Coupons for fresh, locally grown produce will be made available this
growing season as part of the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Farmers
Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) and the Senior Farmers Market Nutrition
Program (SFMNP).

About $40 million worth of coupons will be distributed to approximately 2.5
million women and 825,000 seniors this season to use at select
farm-to-consumer outlets. The total value for each recipient can be as low as $10, or up to $50, depending on what state you live in.

The idea to supply coupons to needy families begin the 1980's by farmers in the Northeast. These farmers wanted to introduce new, low-income shoppers to local produce at
farmers markets. They also wanted to help save small, family-owned farms during a time period
when thousands of farms were removed from the American landscape.

The FMNP has helped fuel the growth of farmers markets in low-income
downtown areas all over the country. According to Maritza Wellington
Owens, who operates six farmers markets in low-income communities in
New York, “upwards of 50 percent of the sales of markets in lower
income neighborhoods come from FMNP coupons.”

These coupons attract farmers to new weekly markets in the residents’
neighborhoods, a win-win situation for all. In fact, due to the growth of farmers market shopping,
some farmers have actually shifted their acreage from commodities to fruits and
vegetables to sell at these local markets.

When the coupons run out, many customers come back with cash or Food Stamps. Women and seniors fill their baskets with healthy, locally grown fruits and veggies, not long after being fulled from the field. Curious shoppers ask farmers questions about how the food was grown
or get easy recipes and handy storage tips for foods they’ve previously
not been eating.

Not only is the farmers market a place to purchase local produce, but its weekly visitors and farmers forge a friendship and community. Among this community nutritional education is a major fad. Classes for mothers and seniors range from mashing baby food from
cooked vegetables to learning about how a diet rich in unprocessed and
fresh foods can improve overall health and well being, including the
prevention of chronic diet- and poverty-related illnesses such as diabetes and obesity.

So who’s eligible? Seniors who are 60 years of age and older and women
who are breastfeeding, pregnant or have children under the age of 5,
and have incomes less than 185% of the Federal Poverty Income
Guidelines ($25,327 for a two-person household). FMNP checks are typically distributed through local WIC Agencies and
County Offices on Aging. In most states, seniors who are enrolled in
the USDA Food Stamps, Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and/or
Medicaid are pre-qualified for SFMNP. 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.

If your interested in buying locally (whether you're apart of this coupon program or not) here is a list of a few websites that will help you get started on buying locally:

http://www.foodroutes.org/
Learn the hows and whys of eating locally grown foods here.

http://www.localharvest.org/
research local farmers markets near your home, simply enter your zip code or better search for markets that have a specific food you're looking for.

http://www.eatwild.com/
This is your one-stop shop for information about and suppliers of grass-fed meats.

So go out, enjoy the summer sun, and graze your local farmers' market for the day's top picks!

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