FMC Free SNAP EBT Equipment Program Approved Applicant Guide

This guide is for approved applicants of FMC’s 2015 Free SNAP EBT Equipment Program. It outlines program rules, participating service provider options and price comparisons.

Guide to Accepting Federal Nutrition Benefits in Maryland

Updated with the latest information on technology, the Maryland Farmers Market Association’s guide is a definitive resource on how to increase customers at your market through acceptance of the Farmers Market Nutrition Program (FMNP), Fruit & Vegetable Checks (FVC), and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in Maryland.

An Introduction to MarketLink: Are you eligible to receive a free SNAP/EBT system for your market?*

*Unfortunately, some parts of the webinar recording did not come out. While we are fixing this, you can still listen to the audio and follow along with the slidedeck below.

Webinar Resources (pdf)

Webinar Slidedeck (pdf)

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) launched MarketLink, a program operated by the National Association of Farmers’ Market Nutrition Programs (NAFMNP). Marketlink provides farmers markets and direct-marketing farmers with a one-stop-shop to become an authorized SNAP vendor and take advantage of USDA funding to obtain free or low-cost equipment and wireless services. Up to $4 million in grants for SNAP/EBT technology solutions will be available through this program for eligible markets through September 30, 2014.

The quickly approaching deadline means that eligible farmers and market managers are making this important decision right now. Wholesome Wave and Farmers Market Coalition are co-hosting this free webinar to address your unanswered questions about MarketLink. Through this webinar, you will:
•understand the USDA’s funding stream for enhanced SNAP benefits at markets
•learn who is eligible to access USDA funding through MarketLink
•learn about MarketLink, an iPhone-based EBT system that taps into $4 million in USDA funding to help new markets become SNAP/EBT accessible
•hear an on-the-ground perspective on applying through MarketLink and implementing EBT

Panelists:
•Rogelio Carrasco of the USDA’s Food And Nutrition Service will present an overview of the USDA’s funding for improved access to SNAP benefits at markets and the history of Marketlink
•Amy Crone of NAFMNP and the Maryland Farmers Market Association will present the MarketLink program and provide an in-depth description of eligibility and application process
•Sara Berney, Executive Director of Wholesome Wave Georgia, will discuss her experience applying for funds through MarketLink and recommendations for others

SNAP Healthy Food Incentives Cluster Evaluation 2013

This cluster evaluation documents the strategically executed efforts and results achieved by four “healthy food incentive programs” to motivate Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) customers to purchase healthier foods with their benefits, and to address financial challenges experienced by local farmers. The farmers’ markets included in this cluster evaluation are affiliated with four non-profit organizations — Fair Food Network (FFN), Market Umbrella (MU), Roots of Change (ROC), and Wholesome Wave (WW).

Farmers Market Incentive Provider Study

As early as 2005 in New York, to attract SNAP participants to their markets, organizations that operated several FMs launched conditional cash transfer programs or incentive programs. At their most basic level, SNAP-based incentive programs (SBIPs) at FMs provide SNAP participants with matching funds to purchase SNAP-eligible food items. SBIPs vary in the matching funds they provide; for example, some programs provide a dollar-to-dollar match while others may provide a dollar for every $5 spent at the market on a given market day. Markets that offer a dollar-to-dollar match typically set a limit for such a match (i.e., the match is provided up to $10 or $20 per day).

SBIPs attract SNAP recipients and farmers to the market, resulting in a favorable impact on increasing SNAP redemptions and overall FM sales. As documented in several evaluations,6, 7,8,9,10 however, little information is available on why organizations support SBIP, funding streams for incentives, implementation approaches, specific roles performed within and across collaborating organizations, perspectives regarding long-term goals for SBIP, and the data collection and evaluation systems in place to monitor the use and impact of incentives at various markets. To address these gaps in knowledge, the FNS Farmers Market Incentive Program Study (FMIPS) focused on:

1. Understanding the characteristics of organizations involved with SBIPs, their SBIP objectives, role in SBIP implementation, and involvement in SBIP monitoring and evaluations.

2. Exploring the relationships among SBIP organizations and between these organizations and FMs.

3. Examining and assessing SBIP organization self-evaluation data to measure the impacts of SBIPs on the individual FMs.

FarmersMarketIncentiveProvider

Contracts, Terminals, and Apps! SNAP-EBT Options for Your Market in 2014

You’ve Decided to Accept SNAP at Your Market. Now What? Resource (PDF)

Webinar Slidedeck (PDF)

USDA has set-aside $4 million to be used to purchase wireless terminals and support services for one year for direct-marketing farmers and farmers markets that are not SNAP authorized. These funds can now be acccessed by elibible parties through the new website: MarketLink.org.

Amy Crone of NAFMNP and the Maryland Farmers Market Association presents MarketLink, which provides an iPhone-based EBT system with printer, license for the Mobile Market+ app, and two years of data plan and some service fees included.

Rebecca Landis, market director at Corvallis-Albany Farmers’ Markets, and past president of the Oregon Farmers’ Markets Association, helps to guide participants through the jungle of EBT technology options and service providers. The decision was never easy, but now farmers markets and farmers have more choices than ever. One size does not fit all, and contract details really do matter.

This webinar was sponsored by Marketlink.

USDA’s $4 Million Appropriation for EBT at Farmers Markets: Are You Eligible to Receive a Free EBT Machine from your State? (May 2013)

$4 Million EBT Webinar Fact Sheet (PDF)
$4 Million EBT Webinar Slideshow (PDF)

Catalyzing Change: What can we learn from FMPP’s activities and impacts?

What role does USDA’s Farmers Market Promotion Program (FMPP) play in growing stronger, healthier, more innovative and inclusive food systems? Last fall, FMC embarked on an evaluation to assess the impacts of FMPP since its inception in 2006, with more than 200 organizations responding to a survey of grantees. Stacy Miller, director of the research project, shares highlights from FMC and Market Umbrella’s published report and case studies. This webinar features a review of grant impacts on agriculture, food access, professional development, and organizational capacity as well as general recommendations beyond FMPP. Past grantees share their lessons learned and and answer questions about their projects and efforts to make most efficient use of grant funds and evaluate community outcomes specific to their project goals.

Farmers Market Promotion Program Grant Activities & Impacts Report 2006–2011
Farmers Market Promotion Program Summary of Analysis & Recommendations, a green paper

About the presenters:

Stacy Miller, Project Director of the Farmers Market Coalition
Glen Hill, Executive Director of the Minnesota Food Association, presents their 2009 FMPP project that supported organic farmer training and mentoring, and helped immigrant and refugee growers create markets directly, forging a viable marketing portfolio
Elizabeth Borst, Manager of the Spotsylvania Farmers Market, explains the successes and lessons learned from a 2011 FMPP project that created The Farmers Market.co, a regional collaboration to create a uniform EBT scrip system for four markets in Virginia

EBT and Nutrition Outreach: Practical Advice from Successful Programs

September 16, 2009. Eastern. Diane Eggert, Farmers’ Market Federation of New York; and Mike Hurwitz & Alexis Stevens, New York City Greenmarket Farmers Markets.

Nutrition Assistance in Farmers Markets: Understanding Current Operations

The United States Department of Agriculture is seeking innovative ways to increase Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participants’ access to fresh produce by increasing the number of farmers markets and direct marketing farmers authorized to accept SNAP benefits. This study describes how farmers markets and direct marketing farmers operate and their perceived benefits and barriers to accepting SNAP.