Produce for Families in Need: A Q&A With Cheryl Bruce

Each Thursday, employees from the Prince George's County health department set up a table at the Riverdale Park Farmers Market to help low-income mothers purchase fresh fruits and vegetables for their children.

The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, otherwise known as WIC, provides mothers and mothers-to-be with coupons and financial assistance so that they can eat nutritiously. The table at the weekly farmers market allows for clients to receive coupons - $18 for the farmers market in addition to $8 to $10 from their weekly WIC check - to purchase fresh produce from farmers. It also helps farmers gain more customers from the area.

Families with incomes below 185 percent of the U.S. poverty income guidelines - or a family of four with a household income of $40,793 or less – can use the program. With the dip in the economy, more families have become eligible for the benefits. Patch recently talked to Cheryl Bruce, an associate director at the county's health department, about the WIC program and its presence in Riverdale Park.

Riverdale Park-University Park Patch: How long has the WIC program had a table at the farmers market?

Cheryl Bruce: Nutritionists from the Prince George's County WIC program started attending some of the area farmers markets in the summer 2009. This was done because the regular WIC food package was changing to include fruits and vegetables.

At the markets, nutritionists provide tips on shopping for fruits and vegetables and to provide tips on preparing fresh fruits and vegetables. The initiative was so successful that we decided to repeat it this year.

Distributing the farmers market coupons at the market also ensures that clients will use the coupons, because as soon as they get them they go off to spend them. When we distribute coupons in the clinic, often clients intend to use them but sometimes never get around to going to the farmers market to redeem them.

Patch: Does the health department do this is other areas, too?

CB: We cover the Queen's Chapel Farmers Market on Tuesdays. We have found that participation is higher at the Queen's Chapel and Riverdale Park farmers markets because of the density of the WIC population in these areas.

Patch: Where else in the Riverdale Park and University Park areas does WIC have a presence?

CB: We have a WIC clinic in Hyattsville at 6525 Belcrest Road, across from Prince George's Plaza and a clinic in Cheverly near Prince George's Hospital Center. A new clinic is also being planned at the Judy Hoyer Center on Riggs Road in Adelphi, which we anticipate opening in the fall.

Patch: How many people participate in the WIC program in total and how many come to the farmers market for coupons?

CB: Currently, we have approximately 21,000 WIC clients in the Prince George's County Health Department WIC Program. However, there are two other agencies in the county [that are separate]: Greater Baden WIC Clinic in Capitol Heights and Community Clinics, Inc. WIC Clinic in Greenbelt. Together, the county WIC enrollment is about 30,000 clients.

The Prince George's County Health Department WIC Program received 2,625 booklets of coupons. We have already distributed over half of the coupons in clinics and at the farmers market sites that we cover.

Coupons are valid until Oct. 31, 2010, when most markets close. We anticipate that we will have distributed all of our checks by the end of August or shortly thereafter. Last year, the state average for redemption of farmers market coupons was 52.6 percent, while Prince George's County's redemption was 67.6 percent and was the highest rate the county has ever achieved.

Patch: What has been the effect on the farmers and the markets themselves?

CB: Feedback is very positive from the farmers at the markets where WIC is present, and they continually ask us if we will be there the next week. They report that their business is very good in large part because of WIC's presence.

For more information on the Maryland WIC program, visit www.mdwic.org or call 301-856-9600 with questions.