NW Michigan Food and Farming Network Report to the Community 2015 Report to the Community | Page 49

2015 Report to the community

Project FRESH Provides
Access to Local Fruits, Veggies
WIC participants can
also receive education
By Rachelle Stapleton
Benzie Leelanau District
Health Department
As a part of the WIC program at
the Benzie Leelanau District Health
Department, we offer WIC Project
FRESH (Farm Resources Expanding and Supporting Health). Project
FRESH is an educational program
that provides WIC participants with
coupons to purchase locally grown
fresh fruits and vegetables at participating farmers markets and roadside
stands.
Project FRESH participants also
have the opportunity to receive nutrition education at our agency through
MSU Extension on food preservation, choosing and preparing locally
grown produce, along with ideas for
increasing fruit and vegetable consumption for the whole family.
According to an MSU Extension
WIC Project FRESH evaluation in
2012, of more than 9,000 participants surveyed statewide, 20 percent

Project FRESH provides WIC participants with coupons to purchase locally
grown fresh fruits and vegetables. (Photo: Christina Carson)

had never been to a farmers market.
Also, 98 percent of the participants
surveyed intended to purchase fruits
and vegetables at the farmers market
after attending the class.
This past year, the dollar amount
of our coupon books allotted in our
two counties was worth $3,320 in
potential purchases of local produce, and we promote the Double

Programs like Project
FRESH and Double Up
Food Bucks help those
with low incomes access
healthy, local fruits and
vegetables at regional
farmers markets. (Photo:
Rachelle Stapleton)
44

Up Food Bucks Program as part of
our education. WIC also provides a
monthly dollar amount for fruits and
vegetables through the WIC bridge
card, which participants can use to
purchase local produce when it is offered in stores that accept WIC.
Our hope is that by offering
WIC participants a chance to visit
the farmers market and purchase
local produce, we can help families eat more fruits and vegetables,
along with benefitting local farmers
through redemption of the Project
FRESH coupons. Many of our WIC
families are going to a farmers market for the first time and bringing
their young children along, which
we believe is priceless!
msue.anr.msu.edu/
program/info/project_fresh