Press Release

New Program Could Benefit Farmers and Families

It’s an historic change that could benefit the health of both families and family farmers in Oklahoma.

Beginning in August, fruit and vegetable growers selling at farmers’ markets in Oklahoma will have a large new group of customers: women and children who participate in the USDA Supplemental Food Program for Women, Infants and Children, better known as WIC.

For the first time in the history of the program, the approximately 100,000 participating women, infants, and children in Oklahoma will each receive a $6, $8 or $10 paper voucher each month for purchasing fruits and vegetables.

They can choose frozen or fresh items from any of over 500 approved retailers, and they can also choose fresh produce from any approved farmers at registered farmers’ markets in the state.

Approved farmers accept the vouchers, stamp them with their assigned numbers, and deposit them in their bank accounts just like personal checks, says Doug Walton, of the Kerr Center, a nonprofit foundation that works with Oklahoma farmers.

First, farmers must apply to the Oklahoma WIC office. “I encourage market growers to get involved,” says Walton, pointing to the huge potential market.

He says that the more growers who become approved, the easier it will be for the WIC program and county health departments to promote farmers’ markets and to connect their clientele with nearby markets.

Farmers who want more information about the program can call the state WIC Vendor office at 1.888.655.2942 x14765 or Walton at 918.686.6939.

Information is also online at www.kerrcenter.com/wic-voucher.htm.

In the past, WIC benefits were limited to cereals, dairy products, eggs, beans, juice, and infant formula.

But this all changed with the historic rewriting of the regulations governing WIC food packages late in 2007.

The changes reflect the dietary and nutritional needs of this at-risk population, in accordance with recommendations from the National Academies’ Institute of Medicine.

Studies show that Oklahomans need to change their eating habits. One study found that only 15% of adults and 14% of teenagers in Oklahoma ate five or more servings of fruits and vegetables, ranking the state dead last in the nation.

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