We still have a few more Saturday markets to go, but I'm going to go out on a limb and call this year's farmers' market season a huge success. Success means different things to different people, so here's how I am defining it: an increased use of the farmers' market Food Stamp EBT/credit card program. The farmers' market EBT program allows customers to swipe their EBT (electronic benefit transfer) food stamp, credit, or debit card on a wireless transaction machine at the Missoula Farmers' Market and the Clark Fork River Market; customers then receive their desired monetary value in tokens to spend at participating vendors' stalls.                        

This program has been collaborative in nature from its inception. A combination of ingenuity, funding, and donations from Bonnie Buckingham, Missoula Food Bank, CFAC, Creative Catering, National Center for Appropriate Technology, Alternative Energy Resources Organization, and Big Sky Commerce have led to the creation and success of the EBT program. The program allows everyone who attends the market access to locally grown food, benefits the vendor by increasing sales, and benefits the local economy by keeping federal dollars from the Food Stamp EBT program within Missoula. Before this program was initiated, people who used food stamp benefits did not have the choice of shopping at the markets (because vendors could not swipe the cards) and people who forgot cash were out of luck or had to go to an ATM off-site. Everyone has the option of purchasing food from the farmers' market and supporting local producers.         

While the Clark Fork River Market started the program in September of 2006, this is the first season that both farmers' markets have accepted all EBT, debit, and credit cards. Last season five pilot markets in Montana processed more than $5000 in EBT sales and over $5000 in debit and credit sales. Even with several markets left this season Missoula's two markets alone have seen over $10,000 in EBT sales and almost $20,000 in debit and credit sales!

Response from vendors and customers about the token program has been positive; when asked why she purchased food at the market, one customer said, "For the environmental benefits of eating locally" while another said, "I really like the fresh and unusual food!"

Members of CFAC and the Clark Fork River Market did outreach about the program before the season began (signs on Mountain Line busses, newspaper ads, posters around town) and have seen a significant increase throughout the season in the number of people who frequent the token stand as well as the amount of transactions completed (a transaction being swiping the EBT or credit card for tokens). 

More customers and vendors have utilized the program throughout the season and both markets have had multiple Saturdays in which over $1000 in tokens were bought.  Now I'd call that success!      

It is certain that the Food Stamp EBT/credit card program has made it possible for more people to purchase locally grown food, support local growers, and boost our local economy. We look forward, to continued success of this program as we know it will lead to even stronger community food-security.

by Lauren Butz, Good Works Fellow and EBT coordinator