The Kinoole Farmers’ Market is now accepting EBT cards for purchase of fresh fruits and vegetables, bread and bakery items, meat, eggs, plants that will produce edible food, and items from food vendors that are packaged for taking home.
“This is a project that we have been working on for some time, and are very happy to be able to offer this service,” said market manager Delan Perry.
Customers can use their EBT card to get scrip at a new EBT tent at the Mauna Kea corner of the market located at the Kinoole Plaza at 1990 Kinoole St. The $1 script, in turn, can be used to purchase any qualifying product.
‘We are really happy that this will make our locally grown, very fresh products available to more East Hawaii residents,” said Perry.
KFM has been offering produce, plants, and food products to shoppers for more than five years. Market rules allow only Hawaii-grown or -made food and plant products to be sold.
“Our market is special, in that our vendors are the actual growers and cooks,” said vendor Cyrus Wagatsuma. “Saturday mornings have become a great time to get fresh Hawaii products as well as meet friends and neighbors in a setting with paved walking and plenty of free parking.”
“All our vendors are excited about this. We went through training and will be able to answer customer’s questions. I will be able to sell my produce, but not orchid plants using EBT,” said Jenny Perry, one of the original vendors.
