Abstract

Farmers markets are generally considered one of the healthiest places to purchase food. However, less than 1% of food assistance dollars are redeemed at farmers markets. Because farmers markets have operated historically as cash operations, they are still experimenting and struggling to find ways to redeem electronic food share benefits. Much work on electronic benefit transfer (EBT) has focused on barriers from users' perspectives. Farmers markets have often been overlooked during the transition from food stamps to EBT. This paper takes an in-depth look at barriers and facilitators to successful implementation of EBT at farmers markets from the market manager's perspective. The researchers interviewed a semi¬random geographic sample of farmers market managers across Wisconsin ( N =13) to determine if and how the electronic Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits are redeemed at their market and identify factors that impede or aid EBT redemption. Data were analyzed using grounded theory analysis. Several positive and negative themes emerged from the interviews as factors associated with successful EBT programs, including community support, perceived match of EBT with market mission, stable financing, perceived benefit to vendors, and vendor acceptance of EBT. Farmers markets have the potential to reduce food insecurity through EBT redemption. Understanding the main barriers as well as effective strategies for successful implementation of EBT in farmers markets is imperative to realize the full potential of this program. Understanding difficulties from market managers' perspectives is important to inform future policy initiatives to streamline reimbursement at farmers markets.

Highlights

  • BackgroundOver the past 30 years, growth in the number of farmers markets has occurred rapidly in the United States (Brown, 2001)

  • Farmers Markets and HealthOver the past 30 years, growth in the number of farmers markets has occurred rapidly in the United States (Brown, 2001)

  • To understand some of the barriers to offering electronic benefit transfer (EBT) at a farmers market, we investigated factors associated with implementation of EBT redemption systems at farmers markets using grounded theory analysis

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Summary

Background

Over the past 30 years, growth in the number of farmers markets has occurred rapidly in the United States (Brown, 2001). An interest in Preliminary results were presented at the allowing SNAP funds to be redeemed at the annual Wisconsin Fruit and Vegetable Growers market was necessary This interest may have been conference to a room (30 to 40 people) of farmers generated by the community, the market mangers market managers across the state to perform and/or vendors, or an outside source. The funds for this program and the EBT machine came from the Farmers Market Promotion Program, a USDA program to increase direct producer-to-consumer market opportunities (USDA AMS, n.d.) Another noteworthy example of a market receiving assistance with EBT redemption is the MadMarket Double Dollars program in which the city of Madison partnered with CAC and local businesses to provide more tokens for individuals redeeming their EBT funds at four farmers markets in Madison. Markets that perform direct deposit described their methods to reimburse vendors weekly and avoid the nuisance and costliness of ordering checks

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