Farmers redeemed the coupons received from WIC participants with the Department of Agriculture and are then reimbursed the value of redeemed coupons. Coupons will begin to be distributed during the month of June for use at participating markets from June through the month of October. Mississippi has nearly 100,000 participants in the federally funded WIC program. Between 5,000 - 6,000 people in 4 areas of the state will be reached through this program. The program requires only enough producers that have a good quantity and variety of produce to supply the number of participants involved in the program.
Certification is a three-step process.
First, growers must attend a training session to understand the requirements of this program. Second, growers must submit a crop plan which identifies what fruits and vegetables they intend to produce and in what quantities. Once a year, a staff member of the department will visit the producer to ensure compliance with program requirements. The FMNP provides a market alternative for small fruit and vegetable farmers. In other words with direct selling, the program provides a set clientele or new customers for participating farmers along with their regular customers.