A pilot program to link seniors in need of good nutrition with farmers in need of customers has been so successful that it should be made a permanent part of agriculture’s mission and expanded to include the many seniors who would qualify and would like to participate.

The Seniors Farmers Market Nutrition Program – called Seniors Farm Share in Maine – subsidizes seniors generally at or below 185 percent of poverty to buy fresh, locally grown produce. Numerous studies show poor seniors in particular tend not to get the nutritious foods they need to help them stay healthy. This program solves that for many seniors while providing customers to small farmers. The program works somewhat differently in the 31 states and five Indian tribes participating; Maine’s version provided a $100 credit to 5,000 low-income seniors to purchase and another 15,000 seniors received fresh fruit and vegetables through food pantries and congregate meal sites.

Despite this impressive beginning effort by the state departments of agriculture and human services, a limit on the size of the federal grant to Maine meant that more than three-fourths of the state’s eligible low-income seniors could not participate in the program. And after seeing the benefits from the pilot, a total of 42 states have asked to participate next year, nearly doubling the amount of funding requested to $28 million. Similar success in

a program for those who qualify for WIC (Women, Infants and Children) suggests the idea could be effectively expanded.

Unfortunately, neither program made it into the Bush administration’s agriculture budget for next year. Both the House and Senate have versions of the programs in their budgets, with Maine’s delegation being enthusiastic supporters. Rep. John Baldacci, who is a member of the Agriculture Committee and an original sponsor of the program, recently submitted an amendment to the farm bill to make the Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program a permanent part of the USDA.

That is an amendment worth supporting in addition to two other goals for the program: Increase the size of the program this year so more eligible seniors can participate and ensure an expanded program continues next year through conference between the House and Senate.

Farm Share in Maine has connected 150 local farmers with 20,000 seniors, thereby helping both the provider and the receiver of good food. The program is a relatively simple idea with real benefits here and nationwide. Congress should expand it and make Farm Share a regular part of its budget diet.