Northampton County officials are expressing deep concerns and frustration following an unexpected choice to reduce funds to the 2025 Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP), a service that provides low-income seniors with access to fresh, nutritious, locally grown produce.
According to a press release, the federal government has only delivered a fraction of these funds from what was originally promised, despite Congressional appropriation of funds. The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture slashed the number of vouchers available statewide, and counties are now forced to take an even more devastating cut.
Northampton County citizens were originally scheduled to receive 3,000 voucher booklets, but that number was cut to 2,265, a 25% decrease from an already diminished total. Each booklet contains five $5 vouchers that amount to $25 in fresh food purchasing power per recipient. The reductions mean that hundreds of seniors in the community will go without.
Along with reduced vouchers, distribution was delayed by two weeks due to the need to repackage the revised allotments at the state level.
The $25 payment provided through the program brings access to farm-fresh fruits and vegetables during the season.
Lamont G. McClure, Northampton County Executive stated that “this is a blow to the dignity, health, and well-being of our older residents,” while calling the action to reduce funding “unconscionable.”
