Colorado Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP)
- Benefits By State Editor
The Colorado Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP) is a federal program administered by the Colorado Department of Human Services’ State Unit on Aging in collaboration with the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS). The objective of the program is to provide fresh, nutritious, and healthy foods such as fruits, vegetables, herbs, and honey to low-income senior citizens. These foods are available at farmers’ markets, roadside stalls and stands, and other agricultural initiatives.
The program also aims to encourage people to increase their intake of healthy foods by supporting the growth and development of farmers’ markets, roadside stands as well as community-supported agriculture programs (CSA).
Nutrition education is also provided to the seniors through this program which creates awareness among them on how to choose fresh fruits and vegetables and about the storage and preparation of food items.
About The Program
A total of six vouchers are provided to the SFMNP eligible seniors annually. The date of expiry is printed on each separate voucher and it must be utilized before the specified date. The vouchers have values ranging from $5 to $30.
The deadline for receiving the coupons is September 30th of each year. The deadline for using the coupon is November 15th of each year.
The option of availing three Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) boxes is also available to the participating seniors. Every box is worth $10 of fruits and vegetables that are freshly grown by local farmers. These vouchers can also be redeemed at farmers’ markets that have been authorized by the Colorado FMNP. The vouchers cannot be used at any other fresh fruit and vegetable provider such as grocery stores. It is not permissible for the farmers to give you cash as change hence the full amount of the voucher must be used.
If participants cannot receive your coupon or visit the farmers market yourself, they are allowed to send a proxy along with their yellow CSFP card.
According to the funding available in the particular year, the amount of CSA boxes and FMNP vouchers provided may differ.
Participants are not allowed to purchase food items that are not locally grown in the state of Colorado. The coupons cannot be used to purchase food items other than fruits, vegetables, or herbs e.g. meats, beans, nuts; jams cannot be bought with the coupon.
Low-income senior citizens are eligible for this program which means elders who are no less than 60 years of age. They must also have a household income that amounts to at or below 185% of the federal income guidelines on poverty. Seniors can also be eligible if they are already participating in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or the Commodity Senior Food Program (CSFP).
| Federal Poverty Guidelines | 185% | |||
Household Size | Annual | Annual | Monthly | Weekly |
| 1 | $12,490 | $23,107 | $1,926 | $445 |
| 2 | $16,910 | $31,284 | $2,607 | $602 |
| 3 | $21,330 | $39,461 | $3,289 | $759 |
| 4 | $25,750 | $47,638 | $3,970 | $917 |
| 5 | $30,170 | $55,815 4 | $4,652 | $1,074 |
| 6 | $34,590 | $63,992 | $5,333 | $1,231 |
| 7 | $39,010 | $72,169 | $6,015 | $1,388 |
| 8 | $43,430 | $80,346 | $6,696 | $1,546 |
| For each additional member, add: | $4,420 | + $8,177 | + $682 | + $158 |
SFMNP Approved Farmers Market
For a Farmers’ Market to participate in the FMNP, the following criteria must be fulfilled:
- The location of the market must be close to a CSFP clinic
- The market must operate for at least four hours a day and one day a week
- A manager must be present at the market during operating hours
- The rules and regulations must be displayed at the market
FMNP rules
- Health, hygiene, and sanitation rules
- Resale of food items not allowed
- A list of a minimum of three farmers approved by the SFMNP must be submitted
- An updated Crop Plan for each of the farmers mentioned in the approved list
Ensure that the market strictly abides by the rules and regulations provided by the Colorado FMNP
Farmers must be supervised during market hours
Abide by the USDA policy against discrimination
Civil Rights complaints must be catered to
Liability insurance for the market must be ensured
Authorization of Farmers Market
For a farmers’ market to be authorized to participate must meet the following criteria:
- The manager of the farmers market must participate in an in-person training session with the Colorado SFMNP. The following training sessions can then be attended virtually or can be in the written form. These training sessions are updated on an annual basis.
- The market must finish and submit the Farmers’ Market Agreement
- Certificate of insurance must be provided as well as evidence of liability coverage
- A Market Information Form must be submitted at the time of the application as well as on an annual basis
- Markets must abide by all rules and regulations detailed in the Market Agreement Scope of Work
For more information contact Colorado Department of Human Services, Food Distribution Programs or call 303-866-5105. You can also send email to gail.pliszka@state.co.us
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