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closeVoucher program is a win-win for seniors, farmers
Low-income seniors and local farmers benefit from Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program
Roxanne Cooke
Pierce County Aging and Long Term Care will distribute more than $108,000 worth of vouchers to low-income seniors this month for use at area farmers’ markets and roadside produce stands.
The Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program, in its fourth year, aims for two goals — feed low-income seniors with locally-grown fruits and vegetables while supporting the farmers who grow that produce.
“It was developed really as a means to help local farmers and also benefit low-income seniors,” said Sally Nixon, manager of Pierce County Aging and Long Term Care.
In June and July, eligible seniors can visit any of the distribution sites to receive $40 worth of vouchers. To qualify, seniors must be 60 years or older, or 55 and older if they are Native American or an Alaska native. Individuals must make an income of $1,603 or less per month and couples qualify if they make $2,158 or less each month.
The vouchers can be used at the Puyallup Farmers’ Market, Tacoma Farmers’ Market, Proctor Farmers’ Market, Gig Harbor Farmers’ Market, Sasaki Farms in Orting, Farm Fresh Produce in Buckley and Shiloh Farms in Lakebay. When vendors receive vouchers for payment, they give to a local bank to receive a reimbursement.
Though approximately 10,000 seniors in the county qualify for the vouchers, the program can only afford to dole out 2,708 this year, Nixon said. That’s a jump from last year’s approximately 2,000, but still not enough to cover everyone.
It’s sad that so many seniors have to be turned down, but funds for the program aren’t adequate to coverall the low-income seniors, she said. The county has never had to advertise the program because there is far too much demand and word of mouth is enough. Rising food prices puts even more demand on the voucher program this year.
But it’s the county’s job to get the checks out as equitably as possible, Nixon said. It’s conducted as first-come, first-served, but the county may consider switching to a lottery system in which seniors must submit an application and then hope for the luck of the draw.
This year there are 32 sites where checks are distributed, fewer than last year because of cost. Instead, officials will focus on prime locations within a number of cities in the county.
“We thought we would utilize senior centers and other places in the community as basically focal points,” she said.
The Sumner Senior Center had 130 seniors signed up to receive vouchers on June 25, said Sumner Senior Center Program Coordinator Linda Clerget. Most of those seniors reside in Sumner and either frequent the senior center or live in local low-income housing.
Clerget said she sees the program as more than just a benefit to the seniors who visit the center or live nearby.
“It also supports (farmers’) business by having this program, so they come directly rather than go to the grocery stores,” Clerget said. “Right now (farmers are) really hurting, the way the weather’s been.”
The 2008 Seniors Farmers Market Nutrition Program is funded by Pierce County and the state.