WIC Sign at Ward 8 Farmers Market
A revamped Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program — which provides low-income single mothers with cash value vouchers good for fruits and vegetables — will soon include a farmers market component. This is a promising opportunity.
But the program is currently designed in ways that will create tension with recipients, farmers, and administrators.
As of October 1, 2009, WIC recipients have been able to use $6 to $15 monthly Fruit and Vegetable Cash Value Vouchers (or CVVs) just like cash to purchase a wide range of produce (PDF). (Check out a nice, clear explanation of the benefits here). The revised program will increase the voucher value for pregnant, breastfeeding, and partially breastfeeding women from $8 to $10 per month. And when the new market season rolls around, recipients can also use the vouchers at farmers markets. The existing Farmers Market Nutrition Program (FMNP), by contrast, provided only $30 worth of coupons for the entire May-through-November market season. It’s a significant increase.
But each state has the choice of whether to train and authorize farmers to accept those CVVs. Both Maryland and D.C. have opted in to the program. Virginia, on the other hand, recently canceled it.
Maryland has given the program every chance to succeed by including a variety of training options for farmers (including at market, and using trainers who have worked extensively with farmers market vendors). It will be pretty easy for farmers to become registered for the program, as the state will provide multiple trainings in different locations — and each only an hour-long.
D.C.’s Department of Health, by contrast, will offer only one training (on March 10th). It’s an all day training, and it’s in Greenbelt, MD.
The District has other options for facilitating participation in WIC programs at farmers markets. For instance, one Maryland official will recognize has expressed interest in recognizing the registration of farmers who undergo the D.C. FMNP training — freeing farmers up to sell across state and district lines. Although it would go through a different agency than the older FMNP, a similar agreement may be possible for the fruit and vegetable vouchers. As of now, D.C. has expressed no such interest in a reciprocal arrangement.
The arrangement has raised concerns among market coordinators and healthy food advocates alike. This is a program with proven positive results for both WIC recipients and farmers, and yet for farmers to participate in the District, they have only one chance to attend all-day training — in the middle of a critical season.
A group of DC Food for All members have recently been discussing the issue. As the March 10 training date approaches, we are asking:
How can D.C. make its program more conducive to farmers’ participation?
What might bring the program back for Virginians?
What is the best way to reach WIC recipients?
Those questions could shape a new campaign in the movement for fresh, healthy food for everyone. Join our discussion group to learn more.
Photo credit: A sign at the Ward 8 Farmers Market shows that vendors accept the WIC FMNP.
