Sweet Corn and Credit Cards

by Josh Wood Jul 30, 07:37 PM

---

The Friends of the Pawtuxet alert us to credit cards and corn at Saturday's Farmers' Market:

Sweet Corn

Sweet corn, peaches and peppers will be on sale Saturday at the Pawtuxet Village Farmers Market indicating, without question, that this is summer. Moosup River Farm will have all three items and we also hope Barden Family Orchards will have sweet corn.

Grilled, boiled or in a salad, farm fresh sweet corn helps define summer.

Meanwhile, Mike Dahlquist of Longentry Farm, who joined the market last week, will have cucumbers, squash and other vegetables and our other vendors will have a wide variety of produce. Mattunuck Oyster Farm, however, decided not to return to the market this year, citing low seafood sales. Also, beekeeper Bernie Bieder will be taking the week off.
*The market will be open from 9 AM to 12 PM in the Rhodes on the Pawtuxet parking lot.*

Food Stamps, Credit Cards & Debit Cards

Food stamps, Visa, Mastercard and debit cards will be accepted at the market this week for the first time thanks to help from Farm Fresh Rhode Island. Customers using cards, however, will make purchases with special golden coins.

All electronic money transfers will take place at the market table. Food stamp recipients will select the amount they wish to spend, swipe their card, and receive one dollar gold coins equal the requested amount. Farmers will accept the coins as money, but not provide change. Food stamp recipients can buy food designed to be eaten at home. They cannot buy hot items, liquor, vitamins, medicines, soaps or cosmetics.

Credit card and debit card users will also swipe their cards at the market table, but will be charged a one dollar transaction fee each time they use their card. They will receive $5 coins. Farmers can give them change for the coins. We will not accept Discover or American Express cards because the fees are too high.

Under this system, the market will only pay one set of fees, rather than each farmer paying fees. The money will be transferred from a customer’s account to the farmers market account. Farmers will receive their money when they turn in the coins at the market table. The one dollar fee will cover the credit card fees.

The new system allows food stamp recipients to shop at the market and provides bank access to other customers. Saturday will be the first week for the system. Please be patient as we learn the process.

Photo by Di The Huntress[where: 02910]

Comment

Name	Remember
E-mail
Website
Message