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61st Street Farmers Market Gets $175,000 in Grants to Expand

By Sam Cholke | October 1, 2014 5:45am
 The 61st Street Farmers Market has received $175,000 in grants to expand its services.
The 61st Street Farmers Market has received $175,000 in grants to expand its services.
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Experimental Station/Dan Burke

HYDE PARK — The 61st Street Farmers Market announced Tuesday it has received nearly $175,000 in grants to support the Saturday market.

The Chicago Community Trust and the U.S. Department of Agriculture have committed grants to extend the market to all year and expand discounts for low-income shoppers.

“One of the initiatives we hope to expand with this funding is our community health market model, piloted this year at our 61st Street Farmers Market, whereby we provide blood pressure and other health assessments for our customers and collect LINK customer health data,” said Connie Spreen, executive director of the Experimental Station, which runs the market at 6100 S. Blackstone Ave.

The $99,939 federal grant will fund two years of the programs that are offered along with the sale of produce.

The Chicago Community Trust grant for $75,000 will support the initiative that provides farmers market produce at half cost for low-income shoppers with a LINK card.

The program was started at the 61st Street Farmers Market and is now offered at 27 farmers markets in Chicago.

“We are deeply grateful to the Chicago Community Trust and the USDA for this tremendous support of our work,” Spreen said. “We will do our best to ensure the greatest impact we can with the funding they have entrusted to us.”

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