1. 2/20/2018
Kentucky Senior’s Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program 2017 Commissioner of Agriculture Ryan Quarles

2. Housekeeping Roll Call Information Packets PowerPoint Q & A’s
We welcome conversation and questions, if you have a question, feel free to ask at the end of the presentation.

3. Agenda First half SFMNP Funding Rules and regulations
2/20/2018
First half
SFMNP Funding
Rules and regulations
Farmer/Vendor Information
Redemption rates and process
Questions/Concerns
Second half
Market manager information
Distribution agency information
Please take notice to a few updates to the program:
The definition of locally grown is now “any produce grown within Kentucky borders by Kentucky farmers.”
Also only farmers may accept coupons for products they have grown on their farm.
The eligible foods list now includes mushrooms and more cooking herbs.
Note that we expanded and detailed the market requirements, rules, and redemption process to make it easier for you to understand.
Finally, don’t forget to sign up to accept coupons in each market you sell in and remember to do this before the season starts. Plus you are responsible for training all of your employees and family members that help you sell at the market.

4. Funding Senior Farmer’s Market Nutrition Program 2017 USDA Grant
2/20/2018
Senior Farmer’s Market Nutrition Program
2017 USDA Grant
$ 297,823
Seniors may receive up to (7) $4.00 vouchers equaling a $28.00 booklet
Seniors may receive only one booklet per season
Kentucky has participated in WIC-FMNP since Currently we receive two hundred thirty thousand dollars ($230,000) from USDA; just under one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) comes from the state budget. For 2004 will be issuing coupons in 43 counties.
We did request an additional sixty thousand dollars ($60,000) in expansion funds from USDA, but it has not been approved at this time.
After three years of applying for Senior FMNP funding, USDA awarded the Kentucky Department of Agriculture funding in Participants spent and farmers redeemed over two hundred seventy-six thousand dollars last year. ($276,302) For 2004, we have applied for funding again; the latest word from USDA is that they will announce grant awards mid-April (March 29, 2004). As you see, USDA only provides funding for the coupons. The Kentucky Department of Agriculture and its partnering agencies must cover their own administrative costs to run the programs.

5. Rule Enforcement
2/20/2018
USDA mandates 10% of markets, 10% of farmers, and 100% of distribution agencies are reviewed
Each market will be reviewed once every two years
Market Site Visits
Review of Market
Review of Farmers
Anonymous compliance buys
Violations can result in farmer and/or market being terminated from SFMNP
Minor Violations
Failure to post signage at the market
Failure to open during published times and days
Penalties for Minor offenses
First violation - verbal or written reprimand
Second violation - Move to “at-risk” classification and written warning
Third violation - Suspension of right to redeem checks for the remaining of the season
Kentucky Department of Agriculture employees conduct market site visits. At those visits staff review the market and farmers, takes notes on products available, number of customers, and other items as required by USDA. If your market isn’t open as listed in the KDA market directory, this is noted also. Some staff may be there undercover buying with coupons to ensure you are following the rules.
In the 40+ visits last year, several markets were not open for business as listed. Make sure you register your market with Janet Eaton. Also, no ineligible foods were purchased during compliance buys. Farmers did an excellent job explaining what foods were eligible. Good Job!
If a farm visit is warranted, we do schedule a time to come and inspect your farm. This involves looking at any farm plans, maps, physical inspection of growing area, and documenting such visits with photographic evidence and sketch of farm.
Not following the rules may lead violations. Violations fall into minor and major categories as explained in next two slides.

6. Major violations and Penalties
2/20/2018
Major Violations
Selling at off-market site
Selling non-eligible products
Buying Checks
Accepting checks when on suspension
Penalties for Major Violations
First Violation
Suspension of right to redeem checks for 30 days during FMNP season. If there is less than 30 days remaining in the season when violation is committed, days remaining will continue in the following FMNP season.
Second Violation
Farmer becomes ineligible for the program.
State Agency has the right to carry over major/minor violations from year to year.

7. Civil Rights Compliance
2/20/2018
KDA Title VI Coordinator is responsible for immediately notifying USDA-FNS of farmer and market discrimination complaints received by KDA:
KDA SFMNP
107 Corporate Drive
Frankfort, KY 40601
Farmers and participants may also contact USDA directly:
USDA Director, Office of Civil Rights Room 362-W, Whitten Building 1400 Independence Avenue, SW Washington, DC
Also note that as a farmer or farmers’ market participating in the SFMNP program you must adhere to the federal regulations for nondiscrimination. Posting of Nondiscrimination Regulation is recommended. Posters available upon request.
Individuals seeking to file discrimination complaints may file them either with KDA or directly through USDA per the contact information on the slide.
As a recipient of federal funding, markets and farmers must adhere to the federal regulations for nondiscrimination.
FYI
The full USDA-FNS discrimination statement follows:
“In accordance with Federal law and U.S. Department of Agriculture policy, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability. To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten Building, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C or call (202) (voice and TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.”

