Information Links
Senior Farmers' Market Nutrition Program
Links to California Resources and Services for Seniors
- California Area Agencies On Aging (PDF)
- Map: California Services for Seniors - Planning and Service Areas on Aging (PDF)
- Newsletter: Food & Ag Highlights - Farmers' Market Nutrition Program for Seniors (PDF)
About The Program
The Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP) is a 100 percent federally funded program which provides low-income seniors with check booklets that can be used to purchase fresh fruits, vegetables, honey and herbs at Certified Farmers’ Markets (CFM). The program is administered nationally by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Services Agency, and in California, by the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA).
In California, the SFMNP begins in May and runs through November. CDFA partners with California’s 33 Area Agencies on Aging (AAA) to distribute the SFMNP check booklets which include 10 checks redeemable for $2 each. The AAAs serve this purpose well because they administer several senior programs on a local level either directly or through their affiliation with senior organizations and centers. At the check distribution points, seniors that meet the age and low income eligibility requirements are advised of their rights and responsibilities under the program’s rules and receive one $20 check booklet. The seniors can then redeem the checks for fresh, nutritious, unprepared, locally grown fruits, vegetables, honey and herbs from 1,200 farmers at 350 CFMs who have applied and been approved to participate in the SFMNP.
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