Growers Must Submit Applications by End of Year to Continue Year-Round WIC Benefit Acceptance- New Agreements Coming Soon
Thanks to the addition of WIC Monthly Fruit and Vegetable Benefits (CVB) for FMNP growers, approved growers can accept those benefits year-round. However, every current grower agreement expires on December 31, 2024. All growers will need to submit a new agreement for approval before accepting benefits anytime in 2025. The FMNP season will still be June 1 through October 31. All growers must be approved before that date.
A new grower agreement will be released next month and communication will be sent out when it is available. Any grower wishing to accept WIC benefits year-round, starting in January 2025, will need to submit their application before the end of December. Keep an eye out for communication regarding the Grower Agreement for the period of 2025-2027, coming soon!
Year-Round Yellow WIC Fruit and Vegetable Benefits Sign
The FMNP season has now ended! However, that does not mean that growers have to stop accepting benefits and making money. WIC Monthly Fruit and Vegetable Benefits (CVB) are still available at approved farmers markets and farm stores around the state, so long as they have been approved previously to accept benefits outside of the FMNP season timeframe.
Any growers selling at approved markets or farm stores that are open outside of the FMNP season must display the yellow "WIC Fruit & Vegetable Benefits Welcome Here All Year" Sign.
WIC participants receive a various amount of fruit and vegetable benefits year-round. The benefits are replenished monthly. They can now redeem those benefits at approved markets and farm stores, even outside of the June 1 - October 31 window.
The transaction process remains the same. WIC participants can redeem via QR code on the WICShopper app, their physical WIC card, or any other way they can display a physical copy of their QR code.
Redemption Data
The Farmers Market Nutrition Program saw an increase in redemptions nearly across the board between 2023 and 2024. The electronic transaction process has allowed growers to receive revenue via WIC participants' monthly fruit and vegetable benefits, previously only available at grocery stores.
Thank you for helping this 2024 FMNP season become a successful and prosperous one! We hope you found it as fulfilling as we did.
The image below represents the top three growers' earnings from the FMNP season. Congratulations to those top earners and thank you for supporting our WIC & Senior participants!
Training Videos - Learn in Minutes
The FMNP site has three very helpful and short videos on the electronic FMNP process. Each video is approximately one to two minutes long. This can be shared for quick training needs.
Topics include:
Make Sure Your WIC Card is Registered in the App!
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In September, Google Play required an update to the WICShopper app.
This update removed some WIC Cards from the app.
Here’s how to make sure your WIC Card is registered:
- Tap the My Benefits button.
- If you see “No WIC Cards Registered,” select the “Managed Cards” button on the screen to add your WIC card in the app.
To use the app QR Code at an authorized farmers’ market or farm store, your app must show the following:
- A registered WIC card.
- Current fruit and vegetable benefits.
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Senior FMNP Resources
As October has come to a close, we have reached the end of another Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP) season. Over 36,650 individuals participated in the SFMNP this year. Each participant received an $80 benefit to purchase fresh, locally grown produce, herbs, and honey. In total, over $2.04 million in SFMNP benefits were redeemed at participating locations. This marks a 12% increase in benefit redemption and over 2,000 more participants served from 2023. Thank you to all the local programs, market staff, growers, volunteers, and program partners that help support the SFMNP!
As a reminder, the SFMNP provides benefits to lower-income Washingtonians who are at least 60 years old, or 55+ Alaska Native/Native American, and whose household incomes are less than 185% of the federal poverty level. Participants must apply for benefits each season. Next year, interested individuals can apply through their local agencies starting around April 2025. General program information can be found here.
While the SFMNP provides seasonal benefits from June through October each year, there are many other services that support older adults’ nutrition in our communities. For example, Senior Nutrition Programs support adults aged 60 and over through community meal sites and home-delivered meal services. To find resources in your community, go to the Washington State Community Living Connections page, select a topic and enter your zip code.
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Outstanding Settlements
If you feel you have not received your full payments for FMNP transactions, please contact us!
State Support Team
FMNPTeam@doh.wa.gov
1-800-841-1410 Extension 2, Option 0
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