KHI NEWS SERVICE
TOPEKA, June 14
The Kansas Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program will provide low-income seniors in 18 counties the opportunity to purchase locally grown fresh fruits and vegetables at local farmers markets and roadside stands again this year.
The program, established as a competitive grant in the 2002 federal Farm Bill, this year becomes a permanent program. The Kansas Department on Aging will receive nearly $180,000 for the program, which will run from May 5 through Sept. 30.
“This has been a popular program, both with the seniors and the producers,” Secretary of Aging Kathy Greenlee said. “We are glad that it is being made a permanent program of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.”
Designed to promote better nutrition among low-income seniors and expand sales for farmers marketing fresh, locally grown produce, the program provides 15 checks totaling $30 to eligible seniors to use to buy the fresh produce.
Seniors eligible to receive the checks also qualify for either the Emergency Food Assistance Program or the Commodity Supplemental Food Program. They must
be age 60 or older and have household income below 130 percent of the federal poverty level. They also must be a resident of one of the participating counties: Atchison, Bourbon, Cowley, Dickinson, Douglas, Finney, Harvey, Johnson, Leavenworth, Lyon, McPherson, Reno, Republic, Riley, Saline, Sedgwick, Shawnee and Wyandotte.
Checks will be distributed by the local food assistance programs.
Farmers wanting to participate in the program must be trained and sign an agreement with KDOA. For further information, contact Tamara Tiemann, program manager, at KDOA: 785-296-6445 or
tamaratiemann@aging.state.ks.us
.