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USING YOUR FMNP AND SNAP BENEFITS TO GET FRESH, LOCALLY GROWN PRODUCTS
Are you a recipient of Farmers Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) benefits or Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and are hoping you can use them to buy local food? You’re in luck! There are options in Northeastern Connecticut to use your benefits to get the freshest local food straight from Northeast CT farms.
What are FMNP benefits?
FMNP stands for Farmers Market Nutrition Program and includes both the Women, Infants and Children Farmers Market
Nutrition Program (WIC FMNP) and the Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP). Eligible WIC and senior participants are provided electronic benefit cards or an account to access benefits on a mobile device to purchase fresh, unprocessed Connecticut Grown fruits, vegetables, fresh-cut herbs and eggs (and honey for seniors) at authorized farmers markets, farm stands, and mobile markets. The program expands awareness, use of, and sales at farmers markets. The Connecticut Department of Agriculture collaborates with the Connecticut Department of Public Health, 23 local WIC offices, and approximately 200 senior local coordinating agencies.
Where can I use my FMNP benefits?
Many of the farmers markets in the region are authorized redemption locations to accept FMNP benefits. Some farmers markets may also double FMNP benefits. The following farmers markets and farmstands in the region are authorized by the state as FMNP redemption sites in 2023. To check the list of authorized farmers markets that is updated throughout the season, visit ctgrown.gov.
• 18th Century Purity Farm, Plainfield
• Ashford Farmers Market
• Coventry Farmers Market
• Dovehill Farm
• Killingly Farmers Market
• Lebanon Farmers Market
• Putnam Thursday and Saturday
Farmers Markets
What are SNAP benefits?
• Riverview Farm, Mansfield
• Scotland Farmers Market
• Tolland Green Farmers Market • Willimantic Farmers Market
The federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) provides nutrition benefits to supplement the food budget of families in need so they can purchase healthy food and move towards self-sufficiency. Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) is an electronic system that allows a Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participant to pay for food using SNAP benefits.
Where can I use my SNAP benefits to get local food?
There are a few places that accept EBT throughout the region. Of course some grocery stores carry local products (see section “Find Northeastern Connecticut Products Here”), but for places where you can buy direct from farmers, EBT is accepted at these locations:
• Betsy’s Stand
• B-Z-B Farm
• KD Crop Farms
• Lebanon Farmers Market
• Lynch Hill Farm
• Mon Soleil Market Garden
• Our Kids Farm
• Putnam Saturday Farmers Market
• Radical Roots Farm
• Russo’s Roots
• Willimantic Farmers Market • Willimantic Food Coop
We hope this list grows! The SNAP Retailer Locator allows anyone to locate nearby SNAP-authorized retailers:
fns.usda.gov/snap/retailer-locator
What does it mean to “double” my SNAP or FMNP and how do I do it?
The Willimantic Farmers Market doubles SNAP benefits for fresh fruits and vegetables for up to $10 every week. You’ll receive two sets of wooden tokens: one that’s black and can be used for any food item (produce, bread, meat, eggs, syrup, etc.) and another that’s green and can only be used to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables. Each token is worth $1. For example, if someone uses their EBT card at the Market Information Tent and takes out $10 of their SNAP benefits, they’ll receive 10 black tokens and 10 green tokens to spend at the market. If someone takes out $20, they’ll receive 20 black tokens and 10 green tokens. The lion’s share of the funds for doubling SNAP comes from End Hunger CT! (endhungerct.org) with additional critical funding from the Willimantic Food Co-op.
Need food assistance or want to learn more?
Visit the SNAP website:
portal.ct.gov/dss/SNAP/ Supplemental-Nutrition-Assis- tance-Program---SNAP
And check out page 39 for Farm to Food Assistance programs
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