Perry County farmers market boosts fresh food access with doubled benefits
Hazard shoppers can double SNAP at Perry County Farmers Market, where WIC, senior vouchers and Carrot Cash stretch budgets on seasonal produce.
Perry County Farmers Market runs from May 28 through October 16 in Hazard, giving shoppers a place where fresh food dollars go farther. Perry County calls the market one of the longest-running in the region and says it has served the community for about a decade.
The market sits in the county seat’s daily life, not off to the side of it. The county lists it at Perry County Park in Hazard, while a separate market listing places the seasonal market downtown next to Triangle Park. The county’s business page also lists a contact number, (606) 207-5833, for shoppers who need details before they go.
What shows up on the tables
The most useful reason to plan a trip is simple: the market is built around food that is in season and ready to eat the same day. Vendors commonly bring tomatoes, corn, squash, melons, peppers, beans and honey, along with handmade birdhouses, linens, fashion accessories and other goods. That mix makes the market more than a place for dinner ingredients; it is also a spot to handle a few household needs in one stop.
For a family trying to cut grocery costs without cutting nutrition, the produce list matters. Tomatoes, corn, squash, melons, peppers and beans are the kinds of items that can anchor meals for several days, and honey can replace pricier packaged sweeteners or serve as a shelf-stable pantry item. Handmade birdhouses, linens and accessories are not groceries, but they can help a household shift a little money away from store-bought gifts or décor and toward food.
How the market stretches food budgets
The strongest feature of this market is not just what it sells, but how it pays. The market accepts SNAP, WIC and Senior Vouchers, and Perry County highlights a simple example: $5 in SNAP can become $10 worth of produce. That doubling turns a small balance into more fresh food, which can matter most in weeks when household budgets are already tight.
The seasonal market listing for downtown Hazard next to Triangle Park includes SNAP and EBT, credit and debit cards, Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program benefits, WIC Farmers Market Nutrition Benefits and cash. That range makes the market usable for shoppers who rely on benefits, shoppers who are paying out of pocket and shoppers who split a purchase between both.
The market also offers Carrot Cash for children 17 and younger. That gives kids a direct role in choosing fruits and vegetables, which can help families leave with produce their children are more likely to eat.
WIC, senior benefits and the state system behind them
Perry County’s market fits into a wider Kentucky food-access network. Kentucky WIC says local health departments issue $30 each summer to eligible recipients for locally grown fruits, vegetables and fresh-cut herbs, and those farmers market benefits are normally valid through October 31 at approved markets. The state says 102 farmers markets in 84 counties accept WIC farmers market benefits.
In Perry County, that gives shoppers a longer buying window than the county market’s listed season alone. Families who use WIC can plan around the summer issue date and keep using benefits into the fall at approved markets. For older adults, the Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program benefits and senior vouchers create another path to buying local produce without paying full retail grocery prices.
Kentucky Double Dollars adds a second layer of budget help at participating farmers markets, Fresh Stop and community markets, and retail sites. The statewide partnership offers incentives for SNAP, WIC and Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program participants to buy Kentucky-grown produce and other agricultural products.
NorthFork Local Food grew out of the same market
The Perry County market is also the starting point for a broader local-food network. Mountain Association says NorthFork Local Food began at the Perry County Farmers Market in 2015 and now supports about 35 vendors from across Appalachian Kentucky. Its mission is to increase access to locally grown and produced foods along and around the North Fork of the Kentucky River.
The network turns a weekly market into a year-round food system. NorthFork is a program of the Perry County Farmers’ Market, it is fiscally sponsored by the Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky and it is managed by a local board of directors.
Why this market matters in Hazard
Perry County was founded in 1821, and Hazard and Perry County are named for Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry. Hazard also serves as the center for education, communication and healthcare for the area and surrounding counties, which helps explain why a farmers market in the county seat reaches beyond a single neighborhood.
People come to Hazard for school, appointments and errands, and the market gives them a chance to leave town with seasonal produce instead of just gas-station food or packaged groceries.
This article was produced by Prism’s automated news system from verified source data, official records, and press releases, then run through automated quality and moderation checks before publishing. The system is built and supervised by the people who set the standards it runs under. Read our full AI policy.
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