Farmers' Market Nutrition Program

What is FMNP?

Farmers' Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) provides checks to women, infants and children through the Women, Infants and Children Program (WIC) and to Seniors in the Commodity Supplemental Food Program for the purchase of locally grown fresh fruits and vegetables.

The fresh fruits and vegetables can be purchased with checks at farmers'' markets during the summer and fall. The program officially runs from July - November 15.

Who Benefits from FMNP?

FMNP checks enable WIC participants and CSFP Seniors to obtain this nutritious fresh produce in addition to the foods WIC and CSFP provides. Approximately 300,000 WIC and CSFP households benefit annually. In 2002, there were 300 Farmers' Markets operating in New York State. This number represents a total of 882 participating farmers, of which over 288,000 WIC households were provided FMNP checks.

In addition to distributing fresh vegetables and fruits, the FMNP provides nutrition education at a variety of settings. This education is designed to assist FMNP recipients to enhance their overall health.

The FMNP supports the focus of the national "5 A Day for Better Health Program."

The "5 A Day for Better Health Program's" goal is to increase public awareness of the importance of eating five or more servings of vegetables and fruits every day and to provide information about incorporating more servings of these foods into their daily eating patterns. The program seeks to inform New Yorkers that eating vegetables and fruits can improve their health and reduce the risk of cancer and other diseases, including heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, and macular degeneration.

The two national partners for the "5 A Day for Better Health Program" are the National Cancer Institute and the Produce for Better Health Foundation, a national public/private partnership between government and the fruit and vegetable industry.

For more information regarding the "5 A Day for Better Health Program", please send an email to: EWPH1@health.state.ny.us or visit the following Web links:

For WIC or CSFP local agency nearest you call the Growing Up Healthy Hotline at 1-800-522-5006.