Maine’s creative Farm Share program faces effect of changes in federal rules

AUGUSTA – Seniors’ nutritional benefits and farmers’ up-front capital will suffer this harvest season in the wake of changes in the federal rules for Maine’s Farm Share program, according to state officials.

In each of the past five years, Maine’s seniors could receive a $100 allotment to be used at farm stands, farms and community meal sites for local produce.

In addition, 180 of Maine’s farmers received checks for participation at the start of the planting season, providing them with a much-needed influx of cash.

But new regulations issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture have dramatically changed how Maine administers the program and slashed the senior share to $50, half of what seniors had been getting.

“This is not good news for progressive states like Maine,” said Deanne Herman of the state Department of Agriculture.

Officials forecast that seniors will still line up for the free produce, but there may no longer be enough participating farmers.

“We have worked hard for five years to streamline and create an efficient, successful program,” Herman said. At a funding level of $800,000 this year, Maine gets a pretty generous portion of the $15 million Farm Share pool.

Although the intent of the new rules was to simplify the program and unify what all states are doing, the result is that Maine’s program – touted by federal officials as creative, innovative and successful – will be “dumbed down” to meet the lower expectations in other states.

When the Farm Share program was established in 2000, each state was asked to put together an individual program and creativity was encouraged, Herman said.

“Most states mirrored their existing [Women, Infants and Children] programs, providing coupons that in turn required administrative layers,” Herman said. Maine considered a coupon program. “But we decided we could do better,” she said.

Maine officials felt that since there were no administration funds built into the program, a coupon system would actually decrease the benefits to seniors.

Survey after survey of Maine’s seniors and farmers revealed that both groups recommend at least a $100 level, which provides farmers with enough capital to make the program worthwhile and seniors with enough produce to meet their nutritional needs.

“Although halving the individual allotment will allow more seniors to participate, the benefits will be negligible,” said Mary Walsh, manager of community programs for the state Bureau of Elder and Adult Services.

“We feel that $100 really makes a difference in the older person’s nutritional health,” Walsh said. “Fresh produce is more expensive and seniors on a limited income really get such a benefit from it.”

Walsh said that a side benefit has been the relationships that have developed between the seniors and the participating farmers. “That is an immeasurable benefit,” she said.

Herman said the new rules also prohibit the state from making arrangements to deliver produce to community meal sites and programs such as Meals On Wheels, a change that will affect a quarter of the participating farmers.

She said seniors, in the past, had only to sign a form declaring they were low-income and eligible. Now, they will have to prove to the providing farmer that they are eligible.

“Will we now have farmers checking income tax forms? That is not appropriate at all,” Herman said.

Participating farmers will be notified of the rule changes, Herman said, and an informal survey will be done to see how many opt to continue.