1. 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, 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.

2. Where does the FMNP operate?
Currently, 44 State agencies operate the FMNP. They include the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, and 36 States: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. In addition, 5 Indian Tribal Organizations administer the Program: Chickasaw, Oklahoma; Osage Tribe, Oklahoma; the Mississippi Band of Choctaws; the Five Sandoval Indian Pueblos, New Mexico, and the Pueblos of San Felipe, New Mexico.

3. 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.

4. How many recipients are served?

In fiscal year 2002, over 2.1 million WIC recipients received farmers' market benefits.
In fiscal year 2001, over 2 million WIC recipients received farmers' market benefits.

5. 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. Each State agency develops a list of fresh fruits, vegetables and herbs that can be purchased with FMNP coupons.

6. 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.

7. How does a farmer or farmers' market become authorized to accept FMNP coupons?

Each State agency is responsible for authorizing individual farmers, farmers' markets, or both. Only farmers and/or farmers' markets 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

8. How many farmers and farmers' markets participate in the FMNP?

During fiscal year 2002, 13,176 farmers and 1,911 farmers' markets were authorized to accept FMNP coupons. Coupons redeemed through the FMNP resulted in over $20.8 million in revenue to farmers for fiscal year 2002.

During fiscal year 2001, 13,741 farmers and 1,824 farmers' markets were authorized to accept FMNP coupons. Coupons redeemed through the FMNP resulted in over $20.6 million in revenue to farmers for fiscal year 2001. Coupons redeemed through the FMNP resulted in about $17.5 million in revenue to farmers for fiscal year 2000.

9. How is the FMNP funded?

Congress provides funds for the FMNP through a legislatively mandated set-aside in the WIC Program appropriation. Federal funds support 70 percent of the total cost of the program. States operating the FMNP must match the Federal funds allocated to them by contributing at least 30 percent of the total cost of the program. Indian State agencies may receive a lower match, but not less than 10 percent of the total cost of the program. The matching funds can come from a variety of sources, such as State and local funds, private funds, in-kind contributions, similar programs, and program income.

10. What is the current funding level?

For fiscal year 2004, just over $22.8 million was appropriated for the FMNP. For fiscal year 2003, Congress provided $25 million for the FMNP. .

11. What are the FMNP grant levels by State?
FMNP grant levels by State

LINKS to Related Websites:

Small Farms@USDA
This web site is intended to be a one-stop gateway to resources, benefits and services offered by USDA for small farmers.

USDA Agricultural Marketing Service -- promotes and enhances the development and operation of farmers' markets and other marketing activities that support small to medium-size farmers.