Kaptur Announces $50M Expansion of Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition ProgramPress ReleaseJobs and the EconomyHealth Care

Washington, D.C.- Today, Representative Marcy Kaptur (OH-09) - Member of the House Agriculture Committee - announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture is investing $50 million to expand the Senior Farmers' Market Nutrition Program.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has launched a $50 million expansionof the Senior Farmers' Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP) - a federally funded program that aims to lower food insecurity among seniors and support local agricultural producers. Each year, more than 800,000 seniors across the country receive coupons worth up to $50 through SFMNP that can be exchanged at nearly 20,000 farmers' markets and food stands nationwide for fresh fruits, vegetables, herbs, and honey. In Northwest Ohio, the Area Office on Aging administers the program in Defiance, Erie, Fulton, Henry, Lucas, Ottawa, Paulding, Sandusky, Williams, and Wood counties - distributing coupons to 19,795 seniors in the 10-county area annually.

The $50 million expansion of SFMNP represents a 250 percent increase for the program and is funded through the American Rescue Plan which Rep. Kaptur helped pass in 2021. The new funding will allow SFMNP administrators such as the Area Office on Aging of Northwestern Ohio to serve more seniors and expand to serve new areas. Rep. Kaptur was instrumental in SFMNP's creation in 2001, and has long championed the program, including in her role on the House Agriculture Committee. In August, Rep. Kaptur introducedH.R. 8707 - the Farmers' Market and Food Bank Local Revitalization Act - to increase federal funding for the program.

"The Senior Farmers' Market Nutrition Program is near and dear to my heart," said Rep. Kaptur. "This low-cost, innovative partnership allows seniors to purchase fresh local produce while supporting our family farmers - it truly is a win-win. With this new funding, we'll be able to improve the lives of even more seniors and invest in our farmers who make and grow America. On the House Agriculture Committee, I'll continue working diligently to expand this remarkable program for seniors and farmers across Ohio."

"Through the Senior Farmers' Market Nutrition Program, older adults are provided the means and impetus to consume healthy food in the form of fresh fruits, vegetables, herbs, and honey," said Area Office on Aging of Northwestern Ohio Vice President Rebecca Liebes. "This directly reduces the effects of chronic diseases such as hypertension, heart disease, arthritis, and others. Older adults rely on this program to fortify their diets and prevent food insecurity, hunger and malnutrition. In addition, farmers are able to increase their business, grow additional produce, and recognize that they are making a difference in the lives of low-income older adults. While it is a successful program, not everyone who qualifies is able to participate. Expansion of this program will enable many more people, who may otherwise not have the chance, this opportunity."

More information on the $50 million expansion of the Senior Farmers' Market Nutrition Program can be found here.

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For more information, contact Chris Dalton at [email protected].