This year, the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry (DACF) partnered with the Maine Federation of Farmers’ Markets (MFFM) to help cover the cost of purchasing SNAP processing equipment for farmers’ markets. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, the program formerly known as food stamps, helps 1 in 8 Mainers (mostly children and […]
Let’s navigate the EBT equipment world together. This article addresses the free SNAP EBT Equipment Program and discusses additional options for ineligible markets. All markets that accept SNAP/EBT must possess a machine that processes the EBT transaction. Free Equipment? The USDA-funded (free) SNAP EBT Equipment Program has reopened (more info here). This is a […]
UPDATE -10.9.2019 – This information is dated. While it still remains a valid way to process SNAP transactions, there are much more convenient and free, or low-cost options available. The best step forward is to contact MFFM – email snap@mffm.org or call (207) 370 1524. If your market is new to accepting SNAP/EBT, or if […]
If you’re looking to purchase EBT equipment for your SNAP program, without the help of a grant to subsidize the cost, then you should fall into one, or ideally all, of these categories: Our market has offered SNAP for years; Our vendors are dedicated to keeping this program sustained; We have enough shoppers using SNAP/EBT […]
Information booths (“info booths”) are popping up at more and more farmers’ markets in Maine. The primary service they provide to markets is that they offer a central location for shoppers to pay for all of their goods. At a busy market, the information booth cuts down on the transaction time for vendors, since they no longer […]
Erica Emery, of Rustic Roots Farm, began working with MFFM in 2016 to explore how to bring Maine Harvest Bucks to the Farmington Farmers’ Market. It took 2 years of “almosts” and “maybes” to find the perfect local partner to support the project and help get it off the ground. This year, the market is […]
MFFM is pleased to announce that we have hired Lindsay Pelletier as the new Info Booth Manager for the Presque Isle Farmers’ Market at Riverside. Lindsay will operate the info booth at the market every Saturday, processing credit, debit, and SNAP transactions at the market (which is located at 27 Riverside Drive, and takes place […]
FM Tracks has changed how we report Maine Harvest Bucks redemption. Below is a complete walk-through of all the steps to fill out an FM Tracks report for each market day. If you are familiar with past year’s FM Tracks reporting requirements, click here to get to the “FINAL STEP” and learn about the new […]
Job Announcement: Washington County Farmers’ Market Outreach Liaison Apply Now, Click here to apply! Overview: This position will play an important role in supporting SNAP (the program formerly known as food stamps) access programs at Washington County farmers’ markets. This project is a collaboration with the Maine Federation of Farmers’ Markets (MFFM) and the Women’s […]
We’re pleased to announce that we have secured funding for the Maine Harvest Bucks program for the 2018 season. Stay tuned for more details, but in the meantime, our 30+ farmers’ markets can now move full steam ahead in operating the program this year. This is welcome news, as the summer market season gets underway. Maine […]