The Farmers Market Coalition is recruiting farmers and market managers for our latest advocacy initiative: The WIC FMNP Fly-in Project. With support from Patagonia and in partnership with the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, FMC will be flying up to 8 farmers and market managers to DC to speak directly to their Members of Congress about the importance of the WIC Farmers Market Nutrition Program (WIC FMNP).
Apply to participate by February 21st!
The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) improves access to nutritious foods for low-income pregnant women, mothers, and young children. In 1992, Congress created WIC FMNP in order to achieve two goals: increase WIC participants’ consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables and increase awareness and support of local agriculture. In addition to their monthly WIC benefits, participants can receive additional FMNP checks to be spent at their local farmers market.
This program is under threat — WIC FMNP has been proposed for elimination by the current administration. There is no better way to influence policy than for key members of the Agriculture Committee to hear directly from those they represent.
Each year, WIC FMNP directly connects over 1.5 million low income families to 17,000 independent farmers at local farmers markets nationwide, providing an additional 67 million servings of fruits and vegetables each year to low income women and children. The impact for families cannot be understated. Help FMC tell Congress that we must protect this vital program!
If you are a farmer or market manager who cares about WIC FMNP, we want to send you to Washington, DC! We are specifically looking for folks based in Oregon, Kansas, Georgia, Alabama, Nebraska, or Vermont, to target key Congress Members. If you or someone you know is interested, please complete this brief application form.
2018 Farmer Fly In
Tens of thousands of farmers and ranchers across the country rely on farmers markets to build and support their business. Nevertheless, federal programs designed to bolster farmers markets and spur economic growth were threatened with elimination from the 2018 Farm Bill.
Recognizing the need for action, the Farmers Market Coalition launched the 2018 Farmer Fly-In Project and sent six farmers and one market manager to meet with legislators on Capitol Hill about the importance of farmers markets and the farm bill programs that support them. This type of advocacy — constituents speaking directly with their elected officials — is by every account the most effective way to influence policy, and is why it’s so important that direct-marketing farmers are heard by federal lawmakers.
Our participants did an amazing job advocating for farmers markets and critical federal programs such as the Farmers Market Promotion Program, WIC/Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program, and the Food Insecurity Nutrition Incentive Program. The group crammed 22 meetings into a day and a half, including a meeting with the Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, Congressman Mike Conaway (TX). And the results speak for themselves. Despite serious concerns about the House draft of the bill, thanks to Farmers Market Coalition advocacy–including the fly in, farmers markets are well represented in the final 2018 farm bill. Given the success of this project, it’s certainly one that will remain in our toolbox for future advocacy efforts.
Who are these champions we sent to Washington? Meet them below, and learn why we chose them to speak on behalf of direct-marketing farmers, ranchers, and farmers markets!