the case a few years ago, but now the Farmer's Market accepts SNAP EBT cards!  Not only that, but they will also match the first $10 of your SNAP purchases each week.  This means that you can use your EBT card to buy $10 worth of tokens at the market, and they will give you $20 worth of tokens to use on local fruits and vegetables!  That really makes shopping at the farmer's market just as affordable, if not more affordable, than shopping in the grocery store.  If you add in the bonus that you get local produce and a great community experience, I'd say the Farmer's Market is a great deal for SNAP users!


You can use your SNAP EBT card at the Fredericksburg, King George, and both Spotsylvania Farmer's Markets.  Click here for more details!


Food Bank Community Garden

The Fredericksburg Area Food Bank started a community garden on the lawn of their facility, along with 5 other gardens in the community.  In 2012, these gardens produced more than 1,500 pounds of healthy produced to be harvested and distributed throughout the community.  This enables everyone to have access to local fruits and vegetables, despite their rising prices.  These gardens also allow people to learn about where their food comes from, and perhaps residents will be inspired to start their own gardens at home, giving them even more opportunities to eat their 5 cups of fruits and vegetables a day!


For more information, click here!


WIC Community Garden

WIC jumped on the Community Garden bandwagon when we partnered with the Food Bank and opened our WIC Community Garden.  We had 15 families sign up to participate in the garden, and they meet in different groups to learn about gardening, plant new produce, and harvest fruits and vegetables to take home.  The kids receive a gardening kit and at the end of the series, participants who attended 5 out of the 7 meetings will receive a $25 gas card.  The kids are learning so much about gardening, and seeing where the food comes from will encourage them to try different fruits and vegetables and plant them at home.

As you can see, there are many places for everyone to find fresh, local fruits and vegetables in the Fredericksburg Area, no matter what your financial status.  So the next time you are craving an apple, all you have to do is walk out your front door!