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“I’ve
had a terrific summer due to good nutrition.”
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“It
was a wonderful experience. I tried produce that I wouldn’t
have tried usually.” |
“This program has been a wonderful
experience, it has helped so much. Store vegetables and
fruits are so expensive. We thank you so much and hope
this will continue next season.”
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CISA’s
Senior FarmShare program
Senior
FarmShare: A Share of
the Harvest for Low-Income Seniors
CISAs Senior FarmShare program provides fresh, locally grown
vegetables and fruits to low income seniors. Hampden and Franklin
Counties have a higher percentage of seniors than the state
as a whole, and many of these seniors have limited access to
fresh, local produce because of fixed incomes or a lack of transportation.
Through Senior FarmShare, seniors become shareholders at a local
farm and receive a free share of the farms varied harvest for
10 weeks during the peak of the growing season. Shares provide
enough vegetables for a week, and are available at the farm
or delivered to convenient locations, often senior centers or
senior housing sites. In addition to supplementing senior diets,
the Senior FarmShare program provides farmers with reliable
income and builds stronger ties between farmers and the community.
Impact
on Seniors
In 2006, the Senior FarmShare Program:
• Provided shares to 202 low income seniors and their
families;
• Served seniors with incomes below $18,130 (for one-person
households) or $24,420 (for two-person households);
• Augmented senior meals or Meals on Wheels with fresh
fruit for 40 additional seniors from 4 towns;
• Served 28 seniors from Greenfield, 27 from Turner’s
Falls, 12 from Shelburne Falls, 12 from Deerfield, and smaller
numbers from 21 other Franklin County communities;
• Served 40 seniors from Holyoke and 25 from Springfield
in Hampden County.
In the year
end evaluation (61% response rate):
• 98% of respondents were very satisfied with the program;
• 96% of respondents found that sign-up for the program
was relatively easy;
• 87% reported that they ate more fruits and vegetables
as a result of the program;
• 43% froze or canned some of the produce they received
for later use, thus stretching the benefits of the program over
a longer period.
Impact
on Farmers
In 2006, the Senior FarmShare Program:
• Included ten farms from Franklin County and one in Hampshire
county;
• Provided farmers with an added market of 2 to 87 shares;
• Paid $95 per share to farmers (farmers donated $5 per
share);
• Received positive feedback from farmers, who were pleased
with their participation in the program, not only because it
provided a secure market, but because they enjoyed their contact
with senior shareholders and were glad to grow food for people
who really needed it.
Senior
FarmShare Stories
Food nourishes us in many ways. Both seniors and farmers appreciate
the opportunity to socialize, share their experiences of agriculture,
and to trade recipes and cooking tips. On top of the informal
weekly conversations that took place at share pick-ups, there
were additional opportunities for community building.
• Shares often included bonus items such as bouquets of
flowers and herbs or new crops or varieties, such as fingerling
potatoes, yellow watermelons, arugula, kale, and eggplant. These
items encouraged seniors to share cooking tips.
• Farm newsletters, recipes, and nutrition information
were provided to many of the senior shareholders.
• One senior center distribution site also held nutrition
and wellness classes for Senior FarmShare participants.
• Youth were encouraged to interact with Senior FarmShare
participants. Youth in the leadership training program “Gardening
the Community” helped with the weekly distribution in
Springfield. At another site, youth in the Seeds of Leadership
gardening program grew and prepared dinner for Senior FarmShare
participants.
• Two senior center distribution sites organized a farm
tour and u-pick day at Riverland Farm, and one distribution
site held a season-end banquet highlighting local food.
Special
thanks to Senior FarmShare partner organizations and distribution
sites: Gardening the Community; Holyoke Council on Aging; Chicopee
Council on Aging; Springfield’s Mason Square Senior Center;
Powertown Apartments; Seeds of Solidarity Education Center;
and the Charlemont, Cummington, Deerfield, Greenfield, Heath,
Huntington, Orange, Shelburne Falls, and Wendell Senior Centers.
Funding
for the 2006 FarmShare program was provided by CISA’s
community and farm members and by grants from agencies including
the Bridge of Flowers 10K Road Race, Citizens Bank, Community
Foundation of Western Massachusetts Raymond E. and Mildred G.
Clark Fund, Greenfield Savings Bank, Jane’s Trust, Lawson
Valentine Foundation, TD Bank North, and church communities.
Special thanks to Travel Kuz for transportation assistance.
“Through
this program, CISAhas made it possible for our participants
to eat healthier and to get healthier. I wish we had hundreds
of shares available so that many more local seniors could benefit.”
—Stephanie Merrick, RN
Health Promotion Coordinator at Holyoke Council on Aging, coordinator
of Holyoke distribution site 2005
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