Starting June 1, 2021, California Women, Infants and Children, or WIC, families will see a temporary increase in their monthly WIC fruits and vegetables benefit to $35.

Currently, children ages one to five receive $9 per month and pregnant, postpartum and breastfeeding women receive $11 per month.

Funding from the American Rescue Plan Act allowed the WIC program to enhance the program’s fruits and vegetables benefit for the summer.

The fruits and vegetables benefit has a significant impact on the dietary quality of WIC families. Eating a diet high in fruits and vegetables reduces the prevalence of chronic disease and strengthens the immune system. This increased benefit will allow families enrolled in the WIC program to buy and consume more healthy fruits and vegetables.

The fruit and vegetables benefit increase will be issued from June 1 through Sept. 30. Benefits are good for 30 days from the date they are issued. For example, benefits issued on Sept. 27 can still be used through Oct. 26.

WIC families can also combine their fruits and vegetables benefit with WIC Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program checks for even more purchasing power at farmers markets.

The checks are issued in addition to regular WIC benefits and can be used to buy fresh, unprepared, locally grown fruits, vegetables and fresh cut edible herbs from WIC authorized farmers’ markets.

Lake County’s E Center WIC has begun to distribute Farmers’ Market WIC tickets to participants in May and will begin attending the Lakeport markets in July.

California residents can learn more about the summer fruit and vegetable increase and the WIC Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program by going to http://MyFamily.WIC.ca.gov.

WIC participants and interested residents can also contact the local WIC office at 707-263-5253 or 707-994-1151 or by emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it./.