USDA's Food and Nutrition Service introduced FMNP vouchers in the 1990s, enabling growers to provide fresh, nutritious and locally grown fruits and vegetables to WIC families at farmers markets.
The FMNP is popular with most small direct-marketing growers because the vouchers can be redeemed only at certified farmers markets, thus increasing the markets' customer counts and raising the growers' revenues.
To be able to accept F&V or FMNP vouchers, both the grower and the market where he or she is selling must be authorized by California's WIC program; the authorization requirements are essentially the same for both voucher programs.
These barriers are particularly evident when considered with the transitions the A-50 WIC store owners have had to make and their relationships with produce distributors; they are evident also in the successes of the UEPI project and FMNP voucher program.