New Hampshire Farmers’ Market Association

in collaboration with

New Hampshire Farmers’ Market Association

Food Stamp Redemptions at New Hampshire Farmers’ Markets

Background: In 1998 the New Hampshire Food Stamp Program changed its method of delivering food stamp benefits from a paper coupon to an electronic debit card called the EBT card. This change inadvertently excluded farm stands and vendors at farmers’ markets in New Hampshire because most do not have the infrastructure or staff to authorize the electronic card. This happened nationwide and the USDA Food and Nutrition Service recognized that finding solutions to overcome this barrier to the markets is an important priority.

New Hampshire’s Response: The UNH Cooperative Extension Nutrition Connections Program wrote a proposal and received a SARE grant to pilot test a centralized kiosk system to authorize the EBT card for Food Stamp customers at three pilot markets over the next three years. UNHCE/NC is working in collaboration with the New Hampshire Farmers’ Market Association. Two additional markets will be supported by the Food Stamp Nutrition Education Program grant that is administered by the UNHCE/NC Program.

Which markets are participating?: The three markets supported by the grant are the Nashua Farmers’ Market, Manchester Downtown Farmers’ Market, Sanbornton Farmers’ Market. The UNHCE/NC is supporting the Enfield Farmers’ Market and Laconia Farmers’ Market.

How will it work?: Each market will have an EBT booth(kiosk) with a paid staff person who will swipe the food stamp recipient’s EBT card for the amount that the food stamp customer chooses. In exchange the customer will receive market scrip in the form of a paper voucher, or a token that they may spend at that market only. If they do not spend all of their scrip they may return it to the EBT kiosk for a credit on their EBT account. Market vendors will turn in their scrip at the end of the day, receive a receipt for that amount, and will be reimbursed the following week.

What can Food Stamp customers purchase at the markets?: Unlike the WIC Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program and Senior FMNP coupons which are redeemable only for fresh fruits, herbs, and vegetables, the Food Stamp customers may purchase any foods at the market allowing more vendors to serve the low income population. This is a benefit to market vendors who sell foods other than fresh fruits, herbs, and vegetables. The kiosk staff will be trained to encourage customers who participate in both programs to redeem their FMNP coupons first in order to gain the most variety from the farmers’ market.

How will EBT customers know they can use their cards at the markets?: The Food Stamp Nutrition Education Program will publicize it through their newsletter, Smart Choices, which is distributed to every food stamp household in New Hampshire. The project coordinator will place flyers with the social service agencies in and around the towns where the markets are located. The WIC program has been notified and will promote it with their clients. All media forms will be contacted about the project to assist with publicity. The project coordinator is conducting focus groups with EBT customers in the three pilot communities funded by the SARE grant to learn about any perceived barriers to participating at farmers’ markets.

For additional information contact:

Helen E. Costello, UNHCE/NC, 603-224-9298, Helen.costello@unh.edu or

the New Hampshire Farmers’ Market Association, nhfma.org, 528-1990