TRANSITION FROM CHECKS TO ELECTRONIC BENEFITS IN 2023

In 2023, the WIC and Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program will be using an electronic benefit card instead of paper checks. For more information on this transition for Farmers Markets, Growers, and Shoppers, please click here. For information about the WIC “Fruit and Vegetable Benefits” at farmers markets, please click here.

THE FARMERS MARKET NUTRITION PROGRAM

Called “FMNP,” the Farmers Market Nutrition Program provides low-income families and seniors with benefits that can be spent at farmers markets and designated farm stands. FMNP is really two programs in one. There is a program for Women & Infant Children (WIC) and one for seniors. Both are federal nutrition assistance programs implemented in partnership with Washington State Department of Health and Department of Social and Health Services. FMNP is the largest federal food assistance program at Washington farmers markets with over $2.3 million in direct farm sales to 480 growers in 2023.

The WIC and Senior FMNP program has three main goals:

  • To provide fresh, nutritious, unprocessed, locally grown fruits, vegetables and cut herbs to WIC participants & low-income seniors;
  • To expand awareness, use, and sales at farmers markets and authorized farm stores; and
  • To provide nutrition information to WIC and Senior participants, such as the importance of fruits and vegetables in their diet and how to store and prepare them.

Flyer from Dept of Health on WIC and Senior FMNP (2 pages). Available in 17 languages from DOH’s FMNP Training Resources webpage.

New one-page cheat sheet on FMNP for Farmers Markets and Growers.

FMNP SIGNAGE

All authorized growers are required to display the FMNP signs at their booth from June 1 to Oct 31. New growers that are approved to accept FMNP will be mailed signs. If you would like new signs for your market or replace signs, please contact the FMNP Team at FMNPTeam@doh.wa.gov and they can mail them to you.

Downloadable PDFs of new signs are available here: WIC+Senior Market Sign and Senior Market Sign.

Authorized farmers markets can also receive an A-Board to display on markets days. You can use it for outreach to let your customers know that your market accepts FMNP benefits. There is also a space to advertise any events happening at your farmers market or any other important information for your customers on the whiteboard part of the FMNP A-sign.

IMPORTANT DATES

  • December 31: Farmers Markets Agreement and Applications for 2024-2026 for year-round farmers markets are due to DOH. Every 3 years, farmers markets are required to be reauthorized to accept FMNP.
  • April 1: For any growers who applied to FMNP in 2023 and was accepted, but did not complete the contract or take any e-FMNP sales, they need to apply to FMNP by April 1. Application is available here. For growers who completed an application and contract in 2023 and accepted e-FMNP in 2023, they do not need to reapply for 2024.
  • March 21: Required FMNP training for farmers markets. 12:00-2:00pm as part of WSFMA Food Access Forum.
  • May 1: Farmers Markets Agreement and Applications for 2024-2026 for seasonal farmers markets are due to DOH.
  • June 1: FMNP season starts. This is the first day that FMNP benefits can be accepted.
  • July 1: Deadline for growers who are have never participated in FMNP or those who have participated in the past, but did not apply for FMNP in 2023.
  • October 31: FMNP season ends. This is the last day that FMNP benefits can be accepted.

FMNP & FARMERS MARKETS

In order for growers to accept accept FMNP benefits at their market, both the grower and the farmers market must apply to the Washington State Department of Health and become an “authorized” FMNP farmers market. In order to apply, the farmers market must meet the following criteria:

  • The farmers market must have been in operation at least one season before applying.
  • There must be a market manager on-site during the farmers markets’ operating hours.
  • The market must have a market manager available for training prior to the start of the FMNP season.
  • It must have at least five growers who are authorized by FMNP and signed up to sell at the farmers market. Growers sell fruits, vegetables, fresh herbs, and/or honey.

Farmers Market Training

Katherine Flores, Farmers Market Nutrition Program Lead at the Washington State Department of Health provides a FMNP training for farmers market managers every year. In 2024, this training was held as a Food Access Forum on March 21. The recording and materials are available here. If you missed this training, please watch the recording and email Katherine directly. A farmers market manager who has previously been trained can also train a new manager. New managers are required to attend the FMNP training, even if the market is already authorized. Please contact Katherine with any questions about training.

Please contact Katherine or Nick and the FMNP Team with any questions.

