News - Local News

POSTED: Monday, Jul. 07, 2008

Bellingham Farmers Market struggling to accept food stamps

BELLINGHAM — Years after the state gave the Bellingham Farmers Market the go-ahead to accept food stamps, the market is still unable to take them, leaving both market organizers and food advocates frustrated.

Market management says that soon may change, as the market prepares to accept food stamps for the first time in its 16-year history.

The market, which has accepted federal food assistance programs like Women Infants and Children for several years, has long faced issues surrounding the installation of machines needed to accept debit cards used by food stamp holders.

That’s led to concern among food advocates who say they’ve been encouraging the market to take food stamps for more than five years.

Anjali Englund works with mothers who receive food stamps as the manager of Fresh Start Espresso, a program of the Opportunity Council.

“Not allowing food stamps at the farmers market sends a message to low-income people that they aren’t included in the community,” said Englund, a member of the Whatcom Anti-Hunger Coalition. “It seems like an intentional way to keep out a certain segment of the population.”

Farmers Market Manager Robin Crowder said she and other market staff have been working to overcome obstacles including wiring hassles that occurred during the installation of a phone line at Depot Market Square last year. Other barriers included the shipment of a broken card machine and delays surrounding its return and the shipment of a new one.

“What could go wrong with (machine provider J.P. Morgan) did go wrong,” Crowder said, adding that the market faced further delays when telephone training for the machine was difficult to understand.

“The fact that we haven’t been able to accept (food stamp cards) is very frustrating for us,” Crowder said. “The market sees being able to accept the program as a benefit for the community, for (food stamp) clients and for our market vendors. That anyone could possibly think we didn’t want to is really frustrating.”

The most recent occurred when the new machine arrived without a keypad, Crowder said.

More than 20 farmers markets in Washington state accept food stamps, according to the USDA Food and Nutrition Service.

“There’s millions of dollars in food stamps just in Whatcom County,” said Mike Cohen, director of the Bellingham Food Bank. “The market does a lot of great things for the community, but it feels like it’s in the dark ages right now in terms of helping people with food stamps.”

Sean Collins, who coordinates food-stamp outreach for most of Whatcom County through the Opportunity Council, said accepting food stamps at the market would provide another way for program participants to have access to healthful, nutritious foods.

“Just because (participants) are low income doesn’t mean they’re all shopping at discount stores,” Collins said. “Besides, there really isn’t any cheap produce anymore.”

Crowder said the market plans to provide one card reader at a booth, where food-stamp holders will withdraw a certain amount by swiping their card in return for tokens they can spend at vendor stands. Vendors would turn in the tokens to the market for cash.

Crowder said she expects the missing keypad any day, and hopes to accept food stamp cards as soon as it arrives.

“We’re so committed to getting local produce to people who need it at all economic levels,” she said. “I wish folks would stop being frustrated and start seeing what good is going to come out of this.”