From left, the Reverend Luke Foder, rector, St. Luke’s Episcopal Church and Nick Weith, food access manager at the church - it’s all about going green and building community around food for the duo.

The Jamestown Public Market will be going sub-zero for the next few months.

St. Luke’s Episcopal Church has received a three-year grant, which will expand the Farmers’ Market program well into the winter months, providing an almost year-long experience.

St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, located at 410 N. Main St. hosted its inaugural, community winter market at the church’s Undercroft on Saturday, with the indoor market continuing from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays for the rest of December.

The Rev. Luke Fodor said that the market is funded, in part, by a grant the church received from the United States Department of Agriculture for $250,000.

“This funding is helping us expand our food access programs,” he said. “It’s about building a community around the plate and food. Something humans have done for thousands of years. Plus, it gives people access to local produce year-round.”

Fodor said that expanding the food access program not only benefits program users nutritionally but is financially positive for the entire city.

“By buying locally, it keeps our money local, and cycles it right back into the city,” he said. “Keeping dollars locally is another aim of the program.

Much like the Double Up Food Bucks program, where a person spends a dollar can receive a dollar credit, thus stretching an individual’s buying power. This New York state funded program caps at a $20 limit of matching funds.

However, St. Luke’s has an even more lucrative program it is offering.

“For every $50 spent at the market a qualified shopper like a Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participant is able to receive a matching credit for up to $50,” he said. Meaning, that $50 worth of purchases, turns into a $100 worth of market products – which are generally healthier, fulfilling and better for you.”

According to Nick Weith, St. Luke’s food access manager and Jamestown Public Market supervisor, the Farmer’s Market Promotion Program Grant is an opportunity to expand the Jamestown Public Market into the winter months.

“These expanded programs will provide local farmers with ongoing and increased opportunity to connect with the Jamestown and Chautauqua County community. We’ve already started to have conversations with farmers about growing their crop plans for next year so that they are able to continuously sell at the winter market and to our farm share program (Community Supported Agriculture),” he said.

Weith said the community benefits by having better access to local and healthy food all year round.

Additionally, “the market is approved to accept SNAP/ EBT (Electronic Benefits Transfer) and benefits and are enrolled in double up programs that match up to $50 per market. This means that the folks who need the most access to healthy food can really stretch their dollar -making it much more affordable to shop at the market and local than at a big box grocery store,” he said.

For information contact the church at 716-483-6405 or email stlukes@stlukesjamestown.org