4-29-2004 |
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SENIOR FARMERS' MARKET NUTRITION PROGRAM FUNDED FOR 2004 West Virginia will receive $514,144 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to fund the 2004 Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program in the Mountain State. The program provides eligible senior citizens with vouchers for purchases at participating farmers’ markets throughout the state. “I am very pleased that the West Virginia Department of Agriculture (WVDA) can again offer this program,” said Commissioner of Agriculture Gus R. Douglass. “It benefits our seniors, who can get a small amount of assistance to buy fresh and nutritious West Virginia produce, and it also benefits the farmers in the state that grow that produce.” The redemption rate for vouchers is one of the best in the country, according to WVDA Marketing and Development Director Jean Smith. WVDA expanded the program into all 55 counties this year. In its first two years, the program was limited due to difficulty certifying markets to accept and properly account for the coupons. Eligible seniors received coupons worth $20 this year. “This program is great because it helps seniors get the foods that they love, it puts money in the pockets of local farmers, and the state only has the cost of administering the program. We have to do training sessions and spot-checks around the state to ensure the markets are running the program correctly,” Smith said. Any market or farmer wishing to take the coupons in the coming year needs to contact the Marketing and Development Division at 304/558-2210 to register for the program and be scheduled for a two-hour training session. WVDA oversees the management of three farmers’ markets located in Charleston, Logan and Inwood, and supports nearly two-dozen independent markets with its “West Virginia Grown” and other promotional programs. Contact: Buddy Davidson The West Virginia Department of Agriculture protects plant, animal and human health through a variety of scientific, regulatory and consumer protection programs, as mandated by state law. The Commissioner of Agriculture is one of six statewide elected officials in West Virginia. Currently, Commissioner Gus R. Douglass is the longest-serving agriculture commissioner in the nation. For more information, visit www.wvagriculture.org. |
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©2001, 2002 West Virginia Department of Agriculture, All Rights Reserved |
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