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ELKINS -- The Randolph County Senior Center will begin distributing Farmers Market Vouchers to eligible seniors on Monday.
The vouchers, which will be handed out on a first-come, first-served basis, can be picked up during two different time slots throughout the day at the Senior Center, with the first being from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. The second distribution will be from 1 p.m to 3 p.m.
"We will be handing out one set of vouchers per eligible person," Randolph County Senior Center Administrative Assistant Sam Chidester told The Inter-Mountain. "There are guidelines that each participant has to meet. They have to be 60 years old or better, they have to be a resident of Randolph County, and they have to have a valid photo ID. And they also have to meet the income guidelines."
Chidester said there is a high demand for the vouchers, which are made available through the West Virginia Department Of Agriculture and the Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP).
"They are giving the seniors $30 (three $10 vouchers) to use at the places that accept them and that's generally just the farmers markets in the area," said Chidester, who manages the nutrition program at the Senior Center. "They have to be used on West Virginia grown produce, and they can be used anywhere in the state. And the vouchers have to be picked up in the county where you reside."
In Randolph County the vouchers can be used at the Elkins Farmers Market, which is open on Saturdays from 8 a.m. until noon. In Barbour County, the vouchers are accepted at the Heart and Hand Garden Market (Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.), Barbour County Fairgrounds (Friday, 4 p.m. – 7 p.m.), and the Crimbridge Corner Market.
Vouchers are accepted in Tucker County at Licking Creek Farm (Thursday, 9 a.m. – noon), Davis Farmers Market (Friday, 4 p.m. – 7 p.m.), Old Shopping Save Parking Lot (Friday through Sunday, 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.), and Ricky Knotts Jr. (Friday through Sunday, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.).
The Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program is a federal program that provides low-income seniors with coupons to purchase locally grown produce. The program aims to increase access to healthy, local foods and supports the growth of farmers markets and roadside stands.
"The SFMNP supports two vital needs – improving senior nutrition and strengthening our local farming economy," Commissioner of Agriculture Kent Leonhardt said in a press release. "We encourage all eligible seniors to take advantage of this opportunity to access fresh, West Virginia-grown products."
For more information on obtaining the voucher, call the Randolph County Senior Center at 304-636-4747. For more information on the Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program, visit https://agriculture.wv.gov.