Farmers market vendors say they are still waiting on payments from Community Action Duluth

DULUTH, Minn. — During the ongoing tensions between Community Action Duluth and its employees, Twin Ports vendors with the Duluth Farmers Markets are still yet to be paid their promised fee by the organization.

According to one of the vendors, many sellers attending these markets have yet to receive compensation from Community Action Duluth, as part of the non-profit’s EBT Match program.

Thanks to the program, each market provides a $25 match for SNAP participants attending the event, with vendors being reimbursed in funds after the event.

This means, until Community Action Duluth pays up, many of these vendors will be shouldering the losses themselves.

“When we have concerns and we are met with silence or kind of just brushed off like, ‘Oh, we’ll get back to you’, and then more silence, that doesn’t make us feel very valued as small business owners, we have bills to pay,” said Amanda Mosiniak, owner of Gluten Free Duluth and one of a numbers of vendors who have yet to see payment from Community Action Duluth.

However, according to the vendors, the loss of a paycheck comes second to the loss of a crucial community resource.

“This is a community centered program, and our community is at a loss without it,” said Mosiniak.

We all want the space where people feel valued, where everyone feels valued.”

The vendors say they are without thousands of dollars as a result, and are hoping for healthy communication with Community Action Duluth’s Board in the near future.

Community Action Duluth has stated that vendors with the markets have been paid through the Aug. 25, and that all vendors will be paid as governmental grant reimbursements are processed.

The organization is currently working to establish what the future of the markets will look like for 2026.