The Experimental Station was very pleased to have welcomed Governor Pat Quinn to their 61st Street Farmers Market this past Saturday, June 8, 2013. Governor Quinn’s visit to the Market was to announce his support of Experimental Station’s LINK Up Illinois program.
LINK Up Illinois enables farmers markets across the state to make the fresh and healthy foods sold at farmers markets affordable for LINK card (formerly, ‘food stamp’) recipients by doubling the value of LINK purchases. Undertaken in partnership with Wholesome Wave Charitable Ventures and the Illinois Farmers Market Association.
LINK Up Illinois funded and trained 38 Illinois markets in 2012 and made it possible for over 6,000 Illinois families to purchase the healthy foods sold at these markets. As an added bonus, local farmers benefit from the increased sales, are able to grow their businesses, and thereby stimulate local economies.
In 2009, The 61st Street Farmers Market piloted Illinois’ first Double Value Coupon Program. According to Connie Spreen, Cofounder and Executive Director of Experimental Station, “since then, we have witnessed first-hand the benefits of offering such ‘nutrition incentives.’ Low-income customers purchase and consume more and different types of fruits and vegetables than they would without the program, and a majority (76%) of our 61st Street Farmers Market low-income customers now do all or most of their shopping for food at the Market.”
With the support of Governor Quinn, the Experimental Station looks forward in 2013 to engaging Illinois’ health sector and to building long-term partnerships with key stakeholders to ensure the continued availability of nutrition incentives.
The Experimental Station thanks The Chicago Community Trust, The Aetna Foundation, Bank of America, and Wholesome Wave for their valued support of LINK Up Illinois in 2013.
IFMA looks forward to helping Experimental Station grow that support as we move this effort forward! For online information about LINK Up Illinois, please visit the Experimental website at www.experimentalstation.org.
Photographs by Harvey Tillis and Marc Monaghan.