CALDWELL COUNTY — The North Carolina Seniors Farmers Market Nutrition Program, which allows eligible residents to receive vouchers to redeem for fresh produce at farmers markets, has officially launched, with the Caldwell County Senior Center issuing vouchers starting Monday, June 17. According to April Austin, director of the Senior Center, the program is aimed at improving nutrition for seniors while also supporting local farmers.
In an interview with News Topics, Caldwell County Farmers Market Manager Carla McGinnis spoke about the impact the program has had on local seniors and local farmers.
“Last year, during our peak season in June and July, we saw an average of at least a 30 to 40 percent increase in people coming in to pick up fresh produce,” McGinnis said. “We have four farms that can use the vouchers, which helps support farmers so their produce doesn’t get lost or spoiled in transit, and also helps seniors get nutrients in their meals that they wouldn’t normally get.”
This represents a great success for the program, which McGinnis said has seen its use increase each year since it was introduced in Caldwell County, an increase he said can be attributed to increased awareness and word-of-mouth promotion.
McGinnis said the program also provides an extra layer of security for local farmers, giving them a buffer to get through the winter during their peak growing season.
“It will significantly increase farmers’ income and give them a bit more leeway in the winter months, and many of them are elderly,” she said. The coverage is particularly beneficial for the elderly.
McGinnis also said the program accounts for much of the increase in traffic to the market over the past few years. “With COVID, a lot of people just found something to do and there weren’t as many large gardeners, so I think it’s mostly down to this program,” he said.
Unfortunately, this growth has resulted in many vouchers being used at the peak of certain crops’ growing seasons, such as tomatoes, resulting in not enough vouchers to meet demand, while less popular crops that are currently in season, such as leafy greens and broccoli, are often ignored.
For this reason, McGinnis has decided to publish a list of in-season vegetables, which will be distributed along with the vouchers, to help program participants plan their resource use and to help farmers take advantage of the peak season all summer long.
Throughout the remainder of June, the last of the spring and cool season crops will be hitting the market, including beets, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cucumbers, kale, lettuce, onions, potatoes, beans, summer squash, turnips and rhubarb.
July marks the start of harvesting of summer crops such as blackberries, blueberries, grapes, peaches, raspberries, cantaloupe, cucumbers, eggplant, garlic, onions, peppers, potatoes, beans, summer squash, corn, tomatoes, watermelon and okra.
The Caldwell County Farmers Market is located at 308 Blowing Rock Blvd. in the Kimbell’s Furniture parking lot and is open Saturdays from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Aside from the Caldwell County Farmers Market, the Lenoir Downtown Farmers Market is not currently set up to accept vouchers, but manager Jeff Crain said they are working on changing that. The market is open Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 110 Church St.
“We’re here to do what we do as farmers,” McGinnis said. “We look forward to meeting you all.”
For more information about the voucher program, contact the Caldwell Senior Center on Penton Avenue at (828) 758-2883.
