BROWNSVILLE, Pa. — Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding and Secretary of Aging Jason Kavulich visited the market at Duda’s Farm in Brownsville, Fayette County, a participating partner in Pennsylvania’s Farmers Market Nutrition Program, on Aug. 4.
The program provides Pennsylvania’s low-income seniors and families with vouchers to purchase fresh, local fruit and vegetables at farmers markets and farm stands statewide.
“For the many older Pennsylvanians living on fixed incomes, eating healthy shouldn’t be an unaffordable luxury. With the ending of the extra SNAP benefit payments along with the high costs of food and other necessities, these farmers market vouchers help support older Pennsylvanians by providing them with access to fresh foods, and highlight the important link between local farmers and the communities they feed with the fruits of their labor,” said Secretary of Aging Jason Kavulich. “I encourage older adults to contact their local Area Agency on Aging to learn their eligibility for the vouchers or for any other assistance they may need to obtain them.”
From June through September each year, the WIC and Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Programs provide low-income seniors and eligible participants in the WIC program with vouchers they can redeem through the end of November for Pennsylvania-grown fruit, vegetables and fresh-cut herbs from approved farm markets and farm stands across the state.
Vouchers are distributed to participants through WIC clinics and for seniors through Area Agencies on Aging and county aging services partners. The value of vouchers redeemed through the FMNP program and dollars directly supporting Pennsylvania farmers who participate in the program is more than $3.5 million annually, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture.
Earlier this year, the Shapiro administration announced a performance-based increase in funding for the Farmers Market Nutrition Programs, allowing the department to increase the total dollar amount from $24 to $50 for vouchers offered to eligible seniors and from $24 to $30 for eligible women and children.
Those seeking to redeem vouchers or support farms that accept them can search for participating farm markets on the free PA FMNP Market Locator App.
Pennsylvania farmers interested in participating in the Farmers Market Nutrition Program and being part of the solution to food insecurity in the community are encouraged to apply. Currently, there are more than 1,000 approved farmers across the state. Learn more about Pennsylvania’s work to increase food security in Pennsylvania at agriculture.pa.gov/foodsecurity.
