MDAR Receives $1.4 Million to
Increase Seniors’ Access to Locally Grown, Fresh Fruit and Vegetables
BOSTON – The Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources
(MDAR) announced today that Massachusetts has been awarded $1,410,222 to
expand the highly popular Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program (FMNP). The
award was granted by the United States Department of Agriculture’s
(USDA) Food and Nutrition Service from American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA)
funds.
The $1.4 million grant
award will allow MDAR to increase the level of benefit for seniors
participating in the SFMNP from $25 to $50. The increase in funding will
also allow MDAR to serve an additional 2,300 seniors and disabled individuals
over the next two years.
“This award is a win for
seniors, farmers, and our Commonwealth,” said EEA Secretary Rebecca
Tepper. “The Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program
provides an important safety net for our seniors and has proven to be
a vital part of our recovery from the pandemic when food insecurity skyrocketed.
With these funds, we can continue to expand access to local and nutritious
fruits and vegetables, while continuing to support our Massachusetts
farmers.”
The Senior Farmers’ Market
Nutrition Program is a seasonal, annual program providing low-income seniors
with coupons to purchase fresh, locally grown fruits, vegetables, fresh-cut herbs, and honey from
Massachusetts farmers. Every year, coupons are spent at over 300 farmers’ markets
and farmstands across the state.
“MDAR appreciates the
support and partnership with USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service and remains
committed to ensuring that our most vulnerable populations, including elders,
have access to local, fresh food,” stated MDAR Commissioner John
Lebeaux. “At a time when food insecurity rates remain high, the added
benefit will provide elders with high-quality, nutritious food while supporting
our Massachusetts farmers and food producers.”
“Every food dollar spent
through the Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program directly benefits local
farmers, farmers’ markets, and Massachusetts residents in need,” stated MDAR’s
Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program Coordinator Rebecca Davidson.
“Doubling the SFMNP benefit will amplify the impacts of this successful program
on the local Massachusetts food system, while increasing access to nutritious
fresh food for our Commonwealth’s seniors.”
The SFMNP is administered thanks to the 23 Elder Nutrition Programs across the
state that distribute coupons throughout their service areas. Every summer,
coupons are distributed to eligible participants at senior centers, councils on
aging, and senior housing sites across the Commonwealth. Eligible seniors must
be 60 years of age or older or disabled, living in senior housing where
congregate nutrition services are provided, and with household incomes below
185% of the federal poverty level. Coupons are distributed from July through
the end of September every year. For more information about SFMNP, visit the
MDAR program website. Learn more about program eligibility here.
MDAR’s mission is to
ensure the long-term viability of agriculture in Massachusetts. Through its
five divisions – Agricultural Conservation & Technical Assistance,
Agricultural Markets, Animal Health, Crop and Pest Services, and Food Safety –
MDAR strives to support, regulate, and enhance the rich
diversity of the Commonwealth’s agricultural community to promote economically
and environmentally sound food safety and animal health measures, and fulfill
agriculture’s role in energy conservation and production. For more information,
visit MDAR’s website at www.mass.gov/agr.
沒有留言:
發佈留言