The Oxford Farmers' Market is open from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, with music starting at 10 a.m. Festive, folk Fiddler John Potocnik and pianist Kathy Shimberg will be performing in the Bandstand this Saturday. (Photo from the Oxford Farmers' Market)

OXFORD - There are so many ways to make your food dollars go further while also making your diet healthier and more varied when you shop at area farmer’s markets.

This week, staff from the Cooperative Extension’s wonderful  SNAP-Ed Program will be at the Oxford Farmers’ Market for the first of four Saturdays in July and August to help equip all of us, and especially  low-income families or those living on fixed incomes, with the tools to eat less expensively, eat healthier, lead more active lives, and ultimately become more self-sufficient. And SNAP, now accepted at the Oxford Farmers’ Market, goes twice as far because every SNAP dollar at the Market is doubled with FreshConnect Checks. So there’s twice as much goodness. 

The SNAP-Ed Program, housed at Cornell Cooperative Extension and covering Chenango, Madison, and Cortland Counties, employs a hands-on, interactive teaching style, offering classes on a variety of topics, including healthy eating on a budget, smart shopping for vegetables and fruits, healthy meal planning, basic cooking and food safety skills, weight control, and physical activity.

Dozens of  vendors at the Market this Saturday, many of them offering SNAP-eligible items, will be offering a wide variety of local plant starts and flowers; seasonal veggies and mushrooms; eggs, dairy products and regional cheeses; locally raised and processed lamb, pork and chicken; local hard ciders, maple syrup and honey; coffee and tea; hand-made soaps, lotions and balms; homemade treats for dogs; exquisitely hand-crafted items for the kitchen and home; and artisan fiber products from local producers.

Every product comes straight from a local  source and the skilled hands of your neighbors. 

And to make everything festive, folk Fiddler John Potocnik and pianist Kathy Shimberg will be performing in the Bandstand this Saturday.  The Market is open from 9:00 am - noon, with music starting at 10: 00 am. 

For more information about the Oxford Farmers’ Market, and to sign up for their weekly newsletter, visit their website:  www.oxfordfarmersmarket.org

- Information from Oxford Farmers' Market