Fall/Winter 2006: On Principle

Sidebar: Food Stamps at Farmers' Markets

The produce at Oregon farmers' markets trumps the offerings at most grocery stores. Fresh, locally grown, and frequently delivered by the same hands that tilled the earth and harvested the bounty, farmers' market fruit and vegetables should be available to anyone, including people who use food stamps. In that spirit of equal access, sixteen of the eighty-six markets throughout the state now accept the Oregon Trail Card, an electronic debit card that replaced paper food stamps in 1997. And though the average Oregon Trail Card holder only receives $88 in benefits per month, recipients now have more nutritional options. Suzanne Briggs, an Oregon Farmers' Markets Association board member, says, "Taking food stamps at farmers' markets allows us to offer extra access points to fresh fruits and vegetables. It's up to the Oregon Trail Card holder to determine the best use of his or her food stamp dollar."

Nine years ago, when Oregon replaced paper food stamps with the Oregon Trail Card, farmers' markets didn't have the technology to process electronic transactions of any kind. Back then, outdoor markets accepted only cash--many locations didn't even have electricity, let alone a telephone line required for transmitting transactions. But in 1999, the Lane County Market in Eugene decided to sidestep those technological roadblocks by creating a processing system for Oregon Trail Card holders that involved swapping multiple paper receipts that were tracked by market staff. The market still uses the same method today. "It does require more journaling," says Lane County Market Director Noa O'Hare, "but people love coming to the market knowing they can purchase locally grown foods with their Oregon Trail Card."

Last year, eleven more markets created ways to accept cards. The Eastbank Farmers' Market in Portland ran a telephone line through a garden hose across a busy street from the Hinson Baptist Church, while the Tillamook Market partnered with the county to get a telephone box on a neighboring building. And as an incentive, the Oregon Department of Agriculture offers a matching grant to Oregon farmers' markets that begin accepting food stamps during 2006.

--Lucy Burningham

Published in the Fall/Winter 2006 issue of Oregon Humanities.

© 2006 Oregon Council for the Humanities