Monday, September 16, 2024
Through the Brown County Aging and Disability Resource Center’s (ADRC) Senior Farmers Market Voucher Program, part of the statewide Farmers Market Nutrition Program, qualifying seniors are able to access vouchers totaling $45 per household to be exchanged for fresh, locally grown fruits and vegetable from select vendors at local farmers markets.
To qualify to receive vouchers from the Brown County ADRC, individuals must be residents of Brown County, be at least 60 years old (55 if Native American) and meet household income requirements of 185% of the federal poverty level or less — an annual income of $27,861 for a household of one, $37,814 for a household of two, $47,767 for a household of three and an additional $9,953 annually for each additional household member.
In addition to removing some financial barriers that may prevent older adults from accessing fresh, locally grown produce, Jeremy Slusarek, activity and engagement manager at the Brown County ADRC, said the program also benefits participants socially.
“It’s helping with the food security issue and being on the healthy side of things,” he said. “Because they’re only good for fresh fruits and vegetables, it helps with the nutrition aspect. And it’s a good way to get people out of isolation. It helps with the isolation and loneliness and gets [people] socializing [at farmers’ markets.]”
Vouchers for this season are still available and can be picked up at the ADRC during its regular hours or at the YMCA-West on Tuesday, July 16, between 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
“Most counties have an allotment,” said Jeremy Slusarek, activity and engagement manager at the Brown County ADRC. “We had 880 sets of them to disperse this year and we still have several hundred remaining. We will have them available until they’re gone.”
Slusarek said the Brown County ADRC received more vouchers this year than ever before and encourages people to utilize the program, if they qualify, to help ensure it will continue to be around to benefit Brown County residents in future years.
“I don’t think it’s very well-known,” he said. “It’s been pretty much word of mouth by the people who have used them in the past that have been the recipients. We’d really like to maximize the amount that we have and assure that we get them every year, because if we don’t use them, there’s a good chance that we won’t get as many next year. But they’ve gone up every year based on need, so there’s been a need here and we’ve been able to get rid of all of them so far in years past, but we’ve never had this many sets.”
Learn more about the Senior Farmers Market Voucher Program and find out if you qualify by visiting adrcofbrowncounty.org/fmv.