Katherine D. Flores
Farmers Market Nutrition Program Lead
Office of Nutrition Services
Washington State Department of Health
(800) 841-1410

FMNP & FARMERS or “GROWERS”

FMNP directly supports sales to nearly 500 growers at around 135 farmers markets and farm stands (in communities where there are no farmers markets). In order for growers to be authorized to accept FMNP at your farmers market, they must grow and sell eligible products.

  • Eligible products that can be purchased with FMNP are unprocessed fruits, vegetables, and cut herbs. Seniors can also buy raw honey.
  • Produce brokers are not authorized to accept FMNP.

Grower Applications

Growers need to apply for authorization and have a signed agreement with the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) to accept WIC Farmers Market Nutrition Program (WIC FMNP) and Senior Farmer Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP) benefits.

  • Link to grower applications
  • If a grower completed an application and had a processor contract in 2023 and was able to accept e-FMNP in 2023, they are set for 2024. They do not need to reapply in 2024.
  • If a grower completed an application in 2023, but did not complete the processor contract in 2023, then they need to reapply and submit an application to DOH by April 1.
  • If a grower is new to FMNP in 2024 or did not participate in 2023, then they need to submit an application to DOH no later than July 1. We encourage grower to apply sooner so that they can start accepting FMNP when season starts on June 1.

The application includes a Grower Agreement which must be signed sent to DOH. Growers can submit their Grower Agreement via email to FMNPTeam@doh.wa.gov or mail it to:

Washington State Department of Health
WIC and Senior FMNP Coordinator
PO Box 47886 | Olympia, WA 98504-7886

Grower Training for e-FMNP

Please see grower training materials here. This includes videos, handouts, and other “how to” tips to help growers know how to use the QR codes, PINs, and Vendor Portal.

For information for growers on the “Fruit and Vegetable Benefit” for WIC shoppers is available here. This is not a new benefit; however, it was only able to be used at farmers markets starting in 2023.

Grower Identification Number

Each authorized grower will receive a “Vendor ID” with a copy of the signed agreement. If growers are selling at both a farmers market and a farm stand, they will have two Vendor ID numbers. (Before 2023, this number used to be stamped on each FMNP check in order to be redeemed. With the transition to electronic benefits, growers do not have to stamp checks.)

Market managers will receive a report from DOH with a list of the FMNP authorized growers who said they would be selling at their farmers market. A grower must be on this list in order to accept FMNP benefits at the farmers market.

FMNP for SHOPPERS

Women, Infants and Children

WIC FMNP is available to low-income mothers with young children who enroll in the more general WIC program that covers grocery stores and other retail outlets. In 2024, WIC participants in FMNP will get $30 per person or up to $90 per family to spend at farmers markets between June 1 and Oct 31. Shoppers can use WIC FMNP benefits only at authorized farmers markets and farm stands to buy fresh fruits, vegetables, and herbs. If you are interested in applying for WIC FMNP, call (800) 841-1410 or click here.

Seniors

Senior FMNP is available to low-income seniors. To qualify, you must be 60 or older and have an annual income below 185% of the Federal Poverty Level. Seniors with FMNP will get $80 for the season. You can use your Senior FMNP benefits to buy fresh fruits, vegetables, herbs, and honey at farmers markets between June 1 and Oct 31. If you are interested in applying for Senior FMNP, please call Senior Information and Services at (206) 448-3110 or click here.

WIC “Fruit and Vegetable Benefits”

Starting in 2023 with the transition to an electronic benefit, all WIC participants are able to use their “Fruit and Vegetable Benefits” at farmers markets. (This benefit is also known as “Cash Value Benefits” or CVB.)

  • WIC shoppers can buy fresh fruits, vegetables, and cut herbs with their Fruit and Vegetable Benefits at farmers markets from FMNP growers.
  • To use these benefits at a farmers market, they must have their QR code (from the WICShopper app or sticker) and their PIN.
  • These benefits are in addition to the WIC FMNP benefit (available between June 1 and Oct 31).
  • Fruit and Vegetable Benefits are monthly and expire at the end of each month. They can now be used year-round.
  • Signage and promotional materials for using WIC “Fruit and Vegetable Benefits” at farmers markets are available here.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

  • Find a WSFMA member farmers market that welcomes shoppers with WIC and Senior FMNP by clicking here or going to FindAMarket.org
  • Find detailed FMNP program information for farmers markets and growers from the Department of Health by clicking here.
  • To help support continued funding and support for the Farmers Market Nutrition Program in Washington State, please follow the important work of our policy partners with the Anti-Hunger and Nutrition Coalition.
  • Annual data on FMNP sales by county, legislative and congressional district is available here.