According to the USDA 800,000 seniors benefit from the Senior Farmers' Market Nutrition Program. know as SFMNP.  Personally, this has been in my goals, every year, while working for extension office, to provide services for seniors, which are also the most vulnerable population, from the point of view of nutrition, isolation, and victims of abuse. This past year 2020 with the COVID 19 restrictions has been especially hard, the two senior centers that serve Whitley County, have been limited to drive-in pick-up food, since fall 2020. More than ever access to fresh produce is a priority.

This year I had the opportunity to offer SFMNP to sixty-five participants’ this means access to fresh locally grown food this summer thanks to the partnership with the Whitley County Farmers Market that is also providing the double dollar program to all the seniors that present the vouchers. For the third year, Kentucky State University is living up to one of its core goals to promote and facilitate access to nutritious food for individuals with low income and vulnerable situations. Seniors Citizen have been in the center of these factors, many just leaving from Social Security and a lack of programs, in general, when comes to promote healthier eating habits. Rural areas like those that Whitley County has can be a barrier for seniors, which are limited to drive or even found affordable fresh vegetables and fruit.

Statistics have shown that seniors citizens have in general consume less fruit and vegetable than the recommendation in the American Guideline for Nutrition. In Kentucky, according to American Health Rankings’ report 2020, just 9.6% of seniors consume the amount recommended serving of vegetables. The SFMNP plus SNAP-Ed can help to promote the consumption of vegetables and I am proud to be part of this effort.