How to pay at the 14&U and Bloomingdale markets
Bring a little of everything. Most stalls take cards now, but cash still moves the line fastest and some of our smaller producers prefer it.
One of the questions we hear most at the welcome tent is a simple one: how do I actually pay? The honest answer is that it depends on the stall. Our markets are producer-only, which means you are buying straight from the farmer, the baker, or the maker, and each of them handles money a little differently. Here is what to expect so you can shop without fumbling at the front of the line.
Cash
Cash is still king for a chunk of our vendors, especially the produce farmers selling by the bunch. There is no card fee eating into a $3 bunch of radishes, and change keeps the queue moving on a busy Sunday. There is an ATM a block from each market if you arrive empty-handed, and the welcome tent can usually point you to it.
SNAP / EBT and Bonus Bucks
We are proud to accept SNAP/EBT at both markets, and our Bonus Bucks program matches those dollars up to $10 per visit. Stop by the welcome tent first, swipe your card for tokens, and spend them with any participating farmer. Full details, including WIC and Senior FMNP, are on our nutrition assistance page.
Cards and tap-to-pay
Most of our prepared-food stalls and many of the farmers now run a card reader off a phone or tablet, so a tap of your card or watch works fine. Cell signal at the market can be patchy on a crowded morning, so if a reader stalls, a vendor will often ask for cash as a backup. No drama, just the reality of selling outdoors.
How vendors get paid behind the scenes
For a small producer, the speed of getting paid matters as much as the sale itself. A farmer who sells out on Sunday does not want to wait until midweek for the money to clear before buying seed and feed for the next harvest. That is why so many of our vendors have moved to readers and payment apps that promise fast settlement, sometimes same-day, instead of the slow bank holds of a few years ago. The wider shift toward instant payout systems across the digital economy, the same demand for money that lands right away that you see everywhere from gig work to faster online payout services, has quietly reached the farmers market too. For a stallholder counting on this week's takings, that speed is the difference between a smooth season and a cash-flow headache.
A quick cheat sheet
- Carry some cash for produce farmers and small makers.
- Bring your EBT card and visit the welcome tent for Bonus Bucks matching.
- Cards work at most prepared-food and artisan stalls.
- Signal can drop on busy mornings, so a cash backup never hurts.
Still not sure? The folks at the Bloomingdale and 14&U welcome tents are happy to help you sort out payment before you start shopping.