Crescent City Farmers Markets accept EBT/SNAP (food stamps), credit cards (Visa, MC, Discover), debit cards and personal checks. At the Welcome Tent, we can convert funds from EBT/SNAP, credit cards, debit cards and personal checks into wooden tokens. All vendors at the Crescent City Farmers Market are required to accept all forms of tokens and Market Umbrella (MU) issued vouchers, and to participate in all market programming. Tokens may be used to purchase items from vendors, drinks or merchandise at the Welcome Tent, and as payment for stall and other Market Umbrella administrative fees.

 

Debit/Credit (Gold $10, Green $5 & Orange $1 tokens)

We accept credit cards, debit cards, and personal check at the Welcome Tent for the purchase of debit/credit tokens. The customer may receive their currency in $10 GOLD, $5 GREEN or $1 ORANGE tokens. Vendors may accept these tokens for all market products and can give either cash or GREEN or ORANGE tokens as change for any purchases. For example, if a pound of Creole tomatoes costs $3 and a vendor is given a $5 GREEN token, the shopper may receive the tomatoes and either $2 in cash or two $1 ORANGE tokens. Vendors are prohibited to issue $1 BLUE EBT/SNAP tokens as change for credit/debit token or cash purchases.

 

EBT(Purple $5 & Blue $1 tokens)

Shoppers who purchase tokens with an EBT/SNAP (food stamp) card receive PURPLE $5 and/or BLUE $1 tokens. IMPORTANT: These tokens can only be used to purchase eligible food items (produce, seafood, meat, poultry, eggs, dairy products, bread, plants which produce food, and prepared foods not intended for on-premises consumption); a vendor can never accept the PURPLE or BLUE tokens for hot food, non-edible plants, pet food or any other non-food products.

Ineligible EBT/SNAP items also include those that contain alcohol or tobacco, vitamins and supplements and non-consumables such as paper products.

Additionally, a vendor may not give cash as change for PURPLE or BLUE (EBT/SNAP) tokens. U.S. law prohibits the return of U.S. currency as change or receiving tokens in excess of the posted value of the product purchased by the customer. Customers must receive full value for their tokens. Vendors can only exchange tokens with authorized marketumbrella.org staff for U.S. currency or reimbursement. Purple or blue tokens accepted for non-eligible products will be confiscated and will not be reimbursed. In addition, spending tokens that one is not eligible to receive is considered fraud, is illegal, and jeopardizes the market’s ability to continue to accept SNAP.

Violations of this policy are strictly prohibited and any violation could result in disciplinary actions.
USDA Nondiscrimination Statement

 

Market Match (Black $5 & Red $1 tokens) – Fruits and Vegetables ONLY

Market Match is a Market Umbrella program that helps SNAP shoppers eat healthy and supports local farmers. Market Umbrella matches SNAP purchases at the CCFM dollar-for-dollar, up to $20 per market visit, with BLACK $5 and RED $1 Market Match tokens that can only be spent on fruits and vegetables at the market. No cash change may be given for Market Match tokens. To ensure accurate grant reporting, vendors must submit all Market Match tokens collected during a market to MU staff at the end of each market, along with a completed Market Match reimbursement form. Vendors will be reimbursed for Market Match tokens during regularly occurring token reimbursements. Market Match tokens accepted for ineligible products will be confiscated and will not be reimbursed. Receiving or spending tokens that one is not eligible to receive jeopardizes the market’s ability to continue to offer Market Match which is a grant funded program and as such, obligates Market Umbrella to spend funds as intended.

 

I. Special Programs

FMNP (Farmers Market Nutrition Program)

Crescent City Farmers Markets participate in the Farmers Market Nutrition Program (FMNP), a USDA program administered by the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry (LDAF). During FMNP season, LDAF issues FMNP benefit cards to vulnerable seniors (S/FMNP) and mothers enrolled in the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program (WIC/FMNP). These cards may be used to purchase eligible items including locally grown fresh fruits, vegetables, cut herbs and honey (Senior FMNP only) at farmers markets and roadside stands from certified vendors only. Certified FMNP farmers may receive payment through FMNP benefit cards by scanning the card through the Soli Market Vendor application. Only vendors that have signed "Farmer Participation Agreements" with the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry may accept these benefits and should display their placard at market. If you would like to participate in the program, please inquire with a Market Umbrella staff member. Any non-certified vendor is prohibited from accepting FMNP coupons as a form of payment. The sale of ineligible items using FMNP coupons is prohibited.

