DEM, Office of Healthy Aging, Farm Fresh RI Announce Update to Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program to Make an Estimated 10,000 Food Vouchers Available to Eligible Seniors

Published on Thursday, March 07, 2024

PROVIDENCE, RI – The Department of Environmental Management (DEM) Division of Agriculture and Forest Environment has upgraded its Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP) to provide an estimated 10,000 eligible seniors with fresh, RI Grown fruit and vegetables, as well as local honey. The purpose of the SFMNP is to keep food security funds in Rhode Island, to provide eligible seniors with improved access to locally grown food, and to support local agriculture. DEM is working closely with the Rhode Island Office of Healthy Aging (OHA) to identify communities in need of assistance and to ensure a widespread and equitable distribution throughout the state. New this year, DEM is following on the success of the Rhode Island Department of Health’s WIC Farmers Market electronic benefit model by providing eligible seniors with a benefit card preloaded with $50 that can be used at eligible farmers markets and farm stands in exchange for local produce, herbs, and honey. SFMNP Benefit Cards will be distributed from senior centers throughout the state beginning on May 1, 2024, and can be used from May 1 to Nov. 30, 2024. Eligible seniors can apply to participate in the SFMNP through their local senior center or other applicable nutrition program, with sign-up locations listed on the SFMNP webpage.

“The continued success of the SFMNP partnership will help ensure that more food-insecure Rhode Island seniors have locally grown and fresh produce in their kitchens and refrigerators,” said Governor Dan McKee. “Increasing senior access to healthy, RI Grown food while continuing to support our local growers and farmers is a win all around.”

“We are excited to build off the success of last year’s SFMNP season with this upgrade to provide even more eligible Rhode Island seniors with access to healthy RI Grown foods provided by local farmers,” said DEM Director Terry Gray. “This program exemplifies the power of public-private partnerships united in purpose and focused on solving difficult problems and DEM is grateful for the partnership of the Office of Healthy Aging and Farm Fresh RI.”

“The RI Office of Healthy Aging (OHA) is committed to improving food security for low-income Rhode Islanders aged 60 and over,” said OHA Director Maria Cimini. “Access to nutritious food is essential in ensuring all populations can thrive and age healthily. This partnership is especially exciting because participants can purchase fresh, locally grown food of their choosing. We are grateful for our senior center partners that voluntarily support the distribution of SFMNP. They support the vision of making healthful and culturally enriching food accessibly to all by stewarding the USDA Farmers Market Senior Nutrition Program across communities in Rhode Island”.

“Farm Fresh Rhode Island is proud to partner with DEM and OHA to ensure more seniors have access to fresh, local food at farmers markets, farm stands and through direct distribution to homebound seniors,” said Jesse Rye, Executive Director of Farm Fresh Rhode Island. “This upgrade to the SFMNP program helps to better connect senior citizens and Rhode Island’s farming community.”



Since the launch of Rhode Island’s SFMNP, DEM and its partners have strived to reach populations who might find difficulties getting access to SFMNP funding, including homebound seniors. To ensure equity in the distribution of SFMNP benefits, DEM has teamed up with Project DASH at DoorDash to provide homebound seniors with produce boxes in partnership with Farm Fresh Rhode Island (FFRI), which will source and pack these boxes. As with the 2023 season, DEM will be buying wholesale from local farmers to provide RI Grown produce for this program while working alongside senior based organizations and communities to inform their populations about the SFMNP program.

The SFMNP will provide eligible low-income seniors in Rhode Island with benefits that can be redeemed for eligible foods, including locally produced fruits, vegetables, honey, and fresh-cut herbs, at farmers markets and farm stands. The SFMNP is separate from the Department of Human Services’ (DHS) SNAP Eat Well, Be Well (EWBW) Pilot Incentive Program, which rewards the purchase of fresh fruits and vegetables at participating stores for customers using SNAP benefits. DHS’s EWBW program, the first statewide incentive program of its kind across the nation, issues the benefits on a separate SNAP EBT card that can be used at both grocery stores and certain farmers markets. By participating in both SFMNP and EWBW, low-income seniors can maximize their access to healthy food. Fewer than one-third of senior citizens in the United States eat the recommended portion of fruits and vegetables, which are vital to preventing and treating health problems. The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service has been running the SFMNP since 2001, with federal funding for the program provided by the Farm Bill.

In contrast to last year where these benefits were distributed through a different model, the new SFMNP food benefit cards will be redeemable anytime throughout the farmers market season to provide seniors preferential choices based on their needs that were previously unavailable. SFMNP benefit cards will be distributed to over 90 different senior sites across the state. If you are an RI based organization that works with seniors and you want to learn more about the program and get involved, please contact with DEM’s Division of Agriculture at dem.sfmnp@dem.ri.gov. These benefits will be distributed from May 1 to Sept. 30, until all funding has been utilized. Program participants will be able to spend the funds available on their cards from May 1 until Nov. 30.

Participants will not need a smartphone or other device to receive or access these benefits. Eligible participants will be issued a physical card holding their benefit balance. Each of these cards will be embedded with a QR code that producers will be able to scan to process a transaction. DEM’s Division of Agriculture will be offering training sessions to senior site staff and producers who are interested. Please email dem.sfmnp@dem.ri.gov if you are interested in receiving updates on the program. Organizations seeking to partner with the SFMNP to provide program benefits to eligible seniors that they serve can sign up here. Farmers and businesses interested in becoming an approved SFMNP direct seller or producer can sign up here.

For more information on DEM programs and initiatives, visit www.dem.ri.gov. Follow DEM on Facebook, Twitter (@RhodeIslandDEM), or Instagram (@rhodeisland.dem) for timely updates.