Growing numbers of needy families are using federally funded food coupons to put fresh vegetables on the dinner table.
To boost interest in locally grown food and to support local farmers, Congress created the Farmers' Market Coupon Program aimed at helping fill the nutritional needs of women, children and seniors participating in the Women, Infants and Children's (WIC) nutrition program.
WIC participants receive the farmers' market coupons, totaling $10 annually, in addition to their regular WIC food assistance. Local farmers are reimbursed for the face value of the coupons.
Judy Dore runs two farmers' markets in Newton, one on Tuesdays at Cold Spring Park on Beacon Street and the other on Fridays at American Legion Post 440 on California Street. Dore said she has recently seen an increase in the use of coupons.
"We've taken coupons from the beginning," she said. "Our market is certified to take them. You can't have them for baked goods. It's mostly for fresh fruits and vegetables. I think it's a great program. These are all families with moderate incomes."
Jeff Cole, executive director of Federation of Massachusetts Farmers' Markets on Beaver Street, said there has been an increase in the use of the coupons because more people want to eat locally grown food.
"The anecdotal evidence we're getting from farmers in the field is that, yes, the coupon usage is up but desire to go to farmers' markets has increased as well," he said. "The coupon recipients are no different than the rest of us."
Sue Burkart, who organizes the Waltham farmers' market, said WIC has plans to advertize the program locally.
"We have somebody from the WIC program that's going to be coming every week to the market to publicize it," she said. "She's going to try to come out and give out WIC information."
Steve Violette, owner of Dick's Market Garden in Lunenberg, has been selling produce at the Waltham farmers' market for about 18 years.
Violette said he sells produce at about eight farmers' markets a week. He said the Waltham farmers' market has one of the highest number of patrons using coupons.
"I think funding has been less in the last few years so I think there are fewer coupons being redeemed by farmers," Violette said. "Just in the sheer fact that in tough times the program has been cut back more on the state level, I don't know if that's the case this year."
Funding for the program is provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food and Nutrition Service with an additional required state match. According to the Web site www.fns.usda.gov, for fiscal 2007, $19.8 million was appropriated by Congress for the Farmers' Market Nutrition Program in 46 states.
David Webber, farmers' market program coordinator for the state, said that Massachusetts received an additional $500,000 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture this year to help seniors.
"We had some state money we were using for that program in the last few years ... this year we have that extra funding for the senior program so we used that to go up from $10 to $30 (per coupon) per (senior)," he said. "It's enough to serve an additional 2,000 seniors on that benefit level."
He added that $10 was low these days for seniors.
Webber said the state's program has a little less funding than last year.
"We actually have a little less money but we're actually serving more people," Webber said. "We're estimating about 102,000 participants up from 97,000 from last year."
Any farmer participating at an approved farmers' market may request certification to participate in the program.
To become certified, contact Lisa Damon at the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources at 617-626-1731, Lisa.Damon@state.ma.us.
GateHouse News Service reporters Liz Hoffman and Jennifer Santos contributed to this story. Jeff Gilbride can be reached at 781-398-8005 or at jgilbrid@cnc.com
