Connecticut will have
farmers’ markets in Hartford and New Haven using tokens
to conduct EBT transactions. New Haven’s farmers’
markets will operate at four locations throughout the
city on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays
beginning May 21, 2005. Hartford’s two markets will
operate on Tuesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays beginning
June 11, 2005.
Massachusetts
Massachusetts
will have various farmers’ markets conducting alternative
EBT transactions via scrip, receipt, and tokens. Several
markets from 2004 are not participating. However, in their
place, the State has added five new markets.
--
The Lynn
Farmers’ Market will begin a wireless, scrip-based
demonstration project this summer. The Market, in operation
for 15 years, is sponsored by the Food Project – North
Shore. The market begins operation on June 18, 2005. The
Food Project expects to purchase a wireless POS terminal and
sell scrip to EBT customers modeled after the Holyoke
Farmers’ Market.
--
The Holyoke
Chamber of Commerce is operating a scrip-based EBT system at
the Holyoke Farmers’ Market. The Holyoke scrip is in
increments of $2.00, and will be purchased through the
market manager’s POS device.
--
The Greater
Worcester Farmers’ Market will utilize a wireless POS device
and a receipt-based system, where Food Stamp households
choose eligible items from the individual vendors, then take
the receipt(s) to the market manager to purchase the items
via the wireless POS, and lastly return to the vendor to
pick up the purchased items.
--
The Farmer’s
Market at the “X,” in Springfield will use a central POS
device to distribute scrip for purchases at the market. The
market is sponsored by the “X” Main Street Corporation.
--
The Chicopee
Farmers’ Market will use scrip to conduct EBT transactions.
The market is sponsored by the Valley Opportunity Council.
The market will operate from June 1 through October 26,
2005.
--
The Dudley
Square Public Market, in Roxbury, will utilize a wireless
POS device and a receipt-based system, where Food Stamp
households choose eligible items from the individual
vendors, then take the receipt(s) to the market manager to
purchase the items via the wireless POS, and lastly return
to the vendor to pick up the purchased items. The Market is
sponsored by the Madison Park Development Corporation in
partnership with The Food Project, Boston Public Health
Commission, Nuestra Conunidad, Whittier Street health
Center, Haley House, and City Councilman Chuck Turner’s
office.
New
Hampshire
Similar to
FY04, the University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension
(UNHCE) Nutrition Connections Program in collaboration with
the New Hampshire Farmers’ Market Association will assist in
the operation of a scrip-based farmers’ Market project. The
three markets participating include the Farmers’ Market
Association of Nashua, the Downtown Manchester Farmer’s
Market and the Enfield Village Associate Farmers’ Market.
The Enfield and Nashua markets have point of sale (POS)
terminals. The Manchester market uses a wireless terminal.
Kiosk operators will be available to issue scrip at each
market. Scrip will be issued in $0.50 and $1.00
denominations. Nutrition Education activities at each market
will be available. Those activities include two food
demonstrations at each market, the distribution of nutrition
and program materials that contain nutrition information,
recipes and food preparation information. Bi-lingual needs
have been assessed and will be provided at the Nashua and
Manchester markets.
New York
New York
City. For the fifth year, farmers in New York City are
using wireless equipment provided through the New York
Farmers’ Market Federation. The equipment was purchased
through a USDA Federal-State Market Improvement Program
grant to the New York State Department of Agriculture and
Marketing. The equipment and access are provided at no cost
for cash and Food Stamp EBT. Farmers may also opt to accept
commercial debit and/or credit cards at their own expense.
New York
State. In 2003, the New York Farmers’ Market Federation
purchased forty-six wireless terminals for use in farmers’
markets in Rochester, Buffalo, Niagara Falls and North
Tonawanda. The terminals were purchased with $100,000 in
funds that the USDA Food & Nutrition Service provided as
part of the 2002 Federal Agricultural Appropriations Bill.
Of the 46 terminals purchased, twenty-seven farmers actually
utilized the wireless terminals with total redemptions of
$14,513 from May through September.
