Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig announced today that Farmers Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) checks are now available for eligible Iowa WIC (Women, Infants, and Children) recipients and low-income senior citizens. The programs provide eligible Iowans with checks that can be redeemed for fresh produce at authorized farmer’s markets and farm stands between June 1 and October 31, 2023. 

The WIC Farmers Market Nutrition Program provides eligible WIC recipients with six checks valued at $5 each for a maximum benefit of $30; no change is provided. The checks will be distributed statewide on a first-come, first-served basis. Eligible families may receive checks from local WIC agencies. A combination of state and federal funds are used to make benefits available to more than 25,000 eligible Iowa WIC recipients this year. The Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program provides ten checks valued at $5 each to eligible senior citizens, for a maximum benefit of $50. No change is provided. The checks are available through the Area Agency on Aging offices and are offered on a first-come, first-served basis. 

A combination of state and federal funds will be used to make benefits available to more than 18,000 eligible Iowa seniors this year. The Farmers Market Nutrition Programs are administered through the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship in partnership with the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services and the Iowa Department on Aging. For more information on participating in the program, you can find a link with this news story at KCIIradio.com.