Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
Our spring member drive has ended, but it's not too late to give. You have the power to help fund the essential journalism that keeps us all informed. Help us close the gap on our spring fundraising goal! GIVE NOW

WIC Families In Colorado Can Now Get Vouchers For Farmers Market Purchases

Adobe Stock

Participants in WIC, the federal nutrition assistance program for women, infants, and children, can now get vouchers to buy food at farmers markets across Colorado.

 
Starting July 1, WIC-eligible families will be able to get locally grown fruits and vegetables, and meet farmers, who frequently have cost-effective recipes for preparing what they grow.
 
Amy Nelms, healthy food incentive senior program and policy manager for Nourish Colorado, said the vouchers also open the door to a host of resources available at local markets that have evolved far beyond simple food stands.
 
"Kids activities, mobile food pantries, screenings for health," Nelms said. "Some of them do single dad, single mom days. And they're really offering resources for health and a space to connect with the community."
 
This year marks the first time Colorado is part of the federally funded Farmers Market Nutrition Program.
 
Families can find out if they are eligible for WIC, and collect farmer's market vouchers, on the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment's website and contacting their local public-health office.
 
Nelms sees food as a cornerstone of health care. Fresh, nutritious foods can boost the immune system and have long-term health benefits.
 
She said any concerns about food assistance programs keeping people from re-entering the workforce are off the mark, because most Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and WIC participants who are able to work already have jobs.
 
"Most of the families that use these incentive programs, they are using them as a stepping stone," Nelms said. "And the average amount of time anyone's using them is about 18 months. So, they're not these long-term programs that people use forever."
 
She added food incentive programs, including produce boxes, were critical for families and local farmers in the COVID health emergency.
 
There's also the Double Up Food Bucks program for participants in SNAP, formerly known as food stamps, in Colorado. The program matches SNAP purchases with dollars to purchase locally grown fresh fruits and vegetables.