Farmers' Markets and EBT
Farmers’ Markets provides young food producing entrepreneurs the opportunity to start a business based on their own land and skills. Farmers’ markets feed the community with food grown here by local folks, keeping our dollars at home, and building local businesses.
Plus shopping at a farmers’ market is just fun! In addition to chatting with your farmers, many of our markets feature live music, locally made crafts, and activities for kids. Click here for more information on Markets close to you.
If you receive food stamp benefits you can also take advantage of Market Match which doubles EBT shoppers’ buying power up to a daily maximum per card.
Each market has an EBT machine, like a debit or credit card processor, and a CalFresh/EBT recipient may use their benefits by simply swiping their card, indicate how much they want to take out, and receive tokens to spend at the market.
For example, if a customer spends $15 in EBT funds, they are given an extra $15 ($30 total) in market tokens to spend on fruits and vegetables. This is a “win-win-win” situation – participants make healthier eating choices, farmers have more customers, and the community of people interacting with each other at the market expands. Click here for more details.
EBT Match: Making an Impact
by Heather Seggel
Regular visitors to our local farmers’ markets know they’re a feast for the senses, a great way to shop locally, and a pleasant social outing. They can also be more expensive than a trip to the supermarket or discount store, though that’s not always the case. While this reflects the true cost of growing food, it can leave low-income shoppers feeling cut off from this local treasure. Good news: It doesn’t have to be that way. Market Match opens farmers markets up to the community in unprecedented ways.
The concept is simple: If you are a CalFresh/SNAP recipient, come to the market and scan your card for up to $15 per visit (varies by market). All certified Mendocino County markets will match a set amount of that, doubling a portion of your payment, and give you tokens to spend on the foods that are for sale, from meat, bread, fish and cheese to those all-important fruits and veggies. It’s a small thing that makes a big impact.
According to the website MarketMatch.org, “In 2014, 61% of customers surveyed reported that Market Match was a very important consideration in their decision to spend their benefits at the farmers’ market instead of elsewhere. 79% reported that their consumption of fruits and vegetables increased as a result of the program.” In other words, getting people to try the market leads to positive changes in their health! That’s a big plus, but the benefits go way beyond that.
MarketMatch.org also tracked how the program helps local farmers stay afloat, and it’s fairly amazing. According to their data, $550,000 in incentives led to over $2 million in spending on fresh fruits and vegetables at participating markets, a 440% return on investment! There are a lot of programs dedicated to helping people eat better, but none have shown results like this.
It makes sense that EBT Match works so well when you think about it. Many of the obstacles to healthy eating are easily overcome if they’re tackled all at once. Is it too expensive? Bam! We just doubled your money, go nuts and try something new. Oh, but I don’t know how to cook (garlic scapes/fava beans/these weird-looking tiny potatoes)! Just ask. Farmers don’t grow their food and sell it as a form of punishment; they want you to love it all as much as they love bringing it to you, and they’ve got ideas they’re more than happy to share.
If you’re new to the program, start small and be fearless. Take $5 and turn it into $10 with Market Match. Walk around and see what appeals to you. Buy one thing you know you like and try one new thing for fun. Ask for recipe ideas, and use market ingredients in recipes you already know and love. Don’t be surprised if you love it and come back for more.
Eating more fresh fruits and veggies is a no-brainer for your health; we all know that putting a rainbow on your plate regularly is good for every cell in your body. Buying those ingredients from your nearest farmers market also nourishes the cells of your community in ways big and small. According to the USDA, every $1 of SNAP spending generates $1.79 of additional economic activity. In 2014 alone this one program created $4 million in local spending that went directly to farming communities struggling to make ends meet, “making it rain” in a drought year. That funding is crucial.
And funding is the final strand in this interconnected web. EBT matching programs receive federal funding, but that’s just one income stream. Local nonprofits like the Good Farm Fund raise money for small farm grants and to fund EBT matching at farmers markets. The markets often have a “tip jar” out so anyone who wants to can chip in for the program, and interested donors need only ask at their local market to find out how they can help. If you love your local market and want to help it thrive, making it available to everyone is a sure way to draw a crowd.
Click here for a short “how-to” video. Come out to your next farmers market. Enjoy the weather, the good company and the delicious food. It’s no exaggeration to say we can’t make it without you, and that’s a good thing.
Heather Seggel is a freelance writer in Ukiah, California. She is currently looking for a day job while working at her dream job.
Author:
Ian Fitzpatrick & Heather Seggel
Resource Date:
June 2, 2016
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