The Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP) is a collaboration between the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Ohio Department of Aging to allow income-eligible seniors the opportunity to enjoy locally grown fresh fruits, vegetables, herbs, and honey. Participants receive special coupons worth $50 to buy produce from authorized, participating farmers who sell at farmers’ markets or roadside stands from May through October.
Individuals may apply on this page using the printable mail-in application or our online application according the timeline below. Applications may also be picked up from the Buckeye Hills office at 1400 Pike Street in Marietta, between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, as well as local senior centers, Job and Family Services offices, OSU Extension, and farmers’ markets. Applications will be checked for the appropriate postmark, date-stamped, and processed for distribution on a first-come, first-served basis by county.
Applications postmarked or submitted online before these dates will not be processed. Incomplete applications or applications missing a signature will not be processed.
Coupons are tentatively scheduled to be mailed to consumers by June 30, 2024.
Coupons are distributed on a first-come, first-served basis. Each participant will receive ten $5 coupons. Coupon distribution is contingent upon the availability of funds from USDA. The online application will go live at 8:00 a.m. on April 16.
More than 45 local farmers participate in the Senior Farmers Market Program. View our 2023 Farmers Directory below to find your nearest farmer accepting coupons.
You are eligible for the Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program if:
If you live in Ohio but outside the Buckeye Hills Region, your local program contact at your area agency on aging can help you determine your eligibility.
Farmers market coupons from the Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program can be redeemed for Ohio-grown fresh vegetables, fruits, herbs, and honey. Some restrictions apply.
To help you make the most of Ohio’s fresh summer and fall produce Ohio Department of Aging has produced a recipe book designed especially for participants in the Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program.
Eating Well: Farmers’ Market Recipes
Also available in additional languages.
The Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program is made possible by funding from the United States Department of Agriculture, state and local funding. In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA. Read the full USDA Nondiscrimination Statement.
See the following link for information on how to file a complaint: USDA Complaint Form.
