Fresh fruits and vegetables can seem out of reach for people on tight food budgets. A pilot program that links food stamp recipients with farmers markets is working to make healthy food easier to get.

The East Atlanta Village Farmers Market started taking food stamps this year, working with state and federal hunger relief agencies to arrange the test. Three other markets, in Chatham, Wilkes and Walker counties, soon will start accepting electronic benefit transfer cards from food stamp recipients, according to the Georgia Department of Human Resources.

But word has been slow to spread, and the East Atlanta market is bringing in a host of state and federal officials on Thursday at 5 p.m. for a kickoff designed to let food stamp recipients know they can use EBT cards to buy food from local farmers.

The East Atlanta market wants to reach out to nearby residents who receive food stamps or are likely to, says Jonathan Tescher, the market's director. There are 4,400 food stamp recipients in the market's 30316 zip code, and 18 percent of nearby households earn less than $15,000 a year, he said.

Many of the farmers and vendors selling in the parking lot markets that have sprung up around metro Atlanta in recent years get a premium price for their products, with eggs going for $4 or $5 a dozen, bread for $5 a loaf and corn for a dollar an ear. But Tescher says he's checked prices for basics like tomatoes, squash and cucumbers at nearby grocery stores, and that costs at the East Atlanta market are competitive.

The market wants to bring in more customers, and also to encourage residents to grow more of their own food, he says. In September, it will start a community outreach program offering nutrition and cooking classes and an all-day gardening seminar. Besides encouraging residents to start gardens, it will provide an outlet for them to sell extra produce, he says.