The winners of the 2025 PBS KIDS Writers Contest have been announced!
Nominate an exceptional West Virginia teacher today!
On Demand
On Demand
Watch locally produced documentaries & more.
On Demand
On Demand
West Virginia Morning
Inside Appalachia
West Virginia Week
Mountain Stage
Us & Them
The Legislature Today
Send us your comments and questions.
Stream our board meetings.
Check out the latest WVPB news.
Sign up for our newsletter and get weekly updates.
Meet the WVPB staff.
WV Educational Broadcasting Authority, the WVPB Foundation, and the Friends of WVPB.
Come work with us!
Sponsor impactful and engaging media and entertainment.
Use your IRA to make a gift to WVPB.
Become a member with your gift of $1,000 or more.
This week, the state’s health department announced updates to its Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program (FMNP).
Each year from June to October, eligible WIC participants are issued FMNP benefits in addition to their regular WIC benefits.
These benefits can be used to buy fresh, unprepared fruits, vegetables and herbs from state-approved farmers or farmers’ markets.
According to the Secretary of Health, Arvin Signh, modernizations like shifting the WIC benefit issuance to a state-administered electronic system will make it easier for eligible families to redeem their benefits.
“A healthier West Virginia starts with cleaner food. Through modernization and innovation, we’re giving our citizens the tools to access it more easily than ever before,” said Singh.
Participants will be matched with local farmers’ markets through the automated system and be able to redeem their benefits by using QR codes printed on eWIC cards or accessed through the WICShopper App.
Recently, local WIC agencies have increased participation by offering pop-up clinics, subsidized produce during outreach events and partnerships with farmers’ markets, according to the release. They have also partnered with the West Virginia University Food Justice Lab and the West Virginia Farmers’ Market Association to reach underserved communities and find new farmers and markets to participate in the program.
“All of these different things that we are doing are leading to the growth of our program like never before,” explained Heather King, WIC FMNP Coordinator. “Our efforts have been recognized by the National WIC Association as one of the most successful programs in the nation due to our modernization and expansion. We are making changes and seeing those changes positively impact the lives of WIC families across the state.”
The DH held 16 statewide in-person training sessions to help vendors navigate the eFMNP system and offered online resources and vendor portal guidance.
For more information about the West Virginia WIC FMNP, visit the program’s website or contact the Office of Nutrition Services Retailer and Farmer Management Division at wicvu@wv.gov.
