On a Friday morning in Lincoln Square, hundreds of older adults lined up at the Northeast Levy Senior Center to receive farmers market coupons and shop for fresh produce at a pop-up farmers market. They each received $50 worth of coupons from the Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP), and many were ready to turn their vouchers into nutritious fruits and vegetables.
“This will be wonderful to be able to go to a farmers market and get some lovely produce. It will be a treat,” said Carol Filipiak, 65, a part-time gardener at the Lincoln Park Conservatory. Carol loves her job, but her paycheck leaves her on a tight budget after paying for rent and insurance. “I’d love to go to the farmers market under regular circumstances, but I just can’t afford it,” she said.
Carol Filipiak is excited to use her SFMNP coupons to take home fresh produce.
Understanding the Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program
The SFMNP is a federally funded program designed to connect older adults like Carol with local produce, ensuring they have access to nutritious foods that are essential to their health. Eligible older adults receive a set of coupons they can redeem at participating farmers markets for a variety of fresh, locally grown fruits, vegetables, herbs and honey.
To qualify, individuals must be 60 years or older and have a household income of not more than 185% of the federal poverty level ($27,861 for a household of one; $37,814 for a household of two). In Illinois, the program is administered jointly by the Illinois Department of Human Services and the Illinois Department on Aging and implemented in Chicago through a partnership with the Greater Chicago Food Depository.
The SFMNP coupons can be used at our pop-up events and at various farmers markets across Chicago.
We distribute the coupons at select partner pantries and collaborate with senior centers across Chicago to hold coupon distribution events where older adults can complete a simple application and receive their coupons in the same day. At some of these events, we bring in local farmers to host a pop-up market so older adults can use their coupons to buy fresh produce on the spot.
A connection to fresh food
Approximately 75% of seniors in Chicago live on a fixed income, making it difficult for them to afford groceries, especially fresh, local produce, which is often expensive. “It can be difficult for older folks to lead a healthy lifestyle,” said William Hill, 77. “It’s very easy to be couped up watching TV, eating cookies and drinking soda. But it’s important that we stay active and eat healthy.”
William Hill and his friend Gloria shop for fresh produce at the pop-up market at the Northeast Levy Senior Center.
Carlee Holliday, 76, a retired nurse and Lincoln Square resident, lives just a few blocks from the Northeast Levy Senior Center, which she has been visiting regularly for 14 years. Holliday loves spending time at the center, a partner of the Food Depository, where she has found community, activity, resources and food.
Holliday participated in the farmers market program for the first time last summer. “The coupons make a difference in the kinds of foods you can afford to buy,” she explained.
“Mangos are expensive at the store. Avocados are expensive. When they give us these coupons, we can get these things. We can get all the different varieties of foods they have at the farmers markets that keep us healthy and happy.”
Carlee Holliday signs up for her SFMNP coupons.
Lasting Impacts
The SFMNP has had a measurable impact on older adults in Chicago. Last year, we distributed 12,000 coupons to older adults, and this year, we are on track to distribute 14,000 coupons. The program not only supports the health and well-being of seniors but also strengthens local economies by promoting the sale of locally grown fruits and vegetables.
“It’s really helpful to have markets like this we can rely on,” said Joseph Taylor of Urban Canopy, one of the food vendors who sold produce at Northeast Levy Senior Center and will do so at several other distributions this summer.
Urban Canopy's Joseph Taylor sets up his produce stand at the Northeast Levy Senior Center.
The program aims to support local farmers by creating a market for small and medium-sized farms, encouraging the growth of local agriculture and ensuring that food dollars stay within the community, and promoting community engagement by fostering relationships between older adults, farmers, and other community members.
“We are very thankful for the Greater Chicago Food Depository for providing food for us and doing things like the senior coupons for us,” said Holliday. “As seniors, we are a vulnerable population, so it’s really wonderful that somebody cares about us, and we appreciate it.”
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