From early June through September, every Wednesday evening, something special happens in Miles Park. Beneath the golden light of the Absaroka Mountains, friends and families, musicians and artisans, ranchers and farmers all come together to create more than just a market: it’s a celebration of everything we love about Southwest Montana.
Each week, the Livingston Farmers Market welcomes around 100 vendors offering everything from pasture-raised beef and fresh eggs to handmade jewelry and local honey. But this market is more than a lively community hub, it’s also a place where dignity, access, and local resilience come together. The LFRC is just one piece of the puzzle.
Here’s how it works: Clients of our food pantry, or other community partners like HRDC and Community Health Partners, can stop by our Healthy Families Tent and exchange special coupons for $10 in market tokens. These tokens work just like cash with vendors who sell fruits and veggies, breads and cereals, meat, fish, poultry, and eggs, dairy, honey, and seeds & plant starts. We have had a wonderful response from vendors who are happy to work with us.
This is our fifth year running the token program, and the impact has been powerful. Clients have shared how meaningful it is to shop alongside their neighbors, choosing fresh, local food with autonomy and pride. Vendors feel it too. One farmer told us, “My sales are up 20% thanks to the token program.”
Because local and healthy groceries should not be reserved just for food secure families. Everyone deserves access to the best our land has to offer, especially families and seniors who are stretching every dollar.
The LFRC also helps market-goers exchange SNAP benefits for tokens, making sure that federal food assistance dollars stay local and support our hard working farmers. It’s a win for everyone: stronger relationships, a stronger food web, and a healthier Livingston.
But we can’t do this without you.Behind every bag of vegetables and carton of eggs bought with tokens is someone whose week just got a little easier, and a lot more nourishing. Running this program takes funding, staff, and vendor cooperation that’s why Give a Hoot is so critical.
For many, the market is a fun evening out. For our clients, it’s a vital part of their grocery routine, and without your support, that opportunity disappears.
Please donate today and help us keep this beautiful system thriving. Because all people deserve access to local, healthy, and delicious food, and together, we can make that happen.
