Jennene Fuller, of Yuba, holds a barrel of her most recent harvest of silver peas and green garlic at the Durant Farmers Market on Aug. 5. Following in her mother’s footsteps, Fuller runs a family farm near the Oklahoma-Texas border called “Pecan Acres Too,” growing and selling much more than just pecans, including potatoes, peppers, okra, garlic, herbs, and more.
Choctaw Nation Joins USDA Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program
By Ronni Pierce
Choctaw Nation
Durant, Okla. - The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma has been named by the USDA as the 52nd state agency to operate the Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program.
The program provides access to fresh, locally grown fruits and vegetables to at least 800,000 low-income older Americans across the country. It also includes eight Indian Tribal Organizations, now including Oklahoma. Last year, SFMNP coupons for fresh produce were accepted by over 20,000 farmers at farmers markets, roadside stands, and community supported agriculture programs.
“I am so excited about the official announcement today on our award,” says Claudene Williams, Choctaw Nation’s Director of WIC. “I started working with the grants department in 2010 in hopes to receive both the Farmers Market Nutrition Program for WIC and Seniors. We received the WIC Farmers Market Program almost immediately upon applying, appointed Peggy Carlton to be our Coordinator, and we were off to a good start. Each year since, we have applied for the Seniors Farmers Market annually in hopes that this would be the year; until finally … here it is!”
In 2014, Choctaw Health Services in partnership with Going Lean funded the Seniors Farmers Market Program to get it started. With the additional financial help, Choctaw Health Services was able to serve 1,200 senior tribal members within the Choctaw Nation. And with the additional funds from the USDA, the Program will be able to serve not only eligible tribal members but also their spouses who are non-tribal members and also meet the eligibility guidelines. With the funding from Choctaw Health Services and the USDA, the Seniors Farmers Market program continues to grow each year serving tribal seniors healthy, locally grown fruits and vegetables.
“I am so excited about the official announcement today on our award. I started working with the grants department in 2010 in hopes to receive both the Farmers Market Nutrition Program for WIC and Seniors. We received the WIC Farmers Market Program almost immediately upon applying, appointed Peggy Carlton to be our Coordinator and we were off to a good start. Each year since, we have applied for the Seniors Farmers Market yearly in hopes that this would be the year; until finally … here it is!”
In 2014, Choctaw Health Services in partnership with Going Lean funded the Seniors Farmers Market Program to get it started. With the additional financial help, Choctaw Health Services was able to serve 1,200 senior tribal members within the Choctaw Nation. And with the additional funds from the USDA, tribal members who are eligible as well as their spouses who are non-tribal members and meet the eligibility guidelines. With the funding from Choctaw Health Services and the USDA, the Seniors Farmers Market Program continues to grow each year serving the tribal seniors healthy, locally grown fruits and vegetables.
According to Peggy Carlton, Choctaw Nation’s WIC and Seniors Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program Coordinator, “We’ve been applying for this grant for the past six years and we were determined not to give up. So this announcement has been really exciting for us.”
“Seniors represent a particularly vulnerable demographic to food insecurity, with unique health, social, and nutrition challenges,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “This issue has a particular importance for seniors living in rural areas, as America’s rural population is older than the nation overall and rural seniors experience higher poverty than seniors nationwide. The Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program is one way USDA is working to improve the health and wellbeing of older adults, ensuring that all older Americans have access to healthy food.”
For more information about the Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program, please visit: www.fns.usda.gov/sfmnp/senior-farmers-market-nutrition-program-sfmnp.