2010 Request for Proposals

The purpose of the Vermont Farmers' Market EBT and Debit Cards Project is to enable farmers' markets to accept bank and EBT (electronic benefits transfer) debit cards, thereby making local products more accessible to low income Vermonters, encouraging consumers to "buy local," allowing local producers to capture some of the $115 million in federal program benefits Vermonters are spending annually on food, and increasing overall farmers market sales.

Application Timeline:

  • January 9, 2010 Informative workshop on the Project at the NOFA-VT Direct Marketing Conference. For more information: www.nofavt.org/annual-events/direct-marketing-conference
  • January 31, 2010 Market must have, or have applied for, an authorization number from the USDA Food & Nutrition Service (FNS) to accept SNAP benefits posted on EBT (electronic benefits transfer) cards. The federal approval process takes up to 8 weeks. [Note: This deadline is driven by the fact that the Project cannot order the wireless terminal for the market until the market has an FNS number, and it takes up to four additional weeks for the equipment to arrive.] Applications can be requested by phone: 1-877-823-4369 or by web: www.fns.usda.gov/snap/retailers/merchants.htm
  • February 1, 2010 Market's project application is due at NOFA. Please contact Jean Hamilton at 802-434-4122 (jean@nofavt.org) before that date if you cannot submit an application by February 1.
  • February 15, 2010 Markets will be selected. All applicants will be notified if their market was or was not selected to join the Project in 2010.

Project Partners:
• George D. Aiken Resource Conservation and Development Council (Aiken RC&D)
• Northeast Organic Farming Association of Vermont (NOFA-VT)
• Northern Vermont Resource Conservation and Development Council (Northern VT RC&D)
• Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets (VAAFM)
• Vermont Campaign to End Childhood Hunger (VTCECH)
• Vermont Department for Children and Families (DCF)

For an application to participate in the 2010 Vermont Farmers' Market EBT and Debit Cards Project, click here.

For a complete Project description, click here.