Promoting Your Farmers’ Market to EBT Customers Over 85,000 Vermonters currently receive 3SquaresVT benefits, the vast majority via EBT cards, bringing over $120 million federal dollars into the Vermont economy in 2014. Many low-income Vermonters struggle to make ends meet on a tight food budget even with their benefits. While many are interested in buying local food, they face multiple barriers to shopping at farmers’ markets, including:
Lack of knowledge that the market accepts EBT and how it works Price of products given a limited budget; products perceived to be more expensive Unfamiliarity with products at the market and/or how to store/prepare/cook them Lack of public transportation to the market in rural areas Unfamiliarity with the market culture and environment
What You Can Do (volunteers and interns can help too!)
Talk it up! Spread Awareness about EBT at Your Market Share EBT brochures and posters in your community (i.e. libraries, clinics, senior centers, etc.) Speak with local reporters/papers or provide an article and photo for them to print.
Provide a Welcoming, Inclusive Environment Make signage clear and visible. EBT booth should be easy to find and well-marked. Have a consistent and friendly staff person or vendor at the EBT booth every week to welcome customers. Advertise a raffle for everyone who uses their EBT/Debit. Connect the prize with market event, vegetable being demoed, etc. Since 3SquaresVT participants cannot buy hot prepared foods at the market with their EBT food benefits (and usually don’t have the extra money to do so anyway), encourage vendors to offer samples to help families and children to try new foods. Provide sample recipes of low-cost, in-season products.
Connect with Service Agencies in the Community Coordinate with community agencies around outreach they might like to do at the market so that EBT customers have multiple reasons to attend (list of Community Action Agencies on back). Provide a brief presentation at a school or community agency. Share samples and/or coupons at this time to encourage new families to try out the market.
Explore Transportation Options in Your Region Develop relationships with local transportation providers and find ways to facilitate transportation options if possible, i.e. bus vouchers from low-income housing complexes, ride-shares from rural areas, etc.
Share Your Successes If you discover outreach strategies that really work for your market, share your success with other markets so that we can all learn from each other.
Contact Us For Outreach Assistance Drake Turner, Adult Nutrition Initatives Manager, Hunger Free Vermont [email protected], 802-865-0255 Community Action Agencies in Vermont
BROC - Community Action in Southwestern Vermont www.broc.org Rutland - 60 Center Street, 1-800-717-BROC or (802) 775-0878 Bennington - 332 Orchard Road, (802) 447-7515 Central Vermont Community Action Council (CVCAC) www.cvcac.org Barre - 195 US RT 302, 1-800-639-1053 or (802) 479-1053 Randolph - 35 Ayers Brook Road, 1-800-846-9506 or (802) 728-9506 Morrisville - 197 Harrel Street, 1-800-639-8710 or (802) 888-7993 Bradford - 22 Whistlestop Way, (802) 222-5419 Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity (CVOEO) www.cvoeo.org Burlington – 255 South Champlain Street, 1-800-287-7971, (802) 863-6248 Middlebury - 700 Exchange Street, Suite 107, 1-800-639-2318 or (802) 388-2285 St. Albans - 5 Lemnah Drive, 1-800-300-7392 or (802) 527-7392 Northeast Kingdom Community Action (NEKCA) www.nekcavt.org Newport - 70 Main Street, 1-800-639-4065, (802) 334-7316 St. Johnsbury -Lincoln Street Center, (802) 748-6040 Canaan - 253 Gail Street, (802) 266-7134 Southeastern Vermont Community Action (SEVCA) www.sevca.org Westminster - 91 Buck Drive, 1-800-464-9951 or (802) 722-4575 Brattleboro - 28 Vernon Street, Suite 433, (802) 254-2795 Springfield – 107 Park Street, Suite 2, (802) 885-6153 Hartford - 220 Holiday Drive, Suite 30,(802) 295-5215 Windsor – 1 Railroad Plaza, (802) 674-2900 (Thursdays only)
Handout developed by Hunger Free Vermont, updated March 2013