Kittitas County Farmers Market Finds Access Programs Critical

The Kittitas County Farmers Market is quite busy these days with changes to their layout, a kids area every week, and they’ve begun incorporating credit card usages through the information booth.

Market Board President Liz Goronea said you can swing by the booth with a credit or debit card and get tokens.

“People use cash less and less and more and more people come to the market and they expect it to be like any other shopping experience where they can use anything that’s in their wallet. Also, I think people are more inclined to spend more if they can use their debit or credit card.”

Some of the vendors were already taking credit and debit cards, but now the market is able to help process that as well.

One thing that hasn’t changed is how committed to the market is to offering options for people on food assistance as Goronea noted that the market will provide $20 in tokens for your first $10 taken on your EBT card.

“That certainly brings more money to the farmers in our market and helps people eat a little more healthy off their food stamps so that’s I think the big benefit.”

The Kittitas County Farmers Market is open from 9-1 every Saturday in Downtown Ellensburg.

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