New York First State to Accept WIC (CVV) Checks at Farmers Markets
Posted On: June 15, 2009
ALBANY – Participants in the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Program can now use their monthly checks at New York farmers’ markets to purchase eligible fresh produce. New York is the first state in the nation to allow the use of WIC checks for fresh fruits and
vegetables at farmers’ markets.
A pilot program conducted in 2006 by the Department of Health showed that WIC participants prefer fresh produce over canned or frozen products when fresh is available. In New York, approximately 520,000 women, infants and children participate in the WIC program every month. The program received approximately $420 million in funding from the federal United States Department of Agriculture this year and is administered by the New York State Department of Health’s Division of Nutrition.
The WIC program enhancement was recommended by The New York State Council on Food Policy and its implementation is a collaborative effort by the New York State Department of Health, the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets, and the Farmers’ Market Federation of New York.
Source: http://www.empirestatenews.net/News/20090615-8.html