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Women, Infants and Children program in St. Lawrence County has funds for clients to buy at farmers’ markets

Posted 8/11/13

The Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program has received $3.4 million in funding to provide families in St. Lawrence County and statewide with food from local farmer’s markets,. The funding will …

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Women, Infants and Children program in St. Lawrence County has funds for clients to buy at farmers’ markets

Posted

The Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program has received $3.4 million in funding to provide families in St. Lawrence County and statewide with food from local farmer’s markets,.

The funding will provide over 215,000 families with increased access to healthy food. WIC families can find Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) checks at the local WIC clinic, North Country Children's Clinic, 3 Remington Ave., Canton.

“Farmers’ markets help pump money back into local economies while encouraging New Yorkers to support local agriculture and promote healthy eating,” said Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who announced the funding. “The WIC program connects low-income families with affordable, fresh and locally-grown food at farmers’ markets in their communities. Not only does this program help New Yorkers to eat better and healthier, it also expands the customer base for our local farmers and promotes New York-grown products.”

FMNP check booklets are available for WIC families from June through September. The booklets contain six checks with a face value of $4 each, for a total of $24.

WIC customers must have an income at or below 185 percent of the federal poverty line, determined by the number of people in the household.

To be eligible for WIC, families must have children in the household younger than five. A family would also be eligible if the mom is pregnant or nursing.

The checks can be used to purchase fresh, locally grown fruits and vegetables from participating farmers at designated community farmers markets.

WIC families may use the checks through Nov. 30.

Participating farmers must grow at least half of their for sale products themselves, and items that are purchased by the farmer for resale must be locally grown. Farmers may cash or deposit the FMNP checks just like any other check.

“Farmers’ markets stimulate local economies and provide New Yorkers with a venue to purchase farm fresh food right in their own backyards. We are pleased that Governor Cuomo has made this funding available to support these markets and local agriculture, while providing low-income New York families with an opportunity to buy some of the best agricultural products in the country,” said state Agriculture Commissioner Darrel J. Aubertine.

For more information about the WIC program contact the North Country Children's Clinic, 3 Remington Ave., Canton at 386-8128.