Eligibility & How to Apply

Individuals who qualify and are enrolled in the state’s Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) as well as seniors age 60 and over who live at or below 185% of the Federal Poverty Level are eligible to receive SFMNP checks. Those who are not currently enrolled in CSFP will need to provide proof of identification, residency and income. To find out which markets accept WIC FMNP checks, look for the WIC/Senior check symbol in our market list.

To apply for CSFP or only the SFMNP checks to spend at the farmers’ market, contact your regional CSFP provider. Please note that some locations may not receive SFMNP checks if they are located too far from a participating farmers’ market.

Central and Northern New Mexico
Echo Inc.
(505) 242-6777
Albuquerque, NM
Serves the Counties of: Bernalillo, Cibola, Colfax, Harding, Los Alamos, Mora, San Miguel, Sandoval, Santa Fe, Taos, Torrance, Union, Valencia, Quay

Eastern New Mexico
Salvation Army
(575) 625-2030
Roswell, NM
Serves the counties of: Chaves, Curry, De Baca, Eddy, Lea, Lincoln, Otero, Roosevelt

Northwestern New Mexico
Echo Inc.
(505) 326-3770
Farmington, NM
Serves the counties of: McKinley, Rio Arriba, San Juan

Southern New Mexico
Loaves & Fishes
(575) 523-1272
Las Cruces, NM
Serves the counties of: Doña Ana, Luna, Sierra

Southwestern New Mexico
The Wellness Coalition
(575) 956-3056
Lordsburg, NM
Serves the counties of: Grant, Hidalgo

Accept FMNP checks as a Vendor

What types of foods can be sold in the program?

Fresh fruits and vegetables that are not processed beyond their natural state (aside from cleaning) are eligible to be sold to both WIC and Senior clients. This means that processed fruits and vegetables such as ristras or dried chile powder are not eligible. Additionally, Senior FMNP checks may be used to purchase raw honey.

How do I become an approved vendor?

Farmers who grow eligible items in the state of New Mexico, or within an 80 miles radius of a New Mexico farmers’ market if out-of-state, can apply to accept WIC and Senior vouchers at participating New Mexico farmers’ markets. Farmers will need to sign an agreement with the Department of Health and be assigned an identification number by the farmers’ market manager. Agreements will need to be renewed every three years, but identification numbers are permanent. According to the New Mexico State Plan with the Federal government, there is no reselling of fruits and vegetables through these programs.

How do I accept the checks?

Clients must sign their checks before spending them, so check for a signature before accepting a check. Vendors are not allowed to give change back on the $5 checks, so if a client is buying something that costs less than $5, offer other items from your table to make up the difference. Keep in mind that the WIC checks (printed in green) can be used to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables only. Senior checks (printed in brown or blue) may be used to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables as well as honey. Make sure that the check is valid for the current year.

How do I cash the checks?

Before an FMNP check can be taken to the bank, you must ensure that it has the following:

• A signature from the client
• Your 4-digit identification number clearly written on the space provided
• A straight and legible Department of Health issued stamp from the market at which you received the check (take your checks to the market manager to get them stamped)

Accept FMNP checks at Your Market

How do I sign my market up to be able to accept FMNP checks?

Markets must first be authorized by the New Mexico Department of Health in order to be able to accept FMNP checks. In order to be eligible, markets must:

• Be in at least their second year of operation
• Have at least three (3) farmer vendors
• Operate from a permanent site for at least 6 consecutive weeks between July and October
• Have a current market manager who is on site during market hours
• Participate in annual trainings (this occurs at the annual NMFMA market manager conference)
• Ensure that produce offered for sale is locally grown by the people who are selling it (no reselling is permitted according to the New Mexico State Plan submitted each year by the NMDOH to the federal government)
• Submit a completed and signed market agreement to the Department of Health no later than April 17th of the current year (NMDOH will provide these at the NMFMA annual conference)

What are the rules for accepting checks?

Once the market is approved by NMDOH, approved vendors may accept FMNP checks at that location. To become approved, a vendor will need to sign and submit a vendor agreement to NMDOH. NMDOH provides both vendor agreements and vendor ID numbers to market managers. If vendors are already approved through participation with another market, they may not be assigned a new number. Vendor agreements include an area to indicate at which market(s) the vendor would like to be authorized to accept checks. Vendors must get their checks stamped at the same market where they accepted the checks.

Market managers help ensure that FMNP checks are used only to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as honey for seniors, and that no reselling of produce is occurring at their market. Before depositing their FMNP checks, vendors will need to have the market manager stamp their checks with the market’s NMDOH-issued stamp. Market managers should only stamp those checks that have been completely filled in, meaning that they include a client signature and a 4-digit vendor ID number. Stamps must be straight and legible to avoid problems with check processing.

Market agreements are written for three-year periods, so markets need to reapply when their current agreement expires. Changes in market management must be reported to NMDOH and the new manager must sign a new agreement, even if the market’s agreement has not yet expired.