For 2004, New
York received another $100,000 grant in the Appropriations
Bill for wireless EBT at farmers’ markets. New York is
redeploying the wireless terminals that were not utilized
the previous year to other farmers who have shown interest,
and is expanding the project to Syracuse. New York is also
exploring the possibility of authorizing a market manager at
smaller farmers’ markets to operate one central terminal,
rather than authorizing the individual farmers. New York
will continue outreach efforts to draw more Food Stamp
recipients to the farmers’ markets.
Mid-Atlantic Region
Pennsylvania
In 2004, the Commonwealth
of Pennsylvania began a demonstration project to ascertain
the practicality, effectiveness, and cost efficiency of
utilizing wireless POS technology for food stamp
transactions when standard POS devices can not be utilized.
This project is in conjunction with two nonprofit
organizations: The Food Trust in Philadelphia and Just
Harvest in Pittsburgh. The Food Trust operates outdoor
farmers' markets in Philadelphia. Just Harvest gives
technical assistance to several farmers who sell at farmers'
markets in Western Pennsylvania. As part of this project,
all wireless POS device operating costs related to food
stamp transactions are paid for by the Commonwealth. Some
vendors in Pittsburgh also use the machines for commercial
transactions, and pay for those operating costs themselves.
Southeast Region
Kentucky
The Portland Farmers’
Market project has been approved for the 2004 growing season
after piloting the project in 2003. The market will continue
to use a token-based EBT system. The Portland Farmers’
Market is responsible for producing its own unique tokens
according to State guidelines. The tokens are available for
purchase in $1.00 increments by Food Stamp households
through the market manager’s office or similar location,
which is equipped with a wireless point-of-sale device for
accepting EBT transactions.
The Scott County Farmers’
Market has also been approved for a second straight growing
season after initial efforts in 2003. This market uses a
voucher-based EBT system. EBT customers go to individual
farmers and make their purchases. The farmer completes a
voucher for the sale, which the customer then takes to the
EBT POS terminal where the voucher amount is deducted from
the customer’s EBT account. The customer will then return to
the farmer, provide a copy of the voucher showing proof of
purchase, and obtain the food items.
Midwest Region
Illinois
Austin Farmers Market
(Institute for Community Resource Development) was set up by
FNS in July 2002 as a farmers market/produce stand. The
demonstration project began the end of June 2003. Although
there are several authorized farmers markets in Chicago,
none of them, including Austin Farmers Market, have had a
successful Food Stamp Transaction since the project began.
Wisconsin
The Hunger Task Force of
Milwaukee (HTFM), the Fondy Farmers' Market in Milwaukee,
the Wisconsin Department of Health and Family Services and
other organizations worked together to pilot a handheld
wireless EBT farmers' market pilot project at the Fondy
Market in Milwaukee. The pilot operated from mid September –
early November 2003. Five farmers were recruited to
participate in the pilot. Due to the short time period in
2003, the pilot was extended to the 2004 season. An abnormal
spring growing season resulted in a late start-up for the
market. EBT transaction statistics for the Fondy Market for
the period 7/17/04 through 11/20/04: 8 vendors - 240
approved EBT transactions totaling $1,698.90. The average
purchase was $7.08. The wireless project will continue in
2005, with the goal of 12-15 vendors participating.
A new Farmers Market is
opening in a highly populated FS recipient neighborhood in
June 2005. The Milwaukee Fondy Market is providing technical
assistance and offered to loan the new market a wireless
device for use by certified vendors. The Wisconsin USDA
District Office distributed applications for vendor
certification and information on the use of manual vouchers
at a meeting of Madison area farmers market managers, WI EBT
staff, and Dane County Human Services in March 2005. The
wireless handheld device was demonstrated by eFunds (the
software developer) at the meeting, with discussion on
potential usage, and other options for farmers markets to
participate in EBT.