8. Farmer Requirements Participating farmers in the program must:
2/20/2018
Participating farmers in the program must:
Be member of an approved KDA farmers’ market
Be a member of an approved market that participates in the SFMNP
Attend training each year
Accept checks only for locally grown fruits and vegetables
Sign the participation guidelines and stamp the application
Do NOT handwrite your stamp number on the application; the application must be stamped to be processed
Farmers are eligible to participant in the FMNP program if
They are a member of an approved farmers’ market
Attend a training session each year, and
Accept coupons only for fresh fruits, vegetables, and cooking herbs they have produced in Kentucky
Farmers also must sign an Farmer Agreement that they understand and agree to follow all of the rules for participation in the FMNP program

9. Farmer Requirements cont’d
2/20/2018
Eligible Foods:
SFMNP: Checks are good for fresh locally grown produce and honey. Locally grown produce is defined as produce grown in Kentucky or within 50 miles from Kentucky border. (See “Eligible Food List”)
Non-eligible Foods:
“Non-locally” grown products may not be purchased with SFMNP checks. Examples include citrus products such as oranges, mangoes, lemons, and limes; bananas, and pineapples. Medicinal Herbs and others such as aloe, lamb’s ear, catnip, rue, white sage, lavender, Echinacea, bee balm, chamomile, St Johnswort are not eligible for purchase with checks.
In the next few upcoming slides we will go over the rules of FMNP.
Participants may purchase only the fresh fruits, vegetables, and cooking herbs on the Eligible Kentucky Foods list. These are listed on the next 2 slides.
Products such as meats, eggs, cheese, honey, plants, flowers, and home-processed goods are great for the market. However, they must be purchased with other forms of payment as coupons may not be used on them.
“Why not?” many people ask. It all goes back to the purposes for the program set up in the federal regulations; the programs are set up for fresh fruit, vegetables, and cooking herbs sold through farmers’ markets.
Also, farmers must grow these foods on property that are farming within Kentucky.

10. Farmer’s Requirements cont’d
2/20/2018
A Farmer cannot exclusively sell produce grown by someone else. All markets have different rules, Rules can be more strict according to your market rules, but may not be more lenient when accepting SFMNP benefits.
No change given for checks
Participants must purchase produce in the amount of the checks
A vendor may assist a participant by preparing products in $4 bundles or by gathering products that equal up to $4
No sales tax
Kentucky has a sales tax exemption on the purchase of food
Checks valid only at authorized SFMNP markets
Your farm is not an authorized location to sell your products
Only authorized farmers within approved markets
Not all farmers in a market have to accept SFMNP
Not all Kentucky Farmers Markets participate in SFMNP
A continuation of the rules…
FMNP farmers must raise products sold on land owned, rented, or leased by the farmer within Kentucky.
Market vendor is a genuine farmer and grows the products being sold. Do not take coupons for resold products.

11. Farmer’s Requirements cont’d
2/20/2018
Display sign showing you accept SFMNP checks
This is to help participants find you to spend their checks. 
Vendors must display their stamp number
Since not all farmers within a market are required to accept coupons, it is very important for you to show your signs saying you accept FMNP coupons. Participants need to know which farmers accept coupons.

12. Farmer’s Requirements cont’d *
2/20/2018
Offer SFMNP participants the same courtesies as other market customers
Provide eligible foods at the current price or lower than the current price charged to other customers
Display prices and how product is sold (by pound, container, by bunch, etc.)
Have some produce in bundles of $4 for easy accessibility for the seniors (this is optional, not mandatory)
FMNP participants are to be offered the same courtesies as other customers to your market.
Prices for eligible foods should be the same as the current price or less than the current price charged to other market customers. Products are not to be higher just because a customer is purchasing with coupons.
Displaying prices is not only good business; but it ensures clients they are being charged a fair price for their produce. Simply think to your own shopping experiences. If you can’t find the price of an item, do you always purchase it? Or does the phrase, “If you have to ask, it’s too high” ring a bell?

13. Redemption Rates and Voucher Process
Total redemption rate for 2016 was 77.3%.
Voucher Process:
KDA sends an allotted amount of voucher booklets to each participating agency. The agency then distributes the vouchers on assigned days to those seniors that are eligible. The senior may use the vouchers on eligible foods, (see eligible foods list), all at once or throughout the season. Once a farmer or vendor receives the vouchers signed by senior or proxy, they deposit them at their bank. The vouchers need to be deposited AT LEAST twice a month. *
Distributors, please stress to your seniors that if they do not use all their vouchers, your county may not get as many the following season.

