Author: Andrea Slone
Planning Unit: Floyd County CES
Major Program: Active Living and Health Promotions General
Plan of Work: Health and Nutrition
Outcome: Long-Term Outcome
In 2019, the Floyd County Farmers’ Market became eligible to accept the Kentucky Department of Agriculture’s Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program Vouchers. The Floyd County Extension Office became the distributor for this program and has continued through 2024 with the Family & Consumer Science and SNAP-ed Nutrition Education Program. The Kentucky Department of Agriculture’s Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program provides redeemable vouchers for fresh, unprocessed local fruits, vegetables, herbs, and honey through approved Farmer’s Markets vendors to low-income seniors. This helps increase fruit and vegetable consumption for low-income seniors in Kentucky as well as encouraging them to shop local and support local Farmers.
This program provides low-income seniors with $50 vouchers in addition to $20 double dollars to spend at the Farmers’ Market. In 2019, the redemption rate was less than 60%. In 2020, the redemption rate grew to 76.26% and in August 2021, the redemption is above the state average at 50%. In 2024, the redemption rate was at 76.43% rising slightly higher than years prior. This has increased vendor sales by at least $6,420.12.
Over the years, this program has had returning seniors come to claim their annual vouchers and have vouched for this program. Seniors have stated that this has given them access to fresh, locally grown produce during the summer season.
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