1. WIC Farmers Market Nutrition Program (FMNP)
The WIC Farmers Market Nutrition Program, WIC 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. Women, infants (over 1 yr 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 WIC FMNP. A variety of fresh, nutritious, unprepared, locally grown fruits, vegetables and herbs may be purchased with FMNP coupons. The WIC FMNP is currently authorized in the Child Nutrition Act with annual appropriations of up to $20 million. State agencies can limit sales to specific foods grown within State borders to encourage FMNP recipients to support the farmers in their own States.
Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP)
The Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program was established in 1999 as pilot program. The purposes of the SFMNP are to:
(1) Provide resources in the form of fresh, nutritious, unprepared, locally grown fruits, vegetables, honey and herbs from farmers markets, roadside stands and community supported agriculture programs to low-income seniors,
(2) Increase the domestic consumption of agricultural commodities by expanding or aiding in the expansion of domestic farmers markets, roadside stands, and community supported agriculture programs, and
(3) Develop or aid in the development of new and additional farmers markets, roadside stands, and community supported agriculture programs. The pilot program was very successful and the SFMNP was written into the 2002 Farm Bill with mandatory funding of $15 million annually. The funding level was increased in the 2008 Farm Bill to $20.6 million annually.
Impact:
We ask that Congress combine and consolidate the two programs (SFMNP & FMNP) into one FMNP program in the Farm Bill and fund the program at a combined minimum level of $50 million.
This consolidation would enable expanded and more effective cooperation with other groups and less time spent on administering two separate programs.
In the current iterations of the Farm Bill, the Senate made no changes to SFMNP. The House recommended merging the two programs into one, but has not committed adequate funding.
The transition of the WIC FMNP program from the appropriations bill will also achieve savings in this time of challenging federal budgets.
The consolidated FMNP helps low-income, at-risk WIC and Senior participants, farmers markets and small fruit and vegetable farmers in the Farm Bill. These dollars will be utilized to provide much needed fresh fruits and vegetables to low-income seniors and low-income families while also improve the economic outlook of small farmers through increased sales at farmers markets.
These programs currently benefit more than 30,000 small farmers in 51 states and tribal territories.
Over 2 million families received fresh fruits and vegetables through FMNPs in 2011.
This in turn stimulates additional revenue within more than 5,000 participating farmers markets, 4,000 farm stands and 150 Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) groups in the programs.
In Alabama, this stimulates additional revenue for 140 farmers markets, 1142 farmers, 172 farm stands and 59,945 seniors throughout the state.