Seniors, age 60 or older with individual incomes below $18,889 are eligible to receive $50 of free fresh locally grown fruits and vegetables this coming season through the Maine Senior FarmShare Program.

More than 15,000 seniors and 130 farmers statewide will be participating in 2007. To find a participating farm nearby, interested seniors are encouraged to contact their local Area Agency on Aging on the toll-free line: 1-877-353-3771. The list is also available on the Internet at www.getrealmaine.com/connect/farmshare/senior.html.

Participating farms throughout the state offer a variety of systems for providing produce to seniors. Farmers will explain their individual farm’s offerings to interested seniors, and if they both agree the system will work for them, they sign a “share” agreement, which outlines the arrangements. The supply of the $50 “shares” is limited and will be distributed by farmers on a first-come, first-served basis. When a farmer’s available shares are filled, interested seniors will be placed on that farmer’s waiting list.

Based on a variation of Community Supported Agriculture, the system is designed to be a partnership between the farmer and the senior – farmers need to be able to provide a wide range of produce, and participating seniors must do their part by using their shares regularly throughout the season.

The Senior FarmShare program, now in its seventh year, is funded primarily through a U.S. Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service grant. The program serves seniors by providing access to highly nutritious fresh produce, which many seniors find difficult to afford on their limited incomes. It also provides an additional retail market for Maine vegetable and fruit growers who are paid in the spring for produce they will provide later in the growing season.

Maine’s program is very different from most others in the country, and has been lauded for its innovation and effectiveness in meeting the needs of both seniors and farmers as well as for its efficiency and accountability. As a result of the newly established rules for the federal program, (Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program), Maine has had to reduce the individual benefit per senior in 2007 from $100 to $50. Although this means more paperwork for farmers and less produce for individual seniors, it does enable twice the number of seniors to participate in this very popular program.

The Maine Department of Agriculture manages the Senior FarmShare Program in collaboration with other agencies and organizations, including the Maine Office of Elder Services, University of Maine Cooperative Extension and the Maine Nutrition Network.

To find a local farmer, seniors can contact their local Area Agency on Aging (one of five covering the entire state) by calling 1-877-353-3771. The AAA agencies can also provide information on other programs available to low-income seniors, such as heating assistance and other food programs.