280 Aroostook County FarmShares available for low-income seniors

   AUGUSTA, Maine – Low-income seniors around the state still have an opportunity to receive $50 of free, fresh, locally-grown produce through Maine’s Senior FarmShare Program this season. Over 14,000 seniors are already signed up and are receiving the best of locally-grown fruits and vegetables from a local farm, but there are over 2,000 $50 shares still available.    Seniors must be at least 60 years old (55 if Native American) and have an individual income below $18,889 per year (single) or $25,327 per year (married). If married and eligible, both would qualify for $50 of produce. The list of farms, by county, that still have FarmShares available can be found on the Web at http://www.getrealmaine.com/connect/farmshare/individual.pdf. Seniors can also call their local Area Agency on Aging at 1-877-353-3771 for help in locating the closest participating farms.
Each farm offers different arrangements which are specified on the Web site. For instance, some farms offer seniors the opportunity to visit the farm or farmers’ market to pick out what they want and draw down on their $50 credit, while other farms prepare packages of produce and make deliveries to groups of seniors. Agreements are signed between the farmer and the senior if the arrangement works for them both.
The Maine Senior FarmShare Program is a program of the Maine Department of Agriculture in partnership with the Office of Elder Services, Maine Cooperative Extension, the Maine Nutrition Network and others. Funds come through a grant from the USDA Food and Nutrition Service’s Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program. This is the first year that shares have still been available in August, as a result of receiving unexpected additional grant funds late in the season.
In Aroostook County, there are 280 FarmShares available.
Maine Commissioner of Agriculture Seth Bradstreet is committed to finding homes for all the remaining FarmShares.
“We want to use every penny of the grant to benefit Maine seniors and Maine farmers,” said Bradstreet. “Let’s all help find those qualified seniors and get them linked up with a participating farm!”