By Jamie Shuster

The WIC Farmers Market program is an important part of our obesity prevention efforts here in South Carolina. The voucher program helps low-income women and children access fresh, locally-grown produce, and encourages them to incorporate more fruits and vegetables in their daily diets.

Each year about 15,000 South Carolina WIC participants receive $25 in vouchers to redeem at participating farmers markets and farm stands in their communities between June and early October. To encourage participation in the program, many of our local public health clinics are highlighting the farmers market program in their WIC nutrition education classes.

Below is a photo from a healthy snack tasting lesson that two of our nutrition education specialists, La’Quashia Emerson and Ariel Bellamy, recently held for WIC clients at our Conway Health Department.

Ariel and La’Quashia showed participants how to keep and store fresh fruits and vegetables, and shared their experiences in shopping at the local farmers market.

During the lesson, WIC participant were able to create fruit kabobs using locally-grown strawberries, oranges, pineapples, kiwis, red grapes, green grapes, blueberries and cantaloupe.

Thank you to all of our public health staff members who are helping to support and promote this important obesity prevention effort. For more information on this program or to find a participating farmers market in your area, visit our WIC Farmers Market website.