General Food Access Things
What currencies can vendors give cash change for?
Cash change should only be given for NFM gift certificates. Change for EBT tokens can be given out but only for EBT tokens.
Of the three paper currencies we have in our markets, what currency actually expires (aka shoppers can't use them in 2027)?
Farm Bucks - This is because Farm Bucks are NFM printed currency and for the sake of our budgets, we enforce the yearly expiration date.
What will be different about this year's Senior FMNP cards?
New cards will have 2026 on them.
What should you do after every successful SNAP transaction you run on the EBT machine?
Enter the transaction into SmartSheet! (Please and thank you)
How much can a shopper earn with Produce Rewards each month?
Up to $50/month.
Which markets will offer SNAP Produce Rewards in addition to SNAP Market Match this year?
Columbia City, Lake City, and West Seattle
A shopper wants to apply for Fresh Bucks, what should they do?
They should join the Fresh Bucks waitlist. There is only a little bit of space left for a few more households, but the waitlist is helpful for OSE to demostrate need to city council members. Households move off the waitlist in a weighted lottery.
Why do vendors need to display their blue FMNP sign at their booth?
Every three years, farmers need to enroll in order to be able to process FMNP benefits. Since shoppers shop directly with vendors, the FMNP sign is the best way for shoppers to know for sure that the vendor can accept FMNP. 87% of eligible NFM vendors are actively enrolled.
What sign do we need to have displayed in the manager tent in case our markets get audited by USDA contractors?
The black and white SNAP fraud sign. For our markets with vendors who have their own EBT machine, this sign should still cover our vendors because the market has its own FNS number.
What should shoppers look for in order to figure out if they can use their EBT card directly with that farmer?
The blue SNAP Produce Rewards sign! (The market manager tent will also have updated weekly lists of eligible farmers.)
What are NFM's three food access programs that partner directly with local hunger relief organizations?
Gleaning, Helping Harvest Farm Bucks, and Growing for Good
What food access currencies can be used to buy meat, seafood, and honey?
EBT Tokens, Farm Bucks, and Senior FMNP (no meat, only Honey)
A senior shopper is running into trouble entering their pin, what should you do?
Ask them for their birthday (or their id) and zip code. Call the Benefits Balance number on the back of the FMNP card to reset their pin. If they are locked out of their card, call the Customer Service line on the back of their card.
What does a shopper need in order to request a SNAP refund? Can we process a refund on a different day?
Equal amounts of EBT tokens and 2026 Snap Market Match currency. Shoppers must have the receipt if they want a refund from a transaction conducted on a different day.
SUN Bucks (summer EBT cards) have $120 loaded onto the card at the beginning of the summer and are good for 4 months. What issue might they run into if they try to use their SUN Bucks card to earn Produce rewards in month 4?
An EBT card has to be "active." It had to have funds loaded onto their card in the past 90 days in order to earn Produce Rewards. This is to prevent someone from earning $50 in perpetuity once they are no longer actively receiving SNAP benefits.
What resource do you have available to you in the manager tent if a shopper doesn't speak English and google translate doesn't seem to get the point across?
NFM contracts w/NWI Global to offer on-demand phone interpretation services 24/7 for almost all languages. We are billed $0.83 - $1.13/minute. FMNP and eHIP typically have their own staffed interpretation phone lines.
You're using a second ProHealth terminal at the market today because it's busy. What should you check for before you conduct your first transaction on the terminal?
Please make sure you are logged onto the correct market before you start swiping Fresh Buck cards.
An update was made after a vendor completes a transaction for a shopper using their FMNP benefit. What will the vendor now be able to see?
After an FMNP transaction is completed, the screen will now automatically show how much is left on the shopper's card.
You will need to complete an offline EBT voucher manually by calling in. Once the transaction has been approved, make sure to record the transaction in SmartSheet.
A shopper wants to use their EBT card at the Columbia City Farmers Market but doesn't speak English, what resources do you have available to help explain Produce Rewards to this shopper?
Google Translate,
Produce Rewards-specific phone interpretation service (funded by DOH),
Zines and Produce Rewards video translated into 6 languages
Across our markets, what is the average percentage of total farm sales that come from Food Access programs?
On average, Food Access programs make up ~10.97% of total farm sales. Ranging from 1.34% to 21.81%.
There are now 9 farmers markets--counting CHFM and C2FM as two separate markets--in Seattle that shoppers can spend their Farm Bucks at. What is the new market? (Hint: It's printed on the 2026 Farm Bucks).
Queen Anne Farmers Market. The QAFM is partnering w/NFM to expand farm bucks interoperability across Seattle and to broaden their food access efforts.
What is the difference between WIC FMNP and Senior FMNP? (Intended audience, Benefit Amount, Enrollment)
WIC FMNP is for low-income women, infant, and children. Benefits can range between $30-$90/ household. WIC clinics will activate benefits onsite at farmers markets in June.
Senior FMNP is for low-income seniors. Seniors will receive $80 for the entire season. Senior FMNP applications are available mid-April - May 8th and seniors are entered into a random lottery.
SNAP Market Match in WA is funded primarily through the state of WA who uses state funds to apply for federal GusNIP grant. In Seattle, OSE, uses SBT funds to allow shoppers using SNAP to take out unlimited SNAP Market Match.
A shopper has never heard of Produce Rewards before, how would you explain how to use this program to the shopper?
Look for farms with the blue Produce Rewards sign at their booth, and use your EBT card to buy produce directly from them. The first $50 you spend each month will be put back onto your EBT card. Once you have gotten your produce, come back to the manager's tent to get tokens and SNAP Market Match.