Free Fresh Local Produce for Low-Income Seniors

Senior age 60 or older with individual incomes below $20,036 and $26, 995 for couples, are eligible to receive $50 of free fresh locally-grown fruits and vegetables this coming season through the Maine Senior FarmShare Program. To find a participating farm, interested seniors are encouraged to contact their local Area Agency on Aging (AAA) on the toll-free line 1-877-353-3771. The list of participating farms is also available online at http://www.getrealmaine.com/connect/farmshare/senior.html. Participating farms throughout the state offer a variety of systems for providing produce to seniors. Farmers will explain their individual farm's offerings to interested seniors; and if they both agree the system will work for them, they sign a "share" agreement, which outlines the arrangements. The supply of the $50 "shares" is limited and will be distributed by farmers on a first-come-first-served basis. When a farmer's available shares are filled, interested seniors will be placed on that farmer's waiting list. The Senior FarmShare program, now in its ninth year, is funded primarily through a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service grant. The program serves seniors by providing access to highly nutritious fresh produce, which many seniors find difficult to afford on their limited incomes. It also provides an additional retail market for Maine vegetable and fruit growers who are paid in the spring for the produce they will provide later in the growing season. The Maine Department of Agriculture manages the Senior FarmShare program in collaboration with other agencies and organizations, including the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Elder Services, University of Maine Cooperative Extension and the Maine Nutrition Network. For more information, contact: Deanne Herman, Maine Department of Agriculture, 207-287-7526, or Mary Walsh, Maine Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Elder Services, 207-287-9200. Please share this information with your consumers. This came in an email from Representative David Cotta.