Buy Seeds With Your 3SquaresVT Benefits!
With signs of spring slowly appearing, many people are planning their kitchen gardens so they can grow food all summer long. Did you know that 3squaresVT benefits can be used to buy seeds and starts for your vegetable, fruit and herb gardens at any retailer that accepts EBT? Growing a kitchen garden can be a rewarding way to put fresh food on your table while stretching your food budget at the same time!
Even if you don’t have a yard for gardening there are many different ways to grow your own food such as growing herbs in a sunny window of your house, growing in containers on a balcony or porch, or growing in a local community garden plot. Community gardens are a great way to get to know your community! Vermont is home to a network of more than 500 community-based gardens. The Vermont Community Garden Network has a garden directory to help find one near you. VCGN also provides lots of tips and strategies on how to garden on a budget. Visit the Vermont Community Garden Network website to learn more.
Libraries also provide lots of resources for getting started this growing season. Not only can you find books on gardening but some may have seed libraries where you can check out seeds for FREE! The Fletcher Free Library in Burlington is one of those public libraries that offers much more than books. Check out their Library of Non-traditional Things, aka the LONT collection. Here you can find different gardening tools to check out.
Not enrolled in 3SquaresVT? 3SquaresVT is a monthly benefit that can help income eligible households buy the foods they need, when they need them! It can be used at grocery stores, convenience stores, co-ops and participating farmers’ markets. Benefits are given to you each month on an EBT (electronic benefits transfer) card, which works like a debit card. Even if you’ve never been eligible for 3SquaresVT before, please know this program is here for you. To learn more visit, the 3SVT webpage. You can also call our helpline at 1-855-855-6181, or text ‘VFBSNAP’ to 855-11. You can also email us at 3SVT@vtfoodbank.org.
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