The Walpole Farmers Market (WFM) is now able to process SNAP/EBT, credit, and debit cards.

SNAP stands for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, what used to be called Food Stamps. SNAP benefits are distributed and redeemed electronically, with an Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card, very much like a debit card.

SNAP is the nation’s first and largest line of defense against hunger and offers a powerful tool to combat hunger among low-income families. According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, one in eleven NH residents participate in the SNAP program. More than 43% of them are in working families. 36% are in families with elderly or disabled members. A full 40% of SNAP participants in NH are children, that’s about 48,000 kids.

The WFM hopes processing EBT cards will help participants access fresh, flavorful, nutrient dense food.

The machine that processes EBT cards also processes credit and debit cards. All three cards are swiped at the market’s table and exchanged for wooden tokens that can be spent like money throughout the market.

The machine and tokens needed to implement this program were quite expensive. Orchard Hill Breadworks and the NH Farmers Market Association each gave the market very generous grants that covered some of these costs. Shoppers using credit or debit cards will be invited to throw in an extra buck or two if they’d like to support the program, to help offset costs that market vendors have absorbed.

The WFM summer season of weekly markets held Fridays from 4 pm to 6 pm on the Common will wrap up on October 11, 2013, then switch to monthly holiday and winter markets. See the calendar page of the website for details.