Farmers Market Program
What is the
WIC Farmers' Market Program?
The WIC Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) is associated with the
Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children,
popularly known as WIC, provides supplemental foods, health care referrals
and nutrition education at no cost to low-income pregnant, breastfeeding and
non-breastfeeding post-partum women, and to infants and children up to 5
years of age, who are found to be at nutritional risk.
The FMNP was established by Congress in 1992, to
provide fresh, unprepared, locally grown fruits and vegetables to WIC
recipients, and to expand the awareness, use of and sales at farmers’
markets.
A variety of fresh, nutritious, unprepared, locally grown fruits, vegetables
and herbs may be purchased with FMNP coupons. Each State agency develops a
list of fresh fruits, vegetables and herbs that can be purchased with FMNP
coupons.
Which Farmers Markets participate?
Due to funds and availability, not all farmers
markets participate in the program.
Click the link below to see if your farmers market accepts WIC Coupons.
West
Virginia Farmers’ Market Directory
How does the program operate?
The FMNP is administered through a Federal/State partnership in which the
Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) provides cash grants to State agencies. The
FMNP is administered by State agencies such as State agriculture departments
or health departments or Indian Tribal Organizations. State agencies develop
plans to operate the program that are approved by FNS.
Eligible WIC recipients are issued FMNP coupons in
addition to their regular WIC food instruments. These coupons can be used to
buy fresh, unprepared fruits, vegetables and herbs from farmers or farmers’
markets that have been approved by the State agency to accept FMNP coupons.
The Federal food benefit level for FMNP recipients may not be less than $10
and no more than $20 per year, per recipient. However, State agencies may
supplement the benefit level with its matching funds. The farmers or
farmers’ markets then submit the coupons for reimbursement.
Nutrition education is provided to FMNP recipients by
the State agency, often through an arrangement with the local WIC agency.
Other professional educators and program partners may provide nutrition
education and/or educational information to FMNP recipients. For example,
Cooperative Extension Programs, local chefs, farmers or farmers’ markets
associations, and various other non-profit or for-profit organizations may
provide nutrition education to FMNP recipients. These educational
arrangements help to encourage FMNP recipients to improve and expand their
diets by adding fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as educate them on how
to select, store and prepare the fresh fruits and vegetables they buy with
their FMNP coupons.
