FARM TO TABLE EATING COULD FINALLY BECOME ACCESSIBLE TO LOW-INCOME ANGELENOS

The Los Angeles City Council will take up a long-stewing measure today to allow EBT cards (electronic food stamps) users to shop fresh at local farmers markets, swiping cards as one does a credit card in a smartphone-compatible mobile POS system like Square.

If the City Council passes the ordinance as expected, it will create a new law to require certified farmers markets vendors to prove to the Bureau of Street Services that they are set up to accept EBT cards as payment.

The Bureau of Street Services manages the closure of streets for farmers markets and approves new markets and vendors.

Enforcement on any violations will be managed by the Department of Building and Safety. Complete guidelines will be published Feb. 1.

The ordinance will take effect as soon as it is passed. None of the reports quantified the number of permits to process, or the estimated number of EBT users who live close enough to a farmers market to patronize local vendors.

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This post was edited for clarity on Mon. Jan. 16, 2017.




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