14. Redeeming Vouchers WIC FMNP Senior FMNP 700100
2/20/2018
WIC FMNP
A farmer must have a WIC stamp for each market he/she works in.
Senior FMNP
A farmer has only one stamp for SFMNP, regardless the number of markets he/she works in.
WIC FMNP stamp
Senior FMNP Stamp
700100
Now for a very important part: how prepared coupons for redemption so you may get paid!
Receive training and review of materials,
Qualify to accept coupons
Agree to, and sign Farmer Agreement
Receive FMNP farmer number from market coordinator
And do this for each FMNP market you sell in

15. SFMNP Check Have participants sign check
Stamp check with the farmer identifier. If stamp is unclear, stamp it again. (If stamp is illegible, the check will not be processed.)
Endorse Senior Check on Back Side
Deposit in Your Bank
Vendors can use only their own stamp when depositing, if a vendor is selling another vendors produce, they must use that vendors stamp to deposit their checks
2017
06/01/17
November 15, 2017
10/31/17
Stamp check here

16. What’s wrong with these checks?

17. What’s wrong with these checks?

18. Checks
Make sure when you deposit your checks you check to make sure they meet the criteria and is legible:
Signature form senior
Signature from vendor
Stamp of vendor

19. Eligible Kentucky Foods
2/20/2018
Apples
Lettuce
Turnips
Cooking herbs (fresh, cut):
Asparagus
Melons (muskmelon, honeydew, cantaloupe)
Watermelons
Basil
Beans (green)
Winter Squash (acorn, butternut, spaghetti, kabocha)
Borage
Beets
Mushrooms (shiitake, oyster, morel, etc.)
Chives
Blackberries (thornless & thorny)
Cilantro
Okra
Dill
Blueberries
Onions
Epazote
Broccoli
Parsnips
Fennel
Brussels Sprouts
Pawpaws
Garlic
Cabbage (red, green, savoy, chinese)
Peaches
Marjoram
Pears
Mint
Carrots
Peas (snow peas, sugar snap)
Oregano
Cauliflower
Parsley
Cherries
Peppers (hot and sweet)
Rosemary
Sweet Corn
Plums
Sage
Cucumbers
Potatoes
Savory
Edamame Soybeans
Pumpkins
Shiso
Eggplant
Radishes
Sorrel
Grapes
Raspberries
Tarragon
Greens (collards, kale, mustard, spinach, swiss chard, turnip)
Rhubarb
Thyme
Strawberries
Summer squash (yellow, zucchini, patty pan)
Green Onions
Honey—only allowable in SFMNP
Sweet potatoes
Tomatoes
Kohlrabi
This is slide one of the Eligible Kentucky Foods list. The list is continued on the next slide.

20. Q & A’s

21. Market Managers
Market managers are responsible for being the point of contact for farmers/vendors, distribution agencies, extension offices, and KDA. They fill out the appropriate paperwork and sign farmers applications after successful completion. If market hours have been changed or altered, they must contact the appropriate parties.
If there is a change in market manager or any other concern that the KDA should be aware of, please let us know.

22. Distribution Agencies
Make sure to let the KDA know when you will be distributing vouchers including the location.
If in the case you have extra vouchers, send them back to the KDA at the address below. Do NOT shred them. This makes your redemption rate go down and the seniors will get less vouchers the following year. They need to be sent back to the KDA by the last day of July each season. Extra vouchers can be distributed to other counties.
Kentucky Department of Agriculture
107 Corporate Drive
Frankfort, KY 40601

23. Deadlines
2/20/2018
SFMNP
May 31, Last day to send in all paperwork for SFMNP to KY Department of Agriculture
July 31, Last day to send in issuance logs and extra vouchers
October 31, Last day to accept checks
November 15, Final day to deposit checks for SFMNP
Important deadlines for the 2004 season.
ALL Farmer Agreements must be turned in by June 15, This is so we can print the all “Accept FMNP Coupon” signs in time for peak coupon use; otherwise market vendors are in violation of not placing signs. It would be helpful if these are turned in earlier, if possible.
Local agencies will cease issuing coupons on September 30, 2004.
The last market day to accept coupons is October 16, This is a Saturday in the middle of October. Each year previously, farmers commented that the September 30 coupon deadline was too early. Last year we found out the last Saturday in October was too late. So we’ve compromised and gone in the middle this year.
The FINAL day to submit coupons for reimbursement is October 29, 2004, two weeks after the selling deadline.
Please do you best to submit coupons each month. Sending a season’s worth of coupons in the last weeks of the season causes tremendous backlog of payments, especially if there are errors in the paperwork.

24. Paperwork Checklist For Market Coordinators For Distribution Agencies
For Farmers
Application
Renewal Form (Agreement)
Informational Letter
Market hours of operation
Blank Issuance Log
Attendance Sheet (For this training only)
Certificate of Eligibility
Brochures
Contact Sheet

25. For More Information 2/20/2018 Kentucky Department of Agriculture
Division of Food Distribution
107 Corporate Drive
Frankfort, KY 40601
Senior FMNP
Tina Garland,
WIC FMNP
Beverly Salchli, ext. 4328
Farmers’ Market Development
Sharon Spencer,
If you need more information, please contact us.