by Ruth Leubecker

Many rural farmers’ markets have stopped food stamp access -- or never had it -- due to increasing challenges in handling the SNAP program.

“Some of the markets don’t carry SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program aka food stamps). Part of this has to do with cell phone access,” explains Lee Hallett, executive director, Maine Federation of Farmers’ Markets. “Then it’s so expensive to have a machine. And the machine requires a lot of care and feeding.”