Allamakee Farmers Market accepting credit, EBT cards

Buying local food at the farmers market just became easier. The Allamakee Farmers Market now has the ability to process credit and debit cards on a new wireless machine.
The machine is also able to process EBT cards. EBT (Electronic Benefits Transfer) is the technology used today for Food Stamp purchases. Rather than having paper vouchers like they did years ago, Food Stamp clients now have all their benefits saved electronically on plastic cards much like debit or credit cards.

“Accepting EBT cards at our local farmers market can be a win-win situation,” says Teresa Wiemerslage, Allamakee County Extension Education Director. “Much like the WIC and Senior Market Nutrition Program, the electronic benefit card provides easy access to locally grown, fresh fruits and vegetables for low-income people while providing additional revenue for the market vendors.” Approximately seven percent of the people in Allamakee County are receiving food assistance.
Wiemerslage says the credit/debit transactions and the EBT transactions will use a special system involving a wireless credit card machine and two kinds of wooden tokens. Market manager Mary Kay Winke will process the card transactions for customers. The minimum purchase for credit and debit transactions is $20. For that transaction, customers will receive four $5 tokens that are used the same as cash by the market vendors.
Much like a cash machine, the market adds a $1.50 surcharge to each credit transaction to help pay for transaction fees and to support the food stamp program at the farmers market. The tokens do not expire and may be used throughout the season. Vendors can provide change in cash. “The tokens make great gifts for friends and family,” adds Wiemerslage.
EBT customers receive wooden tokens in $1 increments. EBT tokens can be used for farm fresh produce, baked goods, eggs, meat or jams and jellies. Vendors are not allowed to give cash change for EBT token purchases. The wooden tokens are as good as money. At the end of the market day, vendors exchange their tokens for cash with the market manager. The project is a partnership of the Farmers Market and Iowa State University Extension. Funding for the project was provided by the Northeast Iowa Food & Fitness Initiative and the Allamakee County Community Foundation.
The Allamakee Farmers Market is open Mondays from 4-6 p.m. at the Allamakee County Fairgrounds in Waukon.