Food Stamps get to Farmers Markets
The Chattanooga Market is the second of three farmers markets in the State of Tennessee to receive approval to accept Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, commonly known as food stamps. Our program will rollout at the start of the 2010 season, which will allow for all of our eligible vendors to accept payments with the Market facilitation.
In a recent AP article by Cathy Bussewitz, the Sacramento Market was profiled for their difficulties as a cash-only market:
Tina Tennyson loved to make raspberry jam using the fresh fruit she bought at the farmers market in San Jose. When she recently moved to Sacramento, she hit a stumbling block: the local market didn’t accept food stamps.
Like most farmers markets across the state, the one held Sundays in the state capital only accepts cash.
Many states, including Tennessee, have emerging “experimental” programs which allow for tokens to be used for commerce with a central, single-terminal electronic exchange counter in lieu of requiring every farmer to purchase, register and maintain their own equipment.
But the process is time-consuming, and expensive:
Most farmers markets in California are cash-only operations and are set up in fields or parking lots that lack electricity. To accept the cards, the markets have to get approval from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and obtain a reader. Wireless devices can be used, but they cost about $1,000.
“They just don’t have the money and personnel to do it. They’re just too tight on their budgets right now,” said Dan Bass, general counsel for the California Federation of Certified Farmers Markets, which promotes and lobbies for 140 markets.
The Chattanooga Market began researching its ability to accept SNAP benefits in 2009, while the State was wrapping up their final review of the Knoxville Market’s pilot program. As the first of its kind in Tennessee, Knoxville’s token-based system has become the accepted farmers market approach for the entire state. The expense of establishing & operating the new program will be internally funded and fully absorbed by the Market.
Chris Thomas, Chairman of The Chattanooga Market, comments, “The key benefit to our farmers and other local food manufacturers is that they do not individually need to register, manage and maintain a direct relationship with any government organization in order to accept food stamp benefits. Even a one-time vendor, as long as they are selling an eligible food item, will be able to participate in the program immediately.”
The Market’s General Manager, Paul Smith, agrees. “The universal, umbrella- approach is a tremendous benefit to our customers, as they can shop throughout the Chattanooga Market with the knowledge that their eligible food purchases can be made hassle-free from any vendor. This is a huge step-forward in providing fresh, local and healthy food choices to our community.”
The impact of California’s SNAP programs appear to support this approach:
On a recent, rainy Saturday morning at the farmers market in the San Francisco Ferry Plaza, farmer Johann Smith reached over tables overflowing with cider bottles and pink lady apples, exchanging cash and small talk with customers who ranged from top-tier chefs to stroller-pushing moms.
Smith said when customers hand him wooden coins, the market’s currency for food stamps, he usually gives them a hefty discount.
“It’s a way to give access to people who wouldn’t normally have access to a farmers market,” he said.
The Chattanooga Market is preparing educational materials for our vendors, and will discuss the new program at our Vendor Preseason Orientation on April 11, 2010.