FORT DRUM, N.Y. (June 4, 2018) -- Fort Drum Soldiers, veterans and their Families can receive free produce at their local farmers' market, courtesy of the FreshConnect Checks program with the New York State Division of Veterans' Affairs.
A booklet of FreshConnect checks, worth a total of $20 at participating farmers' markets, is available at the Division of Veterans' Affairs office, A2-4, in Clark Hall, between 11-11:30 a.m. Monday-Friday.
"It's a great program, and only recently has it been offered to service members and their families," said George Dalrymple, veterans benefits adviser.
Dalrymple said that because of his busy appointment schedule with veterans, he only has a 30-minute each day to distribute the booklets. Still, he hasn't had a problem getting them off his desk.
"All 1,100 of them were gone last year by mid-July," he said. "The same happened at the Watertown office. It goes pretty quick."
Dalrymple said that many of his clients retire in the Fort Drum area and they tell their spouses about the FreshConnect program, who then talk about it with their family support groups.
"The next thing you know, I have a line outside my door and the checks are gone," he said.
Among the participating markets near Fort Drum are the Watertown Farm and Craft Market, open 6:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday, at 317 Washington Street, Watertown. Visit https://freshconnect.ny.gov/home to find a map of other farmer's markets in New York. The booklets are good until Dec. 31.
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