‘It’s unacceptable’: Paper shortage causing some farmer’s market checks to not be sent

PITTSBURGH — When State Representative Abigail Salisbury got word from Pennsylvania’s Department of Agriculture that checks for the farmer’s market nutrition program won’t be sent out this month, she wanted to know why.

“It’s a hit to nutrition in my opinion. The key thing about the farmer’s market program is that people would be able to get fresh produce,” Representative Salisbury said.

The reason for the lack of checks this month doesn’t have to do with the food off the markets, but with a paper shortage.

There isn’t enough paper to print out checks for the month.

“It’s unacceptable. I was told it’s basically coming down to a supply chain issue where they don’t have enough paper to print the checks on. Which raises the question, do we need to put them on paper? Also, why can’t we get more paper at this point?” Salisbury added.

The timing is tough, since the extra money from SNAP benefits is now back where it was before COVID.

As for the farmer’s market checks, Representative Salisbury says, people who rely on this program will supposedly get their checks in July.

“I replied to the email, and said, ‘where am I supposed to send people, because people are going to be expecting this money,’” she added.

The state’s answer, according to the representative, is to tell everyone to rely on a charity, like a food box program or the food bank.

“The fact that people are going to have to wait an entire month to be able to access fresh fruits and vegetables when they’re already food insecure, and low-income, it’s really an unacceptable response to me,” she said.

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