Do farmers markets only take cash?
There are many ways to pay at farmers markets. Cash usually works best. But EBT machines can be used to process payments for credit cards and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (or SNAP, formerly known as food stamps) payments. The number of farmers markets accepting SNAP is growing rapidly (30% between 2007 and 2008). In addition, more than 3,300 markets accept Women, Infant and Children (WIC) Farmers Market Nutrition Program vouchers and 3,100 markets participate in the Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP). In 2008, the USDA Food and Nutrition Service reported that over $40 million was spent at farmers markets through these two programs alone. Some markets have even developed their own locally based currencies, like HealthBucks in New York and Fresh Bucks in Rhode Island.
