Representatives from the Mercer County Nutrition Office are set to provide checks for locally-grown fresh produce at participating farm stands.
The Farmers Market program is designed to provide low-income seniors with checks they can use to purchase fresh produce grown by New Jersey farmers. The Mercer County Nutrition Program is the lead agency and coordinator in Mercer County for the Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program.
Representatives are set to offer the checks 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on July 25 at Trenton Farmers Market, 960 Spruce Street, Lawrence Township. They will be distributed on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Eligible senior citizens can receive four $5 checks to redeem for fresh produce at various vendor sites throughout the county. Checks are valid until Nov. 30.
Qualified individuals’ incomes must not exceed $21,257 per year or $1,772 monthly. A qualified couple’s income must not exceed $28,694 per year or $2,392 monthly.
Documentation required for certification includes: identity and residency proof, driver’s license, utility/phone bill or birth certificate, income proof and a current income tax return, Social Security statement or Medicare or Food Stamp Program card.
An individuals may only pick up their own checks unless they made arrangements with the Nutrition Office to serve as a proxy.
Checks are to be signed in front of the farmers selling produce. They can only be used at certified farm stands.
Stands are set to display a yellow poster indicating that they accept these checks. Farmers have the right to refuse to honor them.
For additional information, contact the Mercer County Nutrition Program for the Elderly, Senior Farmers Market Program, at (609) 989-6652.
More information is online at mercercounty.org.
