Senior voucher program on the rise in Centre County

By Elizabeth R. Spillia
[email protected]

BELLEFONTE — Since 2004, seniors in Centre County have been taking advantage of a state program that’s putting fresh produce on the dinner table.

According to Sandy Schuckers, health and wellness coordinator for the Centre County Office of Aging, those numbers are on the rise. In the early years of the program, about 1,000 residents of the county involved themselves in Senior Farmers Market Nutrition program. In the last few years, that number has grown to 1,250 annually.

Folks are excited to get fresh fruits and vegetables,” said Schukers. “Corn on the cob, tomatoes that taste like tomatoes, strawberries to make homemade jam … fried green tomatoes — produce that is so tasty in the summer months.”

She estimated that since the start of the program, her office has distributed vouchers to nearly 20,000 Centre County residents.

“This is a terrific program that is great for eligible folks and the farmers,” Schuckers said.

The idea of the program is to provide low-income seniors with fresh, nutritious, unprepared, locally grown fruits, vegetables and herbs from approved farmers in Pennsylvania.

Seniors must be 60 years of age or older and meet the federal income guidelines to be eligible for the program. The checks are available on a first-come, firstserve basis.

Upon registering for the program, recipients are given a list of participating farmers and farmers’ markets when they receive their four checks, each with a value of $6. There are more than 1,160 FMNP participating farmers at 828 farm stands and 88 farmers’ markets in Pennsylvania.

The checks can be redeemed for Pennsylvania fresh fruits and vegetables only. No processed food like jams, honey, nuts, cider or baked goods. Also citrus and other tropical fruits are not allowed.

According to Schuckers, each county receives a specific allotment of vouchers and there are still some available to Centre County residents. Call (814) 355-6716 for more information.

Only farmers authorized by the state agency may accept and redeem SFMNP checks. Individuals who exclusively sell produce grown by someone else or purchased from a wholesale distributor cannot be authorized to participate in the SFMNP.

The Senior Farmers Market Voucher Program begins on June 1 and concludes Nov. 30 each year.