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Overview
What is the WIC Farmers’ Market Nutrition
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. The WIC Program 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
participants, and to expand the awareness, use of, and sales at farmers’
markets.
WIC FMNP Fact
Sheet, in pdf format.
Where does the FMNP operate?
In Fiscal Year (FY) 2011, grants were awarded to 46 State agencies and
federally recognized Indian Tribal Organizations (ITOs): District of
Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, and 36 States: Alabama,
Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia,
Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland,
Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, New
Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon,
Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont,
Washington, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. In addition, 6 ITOs administer
the Program: Chickasaw, Oklahoma; Choctaw Nation, Oklahoma; Osage
Nation, Oklahoma; the Mississippi Band of Choctaws; the Five Sandoval
Indian Pueblos, New Mexico; and the Pueblos of San Felipe, New Mexico.
FMNP State agencies
Who can participate?
Women, infants (over 4 months old) and children that have been
certified to receive WIC program benefits or who are on a waiting list
for WIC certification are eligible to participate in the FMNP. State
agencies may serve some or all of these categories.
How many recipients are served?
In fiscal year 2011, 1.9 million WIC participants received FMNP
benefits.
What foods are available through the FMNP?
A variety of fresh, nutritious, unprepared, locally grown
fruits, vegetables and herbs may be purchased with FMNP coupons. State
agencies can limit sales to specific foods grown within State borders to
encourage FMNP recipients to support the farmers in their own States.
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 ITOs. As a prerequisite
to receiving Federal funds for the FMNP, each applying or participating
State agency must submit a State Plan describing the manner in which the
State agency intends to implement, operate and administer all aspects of
the FMNP within its jurisdiction.
Eligible WIC participants are issued FMNP coupons in
addition to their regular WIC benefits. These coupons can be used to buy
eligible foods from farmers, farmers' markets or roadside stands that
have been approved by the State agency to accept FMNP coupons. The
farmers, farmers’ markets or roadside stands then submit the coupons to
the bank or State agency for reimbursement. The Federal food benefit
level for FMNP recipients may not be less than $10 and no more than $30
per year, per recipient. However, State agencies may supplement the
Federal benefit level.
Nutrition education is provided to FMNP recipients by
the State agency, often through an arrangement with the local WIC
agency. Other 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 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.
How does a farmer, farmers' market, or roadside
stand become authorized to accept FMNP coupons?
Each State agency is responsible for authorizing individual
farmers, farmers’ markets, roadside stands or all of the above. Only
farmers, farmers’ markets, and roadside stands authorized by the State
agency may accept and redeem FMNP coupons. Individuals who exclusively
sell produce grown by someone else such as wholesale distributors,
cannot be authorized to participate in the FMNP. The FMNP contact person
for each State agency can be found at
http://www.fns.usda.gov/wic/Contacts/farm.htm
How many farmers and farmers' markets
participate in the FMNP?
During fiscal year 2011, 18,487 farmers, 4,079 farmers' markets
and 3,184 roadside stands were authorized to accept FMNP coupons.
Coupons redeemed through the FMNP resulted in over $16.4 million in
revenue to farmers for fiscal year 2011.
How is the FMNP funded?
Congress provides funds for the FMNP. Federal funds support 100
percent of the food costs of the program. Federal funds also support 70
percent of the administrative cost of the program. States operating the
FMNP must match the Federal administrative funds allocated to them for
administrative costs by contributing at least 30 percent of the
administrative cost of the program. Indian State agencies may provide a
lower match, but not less than 10 percent of the administrative cost of
the program. The matching funds can come from a variety of sources, such
as State or local funds, private funds, similar programs, or program
income.
What is the current funding level?
For fiscal year 2012, $16.548 million was appropriated by
Congress for the FMNP.
What are the FMNP grant levels by State?
FMNP grant
levels by State
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Last modified 10/05/12
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