Physical Activity
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Farmers Market Integration Project

In North Carolina there are three federal feeding programs that provide either coupons or Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) cards that allow recipients to purchase fresh fruit and vegetables at select local farmers markets. However, the number of farmers markets that service all three programs are limited. The Famers market integration project (FMIP) wants to change that by increasing the number of farmers markets that accept EBT for all three programs' participants:

The WIC Farmers Market Nutrition Program provides coupons to pregnant, postpartum and breastfeeding women and their 3-4-year-old children.

The Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program provides program participants with coupons to purchase fresh fruit and vegetables at their participating local farmers markets.

The 21st Century Farmers Markets program implements the USDA Food and Nutrition Service, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) for North Carolina's direct farm-to-market retailers. This service provides participants access to farmers markets, tailgate markets, mobile mini-markets, delivery routes, farmer cooperatives and Certified Roadside Farm Stands.

The farmers market integration project's three pronged goal is to

  1. improve the nutritional status of its participants
  2. stimulate business for local farms
  3. to increase awareness of North Carolina farmers markets

Seven communities now offer all three programs.

This initiative is made possible by partnerships with the NC Division of Public Health and the NC Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Contact Diane Beth to find out how your community can get involved.

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Page last modified on December 04 2011