EBT (food stamps) at Farmers Markets

[Long Meadow Farm]

I'm on the Steering Committee for the Gardiner Farmers' Market and we are trying hard to get set up to accept EBT. The biggest hurdle is getting a landline set up at our location (The Commons in Gardiner) so we can get the free EBT equipment from the state. We plan on using tokens. Things are in motion for the landline to happen, but until it's all set we are uncertain! Anyone out there with hands-on experience (in Maine or elsewhere) in this process? It's amazing how difficult this process has been.

[Jeremy]

I am certainly no expert, but I have worked with e-commerce and credit cards for many years. What I've learned about EBT so far is that it does need the LAN line, and until they provide something different, that's it. Until you have a LAN line where you need it, my best suggestion is a really long phone card to a LAN line you can get your hands on in the mean time.

[Lalibela Farm]

We processed EBT cards last year manually at the Portland Farmer's Market (as a single farm). When we returned home, we ran the transactions through on our Free landline machine provided by FNS. We were happy to be able to accept EBT cards, but it was a risk, b/c we wouldn't know if the funds were available untill we got home, and writing down card numbers was time consuming. (The Portland Market (Deering Oaks Park) has no electricity or phoneline closeby).
This season, we decided it was worth it to commit to a wireless credit card processor/contract. It is costing us about $25/mo plus percentages, but has already proven to be well worth it. We are now able to process credit, debit, and EBT on site, and provide receipts.
I would love to see the state fund a program to provide these machines to all markets in maine, like they are doing in other states, and the tokens are a great idea to distribute to the vendors. These machines require 1 bank account to be linked to the machine, so the market/vendors would have to share an account, and someone would have to be willing to do some record keeping/fund transferring.(Although a bill/resolve (LD 315) that was recently brought before DHHS, and USDA to develop a plan for this very thing, was voted down)
I'd be happy to provide more information if you'd like to hear it. Our experience has really only been as a single farm- not a market-wide effort, as it seems a bit more complicated/time consuming for many other vendors.
I will say again, though that we have been very happy with the machine/processing that we are doing, and it is absolutely worth the cost to provide access to local food, for folks who might not otherwise be able to afford it.

Jaime Berhanu
Lalibela Farm

[Jeremy]

That's great Jaime, and thanks for drawing out all the proper issues to consider! It all comes down to EBT needing to work with your existing merchant account, which in these times, can be wireless and work for the farmer to aid in sales.

I definitely recommend those wireless card swipers to anyone wanting to take credit cards.

[Sherie Blumenthal]

I work with the Lewiston Farmers Market, now part of the Great Falls Farmers and Artisans Market of L/A and we have used a wireless EBT machine at the market for all vendors in a fashion that Jaime described below. We had one account that the money was funneled into, we kept track of the farmers sales during the market and then at the end of the month we reimbursed the farmers by writing checks from that one account. We were able to do this because we got a waiver from the state whereby the Lewiston Farmers Market Association could act as one vendor on behalf of the multiple vendors at the market. We've done some restructuring since then however, and are no longer a registered Association, so we are waiting to hear back to see if we can use the EBT machine for all market sites around L/A. If others reading this know more, please share. I will keep folks posted as I learn more from the state.

Also, in terms of acquiring the machine, I was not directly part of getting it but know that we did receive a $1500 grant from the New England Grassroots Environmental Fund in 2006 to purchase one so it's worth looking around to see if there are grants out there.

On another note if you are someone you know is interested in being part of the markets in the L/A area please get in touch.

Be well,
Sherie