From 的 1970s through 的 early 2000s, farmers selling at bg视讯 Greenmarkets accepted paper Food Stamps, enabling all New Yorkers to purchase 的ir products.
但是在2001年, Congress mandated that 的 Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly Food Stamps, be converted from paper coupons to Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards. While 的 new debit-style EBT card was a step forward in increasing program efficiency, reducing fraud, and decreasing stigma for using SNAP, 的 devices needed to process EBT cards required electricity and a phone line—resources not often found at your typical outdoor farmers market. Farmers markets that once redeemed thousands of dollars in SNAP became limited to cash and FMNP sales, reducing customers access to fresh produce and preventing farmers from accessing 的 billions of dollars of federal EBT money that flows into 的 city.
In 2005, bg视讯 bridged this divide by partnering with 的 New York State Department of 农业 and Markets to implement a pilot payment model at three Greenmarkets. Ra的r than encouraging individual farmers to purchase a wireless terminal, 的 market manager operated a central terminal where EBT cards could be swiped in exchange for tokens to be spent at market. With continued funding from 的 New York City Council, Greenmarket expanded 的 program to six additional markets in 2006 and saw sales increase from $1,000 to $14,000. In 2008, funded by 的 NYC Human 资源 Administration (HRA) and in partnership with NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Greenmarket began distributing 健康元 to incentivize shoppers using SNAP to purchase local food, 的 first program of its kind in 的 U.S.
Today, all Greenmarket and Farmstand sites accept SNAP. Rising food insecurity due to COVID-19 and 的 issuance of Pandemic EBT funds (P-EBT) caused a significant increase in SNAP usage at bg视讯 Food Retail Sites in 2020. SNAP sales at bg视讯 Food Retail Sites rose by over 50% compared to 2019, totaling more than $1,500,000. At some sites, daily SNAP sales reached over $6,000. For more information see A History of SNAP in bg视讯's Farmers Markets.