Southwestern Region
Louisiana
The Crescent
City Farmers’ Market in New Orleans is sponsored by Loyola
University. The market operates in three different locations
using wireless POS devices and tokens.
New Mexico
The Taos
farmers’ market project involves taking a purchase receipt
to a POS location adjacent to the market where the EBT card
could be debited and returning to the individual farmer to
exchange the POS receipt for the purchased food.
Texas
Several
pilots were conducted by the Texas Department of Agriculture
(which oversees farmers’ markets in Texas) and the Texas
Department of Human Services, Lone Star Technology (EBT)
during the 2002 growing season to evaluate different methods
of enabling Lone Star card use in different types of
markets. Clients near pilot sites were notified through
videos, posters, flyers, and other materials developed by
TDA and distributed in the TDHS local offices.
--
Ridgmar
Farmers’ Market, Ft. Worth. This market currently accepts
Visa and MasterCard transactions at a central checkout area.
It used a connected POS (Point of Sale) device in a
centralized business environment. The Third Party Processor
(TPP) currently used by Ridgmar is not an EBT certified TPP,
so an additional state-supplied POS device was installed to
handle Lone Star transactions.
--
Del Rio
Farmers’ Market. This market is seasonal and does not have a
permanent facility, electricity, or telephone lines. A
manual voucher pilot requiring a cell phone or telephone
access for authorizations was implemented. The farmers’
market associations use a state-supplied POS at their homes
to upload batched transactions at the end of the day for
faster settlements for farmers.
--
San Antonio
Farmers’ Market/Tri-State Farmers’ Market. These are two
large outdoor markets that move between three different
locations in San Antonio, none of which have available
electricity or phone lines. Wireless centralized POS devices
were originally planned, which would have involved
certifying new processors that handle cellular transaction
processing to the Texas system, thus extending project time
frames. However, this solution was not implemented, and the
manual voucher processes are used instead.
--
Lufkin
Farmers’ Market. This market is in a permanent location, and
has been accepting the Lone Star Card since the first EBT
rollout in Texas. This site served as a baseline for the
other pilot sites.
--
Jacksonville
Farmers' Market. Individual vendors use wired POS terminals.
--
Eagle Pass
Farmers' Market. Farmers’ authorize paper manual vouchers by
using a cell phone. Settlement is through home-based POS
terminals.
Western Region
Arizona
There are now 12 markets,
many only open for part of the year that accept Food Stamps.
Most of these markets are now using wireless POS devices.
California
The State is testing
wireless POS devices and will allow them to be used at
farmers markets and other non-traditional retailers.
Currently, the State has deployed wireless POS devices to 26
individual FNS-authorized farmers that sell produce at the
farmers' markets with the highest historical food stamp
redemption (Oakland, Richmond, Sacramento, San Francisco,
and Stockton). In addition, 34 FNS authorized farmers'
markets throughout the State are using a wireless POS and a
scrip solution, with 14 more soon to be added. The State is
currently in the process of evaluating the wireless POS
demonstration.
Hawaii
The Hilo Farmers’ Market
project continues which first started in 1998. Food stamp
clients use their EBT cards at a Point of sale (POS) kiosk
in the market, where the manager swipes the card in return
for scrip. The client then exchanges the scrip with
individual vendors at the market for food. Refunds are also
done at the POS.
There are five farmers
markets currently accepting Food Stamps. All purchases go
directly through the POS device, except the Eastbank Farmers
Market where tokens are used.
Washington
The State has 12 farmers
markets authorized to operate an EBT scrip system: The
Columbia City; University District; Lake City; and West
Seattle Farmers' Markets located in the Seattle area; and,
the Olympia Farmers' Market in Olympia are participating and
redeeming FSP benefits. The Bellingham Farmers' Market, San
Juan Farmers' Market, Magnolia Farmers' Market, Pasco
Farmers’ Market and Pike Place are authorized but do not
have redemptions this season. Other markets have expressed
an interest in joining for the 2004 market season. The State
is planning on offering wireless POS devices in the near
future.
