The Coatesville Farmers Market will be open Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. through October.
Brandywine Health Foundation helps to get it off the ground
COATESVILLE – The soon-to-debut Coatesville Farmers Market is already reaping the bounty of the community, having received a $900 startup grant from the Brandywine Health Foundation.
Opening-day festivities are scheduled from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, June 9, at Gateway Park, where city officials recently celebrated the opening of the Riverwalk. The scenic, paved trail, which is anchored by an interactive water fountain, starts at the intersection of Route 82 and Lincoln Highway and meanders about a half-mile along the Brandywine.
The market, which will be open on Saturdays through October, will sell local produce, breads, cheese, baked goods, jams, and more.
Frances Sheehan, who heads the Brandywine Health Foundation, said her board was delighted to help jumpstart the new initiative. She said the grant brings the foundation’s total awards to more than $10.2 million in the past decade.
“We are excited that Coatesville families will enjoy access to a variety of fresh, local fruits and vegetables and other healthy foods easily accessible by all,” she said. “We are proud that the Coatesville Farmers Market Association has taken this leap forward in providing a service that is very much needed and desired in the greater Coatesville area.”
The Coatesville Farmers Market Association has been approved by the USDA to accept Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits; therefore, if participating Farmers Market vendors that are not set up to accept certain public benefits can run their sales through the market, broadening the access to their products, organizers said.
The Brandywine Health Foundation is celebrating its 10th anniversary as a purveyor of grants to services and programs that improve health and encourage youth development in the greater Coatesville area. For more information, visit www.brandywinefoundation.org.
