Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program Benefits: An Opportunity For Northwest Ohio Seniors To Fill Your Thanksgiving TablePress Release

Toledo, OH - Today, as the Thanksgiving holiday approaches, Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-09) and the Area Office on Aging (AOoA) are reminding older adults 60+ across Northwest Ohio about the importance of using their Senior Farmers' Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP) benefits before they expire at the end of November. This program provides a wonderful opportunity to fill your Thanksgiving table with fresh, locally grown fruits, vegetables, herbs, and honey while supporting local farmers.

"The Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program is more than just food assistance-it's an investment in the health and well-being of our seniors and a boost to local farmers, producers, and growers who work tirelessly to provide fresh, nutritious foods for our community," said Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-09). "With Thanksgiving just around the corner, we encourage seniors who have remaining program benefits for 2024 to redeem them while they still can. This is a great way to help fill your Thanksgiving table with fresh, locally-grown produce and healthy foods for the holiday."

"Older northwest Ohioans can create a healthier economy for farmers and a healthier diet for themselves," said Justin Moor, President/CEO of the Area Office on Aging. "To do this, they must simply use the Senior Farmers' Market Nutrition Program benefit they have received at local farmers markets and stands by the end of this month. When they do this, local farmers will receive a part of the $500,000 remaining available and older northwest Ohioans will receive a bounty of local produce for the holidays."

The Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program, funded by the US Department of Agriculture and administered by the AOoA, connects seniors with farmers across ten counties in Northwest Ohio. Through collaborative efforts and federal support, the program recently saw a historic $50 Million expansion, increasing its reach by 250% and enabling it to serve more than 23,000 older adults 60+ in our region annually. For more details on this expansion, read Congresswoman Kaptur's official announcementfrom October 13, 2022.

How to Participate:

The SFMNP builds on Congresswoman Kaptur's longstanding commitment to expand access to nutritious foods and support local agriculture. In 2023 Congresswoman Kaptur was joined by Rep. Dwight Evans to introduce legislation aimed at further broadening the reach of programs like SFMNP, which was also introduced in bicameral fashion by Senators Michael Bennet, Ron Wyden, and Peter Welch through initiatives to strengthen local food systems. For more information on Congresswoman Kaptur's advocacy for senior nutrition and related programs, you can visit her press release archive by clicking here.