Have you ever come up a bit short of cash while shopping at the Sitka Farmers Market? Well, there are other payment methods you can use.

The Sitka Farmers Market was the first market in Southeast Alaska to accept the Alaska Quest EBT (electronic benefits transfer) cards for people on SNAP (formerly called food stamps). We also accept WIC farmers market coupons. In both cases, we match up to the first $20 for produce purchased with WIC or Quest benefits, thanks to a generous grant from the Sitka White Elephant Shop (aka, the White E). The Sitka Farmers Market is the only farmers market in Alaska authorized to match WIC farmers market coupons.

While many of our vendors have attachments on their cellphones that allow them to run credit or debit card transactions, sometimes it’s hard to get an Internet signal in the Alaska Native Brotherhood Founders Hall. That’s why we sell tokens (wooden nickels) at our Sitka Local Foods Network farm stand that people can use like cash with vendors at the market.

Here is a short primer on how to use each type of transaction:

WIC Farmers Market Coupons

WIC Farmers Market Coupons may only be used at the Sitka Local Foods Network farm stand, usually found outside in the parking lot by Baranof Island Housing Authority.

Present your coupons, and we will match the value up to $20 for produce (so $20 in WIC coupons gives you $40 in value). Our WIC matching program is for produce only and does not include our Alaska Grown products, due to WIC restrictions.

Alaska Quest Cards (SNAP Electronic Benefits Transfer)

Bring your Alaska Quest card to the Sitka Local Foods Network farm stand booth, found outside in the BIHA parking lot.

We swipe your card and give you wooden nickels (tokens) for the value you think you will spend on produce, Alaska Grown products, bread, jams or jellies, or other food that is not meant to be eaten at the market. You can use your wooden nickels at the SLFN farm stand, and with certain vendors that have signed agreements to accept SNAP wooden nickels (ask us which vendors have signed agreements when you swipe your card). The Sitka Local Foods Network will match up to $20 for produce purchased with SNAP benefits at the SLFN farm stand. While you can use your SNAP Alaska Quest card to purchase packaged Alaska Grown items at the SLFN farm stand, we do not have a match for those products (only the produce).

No cash change will be given for people using SNAP wooden nickels (available in $1 and $5 increments). If you have leftover wooden nickels at the end of the market, take them back to the SLFN farm stand that same day and we will credit them back to your SNAP account. This credit must be done at the same market, and can not be held until the next market.

Credit/Debit Cards

While some of our vendors can run credit/debit cards at their booths, there are many that can’t. If you are low in cash and want to run your credit/debit card to buy something at the market, stop by the Sitka Local Foods Network farm stand and we will run your credit/debit card and give you wooden nickels in $5 or $10 increments.

You can then spend your credit/debit card wooden nickels like cash with many of the vendors at the market (most booths will have a sign saying they accept credit/debit card wooden nickels). Credit/debit card tokens may be used for food and non-food items, and customers may receive cash as change.

Please note, these wooden nickels look similar to the SNAP wooden nickels, but the credit/debit card wooden nickels are allowed to have cash as change.