Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP)
Last Updated 05/31/2023
In 2000, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) created the Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP) to provide low-income seniors with eligible foods through farmers’ markets, roadside stands, and community supported agriculture (CSA) programs. SFMNP provides fresh, nutritious, unprepared, locally grown fruits, vegetables, honey, and herbs to the eligible service population during “harvest season,” which is April 1 through October 31 each year. Through the SFMNP, seniors are provided with nutrition education to emphasize the relationship of proper nutrition to good health, including the importance of consuming fruits and vegetables.
Hawaii’s SFMNP offers eligible seniors $50 worth of coupons (10 coupons valued at $5 each) to obtain eligible foods without charge from participating farmers and farmers’ markets that have been approved to accept SFMNP coupons. Coupons may be redeemed from participating vendors from April 1st – October 31st.
The eligibility requirements to receive SFMNP benefits are as follows:
- Age Eligibility: Individuals who are at least 60 years old.
- Income Eligibility: Maximum household income of 185% or below of the US Federal Poverty Guidelines.
- Individual Household – $31,025
- Two-Person Household – $41,958
- Residency: Participants must be a resident of the State of Hawaii and must reside in the county of the service area they apply to.
Applicants must be certified to participate each year, therefore, those who participated in the program last year must submit a new application this year. For more information on applications for the 2023 program year, click the link to your local agency below.
Applications for the 2023 program year are now available. Please click on the name of your local county agency in the table below to download the application form for your county. Fill it out and mail it to your local agency.
| County | Agency | Contact Person | Phone Number |
| Honolulu | Hawaii Foodbank | Jared Kawatani | (808) 954-7877 |
| Hawaii | Hawaii County Economic Opportunity Council | Cheryl Octavio | (808) 796-3269 |
| Kauai | Hawaii Foodbank – Kauai Branch | Michelle Panoke | (808) 482-2087 |
| Maui | Maui Economic Opportunity, Inc. | Gay Sibonga | (808) 243-4342 |
- Please send your application direct to your local service provider – Hawaii Foodbank for Oahu and Kauai, or HCEOC for Big Island, or MEO for Maui. Please do not send your application to OCS.
- Please contact your local agency’s contact person if you are having any difficulties about receiving your coupon book or information about Farmers markets in your area. We are serving many more people this year, and it may take extra time for your local agency to mail your coupon book to you.
In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g. Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.), should contact the Agency (State or local) where they applied for benefits. Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing or have speech disabilities may contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English. To file a program complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, (AD-3027) found online at: https://www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_cust.html, and at any USDA office, or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by: (1) mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; (2) fax: (202) 690-7442; or (3) email: [email protected]. This institution is an equal opportunity provider. The above address is only for civil rights complaints. DO NOT mail your application to the Washington D.C. address. Please mail your application to the address of your local county agency.
