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BY MEGHAN V. MALLOY
Staff Writer 05/11/2009

BY MEGHAN V. MALLOY

Staff Writer

As the number of Maine families receiving food stamps nears 100,000, local farmers and state officials believe they have found a way to provide nutritious food to needy people.

Farmers' markets are starting to use devices similar to automated teller machines that accept the cards that replaced paper food stamps.

The machines are Electronic Benefit Transfer machines -- devices used to read magnetic strip cards.

The state's food stamp program helped 99,000 families in March. A year ago, 86,000 were in the Food Supplement Program.

"It's a tough economy," said Michael O'Connor, EBT project manager within the state Department of Health and Human Services. "Simply put, it is the economy that is a driving force behind those numbers."

More than $65 million has been spent in Maine so far this year for the food stamp program, according to state data as of April 1. At this time last year, that amount was slightly more than $48 million.

O'Connor said $214 million was spent in Maine on the food stamps program for the full year in 2008.

As the state increases funding for feeding families, officials are looking for ways to give clients access to healthful and fresh food instead of processed alternatives. Maine farmers and produce markets accepting food stamps could be part of the solution.

"I'm getting calls every day from organized farmers' markets about getting a machine and signing up to do this," said Judy Blaisdell, an agriculture promotions coordinator for the Maine Department of Agriculture. "Farmers in Maine want to serve everyone, not just the elite. They want to feed the people in their state, and they're passionate about finding ways to be able to do that."

The transition, Blaisdell added, is catching on at a crucial time.

"With the economy, we're in a state of rethinking our pocketbooks," she said. "This is an opportunity for (Women, Infants and Children program) and EBT clients to get healthy Maine food."

The Baldacci administration has pushed the initiative for several months.

"Expanding EBT access will allow food supplement recipients to buy fresh, locally produced foods using their EBT cards at the markets," Gov. John Baldacci said through a spokesperson last month. "This promotes good nutrition while also supporting local growers."

State officials know of a handful of markets accepting food stamps, including markets in Lewiston and Unity. The farmers' market in Gardiner plans to join that group when the market opens May 20.

"We are doing it, yes," Gardiner Farmers' Market manager Boo Hubbard said of accepting food stamps. "We have applied for the license, and now we are just waiting to receive our machine and for FairPoint to set up a phone line. If we aren't ready to go May 20, we will be shortly thereafter."

Gardiner plans to implement a token system for food stamp consumers, Hubbard said. After the market's management swipes the card and determining the amount the family has to spend, it issue tokens in $1 and $5 amounts to the client to spend with the vendors. Vendors then bring tokens back to the manager for payment.

The tokens system was used with success at a farmers' market in Lewiston, Blaisdell said.

"It eliminates the need for multiple EBT machines, for one," she said. "If you have four or five people in line to buy from you, chances are those people don't want to wait for each customer to swipe their card at each vendor's stand."

The process for a market to get a machine is simple, state officials said -- and free, because of a federal regulation, O'Connor said.

The system includes logistical setbacks, however. A phone line and electricity are needed to operate the EBT machines, unless a market or farm stand can use wireless technology. This poses a challenge in rural areas.

Other challenges food stamp clients face include transportation, which also is a problem in Maine's rural areas.

"There are some markets out there who are getting the machine, but they don't have the customers," Blaisdell said. "We're a largely rural state, and that can make it tough to get to a farmers' market."

The overlying difficulty, however, is education and awareness, Blaisdell said.

"The majority of EBT and WIC customers just don't know about this possibility. I know the Department (of Health and Human Services) is trying to close that educational gap and get the word out there, but it can be difficult.

"These are families that must abide by a budget when it comes to food, and you see macaroni and cheese versus fresh veggies, what do you choose when it comes to price and nutrition education?"

The possibility of expansion into community-supported farms is also on the horizon.

Farmers such as Denis Thoet and Michele Roy, of Long Meadow Farm in West Gardiner, would like to see the acceptance of food stamps at Community Supported Agriculture farms that offer a share of an entire season of produce. Roy said Long Meadow Farm has high hopes to be able accept food stamps at the farm next season for families interested in a share.

"We're trying to lay the groundwork at this point to see if it can be done," she said. "I wish we had thought of it earlier."

The attitude among other community-supported agriculture farmers is "wait and see."

"There's no risk to the farmer, but it is more work on their part," O'Connor said. "I think this is something that will catch on in Maine, but like anything else, it might take time."

Meghan V. Malloy -- 623-3811, ext. 431

mmalloy@centralmaine.com

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