Kentucky has an obesity rate of 34 % and a child poverty rate of 35%. Changing eating habits of children early on in life will have a positive effect on these numbers. 

The WIC Farmers Market Voucher program has been in existence for several years. The London-Laurel County Farmers Market participated in the program for the first two years, but delays in redeeming the vouchers resulted in the vendors’ decision not to continue to participate in the program. Though the redemption process had since been streamlined, past experience had made the vendors skeptical and they chose not to accept the vouchers.

I visited several markets in surrounding counties and asked about their recent experience with the WIC voucher program. Vendors had only positive things to say about the program and even stated that over half of their sales were WIC or Senior Citizen Voucher program participants. I invited vendors from the Rockcastle County market to meet with the Laurel County vendors to discuss their experiences. A market representative came and spoke to our local vendors and answered questions regarding the voucher redemption process. The meeting concluded with several members agreeing to participate. I then met with the Laurel County Health Department and asked if they would agree to administer the program. They were thrilled and cooperated with completing and submitting the program application. Laurel County was approved for a grant of $1,000 to be distributed to WIC approved participants at a rate of $20 each.

The Laurel County Health Department, Saint Joseph Hospital of London, and the Laurel County Extension Office planned a great program kick off on-site at the market during the July 1^st regular market day. The health department distributed the vouchers, which the recipients could redeem for fresh fruits and vegetables on the spot. The hospital provided free blood pressure and glucose checks, and provided a Dermascan to educate participants about sun damage and skin cancer. The Laurel County Extension Service offered a variety of free healthy recipes, complete with recipe samples for everyone to enjoy. At the conclusion of the event, several bicycles were given away as door prizes for those who attended. The health department was gracious enough to return to the market on one more occasion during the market season to distribute WIC vouchers. For the 2017 season, the London-Laurel County Farmers Market had a redemption rate of 28%. This may seem small until you realize that it represents $308 worth of fresh fruit and vegetables that were provided to people who may not otherwise have had access to it.

During the spring of 2018, I attended trainings where I learned to register farmers markets for WIC and Senior Farmers Market Voucher Programs. As a result of the training, I recertified the London-Laurel County Farmers Market and registered the vendors for the WIC program. Since Rockcastle County is currently without an ANR agent, I also recertified their Farmers Market and vendors for both the WIC and Senior programs.