May 7, 2013

CCC Releases New Report about the Use of Federally-Funded Food Programs in NYC Farmers’ Markets

Today, CCC released From Farm to Table: The Use of Federally-Funded Food Programs at New York City Farmers’ Markets.

Federally-funded food programs – such as the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (“WIC”), the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (“SNAP”), and the Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program (“FMNP”) – play a critical role in the fight against childhood hunger and obesity.  Not only can these three programs be used in participating supermarkets and bodegas, but they can also be used to purchase fruits and vegetables at participating farmers’ market booths at many of New York City’s over 130 farmers’ markets.

To learn more about how the use of WIC, SNAP and the FMNP at farmers’ markets has helped New York City children and families buy and eat healthier foods, we surveyed regional farmers who sell produce in local farmers’ markets.  Survey respondents were asked how program usage contributed to their sales and about the strengths and barriers they experienced with all three programs.

Our findings document that the ability to use these programs in local farmers’ markets both improves low-income New Yorkers’ access to healthy fruits and vegetables and helps to sustain the presence of farmers’ markets in high-poverty communities throughout the City.  Our report offers recommendations to increase the use of these programs in New York City’s farmers’ markets, in order to further improve New York City children and families’ access to nutritious produce.

You can read more in our press release about the report and by downloading the full report.

Tags
Childhood Obesity, farmer’s markets, FMNP, Food Insecurity, SNAP/Food Stamps, WIC, Economic Security

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