TRAVERSE CITY — Mary Vieau collected "a load" of fresh, locally grown produce that would normally stretch her limited budget.
Vieau, who picked up cucumbers, corn and spinach this week, is one of about 300 low-income seniors in Grand Traverse County who participates in Senior Project Fresh.
The program distributes $9,500 worth of $20 coupon books accepted like cash at area farm markets and road-side stands.
"It's wonderful; it really helped me with my diet," said Vieau, 79, of Peninsula Township.
She is in her third year of receiving coupons and plans to stretch her two books throughout the summer at Traverse City's farm market.
"It's nice to be down there with the crowds, too. I really enjoy that," she said.
The Grand Traverse County Commission on Aging distributes the coupons through its senior center network. Network Director Lori Wells took on the program in 2011 after Michigan State University Extension dropped it due to budget cuts. Wells distributes the books at senior centers and during the July 16 distribution of commodity foods to seniors at the East Bay Township Hall.
"So many of our seniors rely on the commodities, the canned foods and processed foods, but they love the fresh foods," Wells said.
"One woman told me how she used tomatoes last year to make salsa for her children when they came to visit," she said. "I can't remember what I had for dinner last week, but she remembered last year. That's what makes this job wonderful."
To qualify, a person needs to be at least 60 years old and have income below $1,679 a month for a single person or $2,268 for a household of two.
Sarah Hentschel, 81, of Williamsburg, used the program for the first time last year.
"I'm too old to garden any more," Hentschel said. "When you can't garden this is a godsend."
The program also provides direct economic support to area farmers, as opposed to the distribution of processed foods that takes money out of the region, Wells said.
"There are days when we take over $100 a day in coupons, and that's significant," said Jim Riley, of Blue Patch Farms in Kingsley. "It makes it affordable for a lot of people to get fresh fruit and vegetables."
Blue Patch has taken the coupons for at least nine years and Riley said overall participation in food programs makes up 5 to 8 percent of business.
County officials said the program wouldn't occur without a $5,000 grant from the Bay Area Senior Advocates. The state matches the grant 50 percent plus gives the county an additional 100 booklets for the project.
"Hopefully next year we will get more money so we can get more coupons," Wells said. "It doesn't take very long to spend $40 at a farmers market."
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Related Photos
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Mary Vieau shops at the Sarah Hardy Farmers Market using coupons from Project Fresh, an assistance program for low-income seniors to help them buy fresh produce from farmers markets. Record-Eagle/Jan-Michael Stump
Seniors turn coupons into fresh produce
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