Western Wake Farmers' Market accepts EBT (former paper food stamps), debit and credit cards at the market! WWFM is the FIRST farmers’ market in Wake County participating in the 21st Century Farmers’ Market program through the Leaflight Foundation to make this possible. We’re thrilled to lead the way in Wake County so that everyone has access to local, healthy foods. It's central to our mission of education and preventing hunger.
Swipe Your Card, Get Tokens
Using an EBT, debit or credit card at the market is easy, quick and convenient.
- Go to the Information Tent to swipe your card.
- Receive $5 tokens if you use a debit or credit card, or $1 tokens if you use an EBT card.
- Shop at vendors' tents where signs indicate participation in the program.
If you have questions about the tokens, this short guide will help.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Do all vendors accept the tokens?
- Most vendors are eagerly participating in the program.
- Why do the tokens look different?
- Tokens with the Western Wake Farmers' Market logo on them are $5 tokens (purchased with debit or credit cards) and can be used just like a $5 bill. You can purchase anything at market at participating vendors' with these tokens. Vendors will you give cash change for tokens.
Tokens with the 21st Century Farmers Market logo on them are the $1 tokens (purchased with EBT cards). These may used to purchase most food items at market. By law, no cash change is given for $1 tokens. - Do tokens expire?
- Nope... If you have unused tokens, you may keep them for another market day, or you may turn them in at the Information Tent and have your card swiped again to credit that amount to your account.
Market Match
An amazing group of partners in Wake County has helped us to publicize this new capability. Advocates for Health in Action has been instrumental in letting service-providers and care-givers know about this opportunity for EBT cardholders at WWFM.
AHA also helped the market receive grant funding from the John Rex Endowment, which enables the market to offer a Market Match to EBT customers. EBT shoppers may swipe their card for up to $10 per market visit, and receive $10 in free tokens through the grant, while funding lasts. $10 on EBT card + $10 free market match = $20 for local, healthy food!
Wake County Human Services (WCHS) is another key partner in this effort to let EBT cardholders know about the Western Wake Farmers' Market, the program and the Market Match. WCHS invited the market to speak to case workers who interview and sign up folks for EBT cards, and also to share information about the program, the market and some samples of food with market ingredients to new EBT clients at the WCHS building in Raleigh.
Both AHA and WCHS have printed fliers in English and Spanish to help us let eligible people in Wake County know about the program.