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 Promoting
FMNP
There
are many different approaches to promoting fresh produce and the
WIC and Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Programs.
Why
not consider working with the media to promote your program? The
media can be a very powerful tool to let the community know about
your efforts to promote health among low-income families and older
adults, and to support the local economy.
If
you plan to work with the media, click on Working
with the Media
for information and resources to help guide you. For instance, did
you know you need a photo release form signed to use pictures of
program participants? You will find a photo release form in the
Media Kit.
Below
are some ideas that you may choose to implement in your area of
the state.
   
 Ideas
For WIC and Senior Nutrition Providers To Create A Successful FMNP
PROMOTION
- Post
"What's Fresh at the Farmers Market" on a whiteboard
at your WIC clinic or senior dining site.
- Print
simple flyers promoting market day(s) and times in various languages.
- Display
photos of the farmers market or have a market photo album.
- Hold
a market orientation day for participants at the farmers market.
- Distribute
FMNP checks at the farmers market several times throughout the
season.
- Enter
participants' names that use all their FMNP checks into a raffle.
- Find
out if your local farmers market has special events for kids or
seniors.
- Work
with your local farmers market to coordinate a kids or seniors
day.
- Distribute
fruit and vegetable flyers and recipes
to participants.
- Distribute
information on canning, freezing and drying produce. See Food
and Nutrion Information, "produce info, cooking and preservation"
- If
your agency has a newsletter, run an article on FMNP and/or your
local farmers market.
- Print
a nutrition article on the value of
fruits and vegetables or a particular health topic in your agency's
newsletter.
- Post
an interview of a local farmer in
your newsletter or have a "featured farmer" on your
whiteboard or bulletin board.
- Advertise
the farmers market location and days/times of operation in your
local newsletter, include bus routes.
- Have
a featured seasonal fruit or vegetable, provide an activity or
handout on that fruit or vegetable during senior meals or in WIC
waiting rooms.
- Create
a FMNP video. For example, follow a participant through the market
to buy their produce, include their personal story. Videos can
be shown to demonstrate benefit and ease of program. Can also
be used to document success stories to ensure continued support
for the program.
- Provide
handout showing bus routes that serve the farmers market.
- Provide
transport for clients in outlying areas to get to the market.
- Advertise
FMNP at a local festival or health fair.
STAFF
PREPARATION
- Invite
the local farmers Market Manager to come and speak at your staff
meeting.
- Have
staff visit the farmers market.
- Schedule
a field trip to visit the farmers market.
- Hold
a staff meeting at the farmers market.
Ideas For
Farmers Markets To
Help Create A Successful FMNP
PROMOTION
- Market
representative faxes info on "What's Fresh" or other
special market events to your local senior center or WIC clinic.
- Provide
photos of the market to FMNP program partners.
- If
your market has written directions or bus routes, send information
on to your local senior center and WIC clinic. Include information
on parking and accessibility.
- Market
Manager can request to make a brief presentation at staff meeting
of local senior center and WIC clinic.
- Provide
market bucks or tokens for senior center staff to use as incentive
or raffle items at center.
- Have
special events for seniors or kids at the farmers market.
- Consider
offering a discount to senior citizens on a certain day of the
month.
- Post
fruit and vegetable flyers and recipes
at the farmers market information booth.
- If
you have a newsletter, do an article on FMNP.
- Post
nutrition articles on the value of
fresh produce at your information booth, post a monthly health
article flyer, or place an article your newsletter.
GROWER
TRAINING
Make
growers aware of recipes and flyers
of the fresh produce they are selling. They may want to hand out
recipes or flyers of those fruits and vegetables.
 Work
with growers to prominently display "WIC and Senior Farmers
Market Checks Welcome Here" sign.
Work
with growers to accommodate needs of older adults:
- Produce
easy to reach
- Signs
easy to see
- Offer
produce in bunches or containers containing $2 worth of produce
- Give
samples of new and unusual produce
- To
help make food preparation easier, encourage seniors and WIC moms
to buy smaller sized produce that are more tender and may be eaten
raw
- Provide
simple recipes for the produce they sell
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