Baker feels heat for denying EBT users from buying her sweets

August 15, 2012
By Chris Cassidy

Boston Herald - A Walpole baker — appalled that welfare abuse now seems almost as American as apple pie — is putting her whoopie pies where her mouth is in a dispute with the Braintree Farmers Market, refusing to take EBT cards for her baked treats.

“I don’t think American taxpayers should be footing the bill for people’s pie purchases,” said Andrea Taber, proprietor of the Ever So Humble Pie Co. in Walpole, who peddles her wares at the Braintree market on Fridays and now finds herself in the middle of the state’s raging fight over welfare benefits.

“To me it’s no different than nail salons and Lottery tickets,” Taber said. “It’s pastry, it’s dessert. My pies are great, but come on.”

Organizers of the farmers market insist that they just want poor people to have access to the market’s healthy, fresh foods.



“We just thought that people that were on food stamps a lot of times don’t have healthy choices,” said Braintree Farmers Market chairwoman Donna Ingemanson. “What better chance to buy healthy foods than at a farmers market?”

It all started in May, when Ingemanson wrote the market’s vendors to “encourage everyone who sells eligible products to participate” in a program in which the market will sell tokens to EBT cardholders to use at market stalls.

Taber told the Herald she has no problem with customers using their taxpayer-funded welfare benefits to buy fresh fruit and vegetables. But she draws a line when it comes to her own sweet, fatty goods.

“They looked at me like I had six heads,” said Taber, who fired off an email on July 20 stating her objections.

“I know it’s been a struggle for you to accept this program but we really need to work something out,” Ingemanson emailed back the same day. “Other markets make it mandatory to sign on to these programs and my guess is that it will be for us soon. ... In fact, you’re the only one who is resistant to the idea.”

Ingemanson told the Herald that in light of Taber’s resistance, the farmers market management will consider during the winter whether to require all vendors to accept EBT payment next year.

“If that’s the case, I’ll take my leave,” Taber told the Herald. “I’m not going to sacrifice my principles and standards for the sake of a few more sales.”

Ingemanson said she’s hopeful they can work something out, but that Taber is launching a one-woman protest.

“We haven’t had a problem with any of the other vendors,” Ingemanson said. “We had a conversation earlier, and I was disappointed she didn’t do it.”

Taber has taken the issue to state Rep. Shaunna O’Connell (R-Taunton), a welfare reformer who provided the email exchange to the Herald, and stands with Taber: “She should not be penalized for standing up for her principles — she should be applauded.”

Businesses must apply and be approved to accept EBT cards, and normally are not obliged to do so. Department of Transitional Assistance Commissioner Daniel Curley said the state wants welfare recipients to “access healthy food,” but he declined to weigh in on whether farmers markets that choose to accept EBT cards can compel their vendors to take part.

-— chris.cassidy@bostonherald.com