AUGUSTA – Maine’s seniors can begin signing up for the state’s highly successful FarmShare program, which links low-income senior citizens with free fresh produce for them and upfront capital for farmers.

Seniors ages 60 or older with individual incomes of less than $18,889 are eligible to receive $50 worth of free locally grown fruits and vegetables.

“More than 15,000 seniors and 130 farmers statewide are expected to participate this year,” Deanne Herman of the Maine Department of Agriculture Marketing Division said Friday. “Our program here has been so successful that it is a model across the country.”

Herman said the FarmShare program is its seventh year and is funded through a U.S. Department of Agriculture grant.

“The program serves seniors by providing access to highly nutritious fresh produce, which many seniors find difficult to afford on limited incomes,” Herman said. “It also provides an additional market for Maine vegetable and fruit growers who are paid in the spring for produce they will grow all season.”

Herman said Maine’s program is very different from most others in the country, and has been lauded for its innovation and effectiveness as well as its efficiency and accountability.

“Many other states opted for coupon programs,” Herman said. “We built flexibility into the program.”

Because of a change in federal rules, Maine had to reduce the individual benefit from $100 to $50.

“We believed that the $100 truly made a difference,” Herman said, “but the USDA is more concerned with how many more people can be served and not necessarily how well they are served.”

Although this will mean a smaller share for participating seniors, Herman said, it will allow for twice the number of seniors to participate.

Slots with individual farmers fill up quickly, Herman said, and she cautioned seniors to sign up early. Seniors are responsible for finding a nearby farm program that works for them. Some farmers deliver to senior housing; others offer their produce at the farm or farmers markets.

To find a participating farm, interested seniors are encouraged to contact their local Area Agency on Aging on the toll-free line: (877) 353-3771. A list of participating farms also is available at www.GetrealMaine.com.

Herman said the Eastern Agency on Aging offices also can provide information on other programs available to low-income seniors, such as heating assistance and other food programs.