FMRx (Farmers Market Prescription Program)

marketumbrella.org sometimes operates the Farmers Market Prescription Program which engages community members at risk of diet related health problems and through clinics throughout the city, participants receive education about diet and health and prescriptions for fresh fruits and vegetables. Those prescriptions are redeemed at market for vouchers in increments of $4 which participants can then use to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables. No change can be given for these vouchers.

Other Market Programs

Market Umbrella cultivates the field of public markets for public good with engineered efforts to balance supply and demand in ways that support the entire market community. We develop outreach programs for targeted populations, such as incentives for school children, seniors, WIC mothers, SNAP shoppers, and health clinic patients. When we develop these outreach and incentive programs, we do so with the goals of increasing market foot traffic and increasing earnings for our vendors. With these end goals in mind, we require that all vendors fully participate in all market programs and fully welcome our targeted audiences to the market.

II. How vendors get reimbursed for tokens

Vendors may choose to use tokens to pay Market Umbrella fees (i.e. market rent), purchase items at the CCFM, or they may request reimbursement for them. Here are the steps for token reimbursement:

• Vendor collects & totals the value of their wooden tokens
• Vendor completes a Token Reimbursement Form
• Vendor turns in completed forms & tokens to market staff during market hours who verifies the token amounts and provides the vendor with a receipt.
• The reimbursement form is submitted to the Market Umbrella Finance Department
• Vendors can enroll in direct deposit using the included ACH Sign-UP Form and funds will be deposited directly into the listed account on Monday. If the vendor is not enrolled, the check will be hand-delivered to the vendor at the market and will be charged a $5 processing fee. If the vendor is not returning to market or upon request, the check will be mailed to the address on file with marketumbrella.org. ACH Sign-Up forms should be submitted directly to the Finance Department. Enrollment can also be done over the phone by calling (504) 861-4485.
• Reimbursements are processed via Bill.com on Net 7 terms, initiating payment
  every Monday, for the prior week's Sunday through Thursday markets. Depending on your banking institution, you should receive payment within 2-5 business days.

Sales Tax

All vendors are responsible for payment of their own sales tax. Each vendor is considered her/his own company and must pay sales tax under her/his own E.I.N. or social security number. Market Umbrella will not keep track of vendor sales or the amount of tax owed.

Old Tokens

Market Umbrella has been operating a token system since 2004. Throughout the years, we have printed several different types of tokens. Though tokens never expire, as they get old we take them out of circulation. This involves punching a hole through the middle of the token and marking it with a black “X.” Please do not accept any tokens punched with a hole, printed with a black “X,” or with magnets attached to one side, as they have no cash value. As of 2013, we have retired our pre-2008 issued tokens. Credit/debit tokens that do not have faces of local food heroes on them no longer have any cash value. Additionally, only Market Umbrella issued tokens will be accepted for reimbursement.

III. Limitation of Liability

Market Umbrella is in no way responsible for the vendor, business, or individual’s failure to pay taxes or otherwise comply with local, state, or federal regulations and laws. It is the sole responsibility of each and every vendor, business, or individual to comply with all applicable regulations and laws.

All authorized vendors participating in the Crescent City Farmers Market shall be individually and severally responsible to Market Umbrella, the Crescent City Farmers Market, its board, officers, members, and volunteers for any loss or damage that may occur as a result of the vendors' participation and payment in the markets sponsored by Market Umbrella, or that of its representatives, agents, and employees. All vendors hereby agree to indemnify and save Market Umbrella harmless from any loss, cost, damages, and other expenses, including attorneys' fees, suffered or incurred by marketumbrella.org by reason of the vendors' failure to pay taxes or otherwise comply with local, state, or federal regulations and laws.

IV. Statement of Understanding and Agreement

I have read, understand and commit to accept credit/debit & EBT/SNAP tokens as applicable and to abide by all guidelines as outlined in the document titled “Token Policy & Market Programs” provided to me by marketumbrella.org

Tokens and Special Programs Policies updated December, 2022