News

Wireless ATMs bring food stamps to farmers' markets

July 13, 2008

The (Montpelier, Vt.) Times Argus:Ten years ago, when Vermont replaced paper food-stamp coupons with electronic benefit transfer cards, the advantages were obvious. The debit card look-alikes were discreet and eliminated much of the stigma associated with the paper food stamps. And for grocers, EBT cards put an end to handling pieces of paper.But farmers' markets, which had accepted paper food stamps, had no way of processing the cards. Local farmers who sold at farmers' markets found themselves cut off from the millions of food-stamp dollars spent in the state.Now, little by little, that's changing.In 2007, the Northeast Organic Farming Association of Vermont got a grant to test wireless card readers, allowing shoppers to use EBT cards at food markets in the state.