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Rooftops Newsletter: America’s Seniors Flock to Farmers Markets

 

Above photo: Gus Shumacher with Doris Mills at the Provincetowm, MA Farmer's Market, August 2012

 Seniors across the country are flocking to farmers markets. Many make the weekly trip to their neighborhood market to buy fresh, locally grown fruits and vegetables. Others are becoming “market gardeners” and are using farmers markets as a venue to sell their produce. One such senior, David Light of Orleans, Massachusetts, continues to expand his seasonal Cape Cod “market garden” on his small farm in East Orleans, selling his sought after blueberries and unique cucumbers at the local farmers markets. A regular, he often brings along his grandson to assist in handling the many customers lining up early for his tasty fresh, local produce. Each year, David proudly displays his “Massachusetts Farmers Market Coupons Accepted” sign at his market stand.

Dave Light’s sign references Senior and Women, Infant and Children (WIC) Farmers Market Nutrition Program Vouchers that are provided by the USDA through the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources. These coupons encourage low-income seniors as well as mothers and their children up to 5 years of age to purchase local fruits and vegetables from farmers markets. The purpose is to improve access to local, healthy fresh fruits and vegetable for seniors and children and increase revenue for small farmers selling at nearly 8,000 markets now operating around the country.

Specifically, the Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program vouchers are part of a national program helping more than 860,000 seniors who make less than $15,000 per year to have access to local fresh fruits and vegetables. Each qualified senior is awarded $20 to $50 to invest at their state’s farmers markets. Nearly 19,100 farmers, such as Light, also benefit from the extra revenue generated by this congressionally funded program.  In fiscal year 2011, the USDA allocated over $22 million to 51 states and federally recognized Indian Tribal Organization to operate the Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program.

This critical program allows farmers to receive a boost in revenue and helps low-income seniors to shop at farmers markets where they can purchase just picked fruits and vegetables. As both the House and Senate work to pass a 2012 Farm Bill, funding for the Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program is not guaranteed. Removal of this program would hurt some 860,000 seniors who need affordable access to healthy produce to help cut health care costs. While some in Congress want to cut this program, Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (D-OH) and others are fighting to keep this program funded for many of our nation’s seniors.

At many farmers markets across the country, seniors shopping with their federal nutrition benefits are finding an added incentive. Non-profit organizations such as Wholesome Wave in CT developed nutrition incentive programs to “double” purchases of fresh fruits and vegetables at farmers markets when individuals use their federal nutrition benefits, including Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program dollars (SNAP, formerly known as food stamps) and Women, Infant and Children and Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program vouchers.

In 2012, Wholesome Wave’s Double Value Coupon Program (nutrition incentive program) operated at more than 300 farmers markets in 26 states and the District of Columbia, having far reaching effects for many seniors. Having proved to be both popular and extremely effective, the pending Senate Farm Bill includes $100 million over five years to foster these “nutrition incentive” programs at more farmers markets across the country.

Many of America’s senior veterans are also enjoying local healthy fruits and vegetables. Bridgeport, CT’s Mayor Bill Finch has a special program to encourage veterans to come to the city’s farmers markets where they can use their senior vouchers. At Bridgeport’s three markets, Wholesome Wave’s Double Value Coupon Program also allows these senior veterans to double the value of their Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program vouchers and purchase even more fresh, locally grown produce. The program has proved popular with WWII veterans such as Francisco Villarini who turns up weekly to shop at the market.

Seniors are not just flocking to the markets to shop. Other seniors see the markets as a growing source of income; a place where they can sell the produce they are growing and harvesting from small “market gardens” and supplement their retirement earnings. Doris Mills of Westport, Massachusetts’ Noquochoke Orchards has been seeing the growth in these programs for the nearly 30 years she has been selling her delicious peaches in six farmers markets weekly.     
      
For many low-income seniors, farmers markets are now a feasible place to shop. With the availability of federal nutrition benefits and the increasing number of farmers markets that implement nutrition incentive programs, farmers markets provide an affordable avenue for seniors to purchase fresh, healthy locally grown fruits and vegetables, all while contributing to the growth and success of small farmers, many whom are seniors themselves.