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Information Memorandum Transmittal Aging and People with Disabilities

Kristi Murphy Number: APD-IM-20-044

Authorized signature Issue date: 4/30/2020 Topic: Food Benefits Due date: Subject: Senior Farm Direct Nutrition Program Applies to (check all that apply):

All DHS employees County Mental Health Directors

Area Agencies on Aging: Types A and B Health Services

Aging and People with Disabilities Office of Developmental Disabilities Services (ODDS) Self Sufficiency Programs

County DD program managers

Support Service Brokerage Directors

ODDS Children’s Intensive In Home Services

ODDS Children’s Residential Services Stabilization and Crisis Unit (SACU)

Child Welfare Programs Other (please specify):

Message: The Oregon Health Authority (OHA) mailed yellow notification letters between April 21 and April 27, 2020 to more than 104,000 seniors that DHS-APD office identified as eligible for participation in the Senior Farm Direct Nutrition Program this year. Current funding allows OHA to serve approximately 53,500 seniors. If necessary, OHA will randomly select from among seniors who return their signed Response Forms by May 13, to determine who will receive $24 worth of Farm Direct Nutrition Program checks this year. OHA hopes to be able to serve all seniors who return their forms by the deadline, but if more seniors than anticipated respond, those who are not selected in a random drawing will receive a postcard in the mail letting them know they were not selected. Please note that Senior Farm Direct Nutrition Program participants may have someone shop for them using their checks. For the 2020 season many farmers markets and stands are implementing safety and physical distancing plans to help protect the health of shoppers and staff. This includes additional space between vendor booths, limiting the total number of shoppers at one time, and potential pre-order and pick-up options. Participants are encouraged to visit the online shopping directory at http://myoregonfarm.org/ and contact the Farm Direct Nutrition Program shopping

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location near them to learn more.

What AAA and DHS offices can do to help:

• Encourage clients who receive the notification to complete and return their Response Form by May 13.

• Seniors may also choose to hand-deliver Response Forms to their local AAA or DHS office. While seniors should return these to their AAA or APD office, APD requests that other DHS offices mail in forms that seniors may mistakenly return to their offices. Response Forms turned into local offices must be received by the State by May 15 in order to be part of the drawing. Please send any forms that are returned to local offices to:

Lori Watt DHS-APD Community Services & Supports Unit 500 Summer St, NE E-12 Salem, OR 97301

• Help seniors find participating local markets and farm stands using http://myoregonfarm.org/. Consider printing a list of locations in your county to hand out or have posted in the lobby.

OHA plans for Senior Farm Direct Nutrition Program checks to be mailed to seniors starting June 1, and checks must be spent by November 30. Seniors will not receive printed lists of local farmers' markets and authorized farm stands this year. Instead, a complete list is available at http://myoregonfarm.org/ and seniors can call the Senior Farm Direct number (1-866-299-3562) if they have questions. Any assistance local AAAs and APD offices can provide in helping seniors locate local markets would be greatly appreciated. As a reminder, elibility for the Senior Farm Direct Nutrition Program is:

• Be 62 years old as of April 1, 2020

• Be receiving Medicaid and/or SNAP benefits on April 1, 2020

• Have income less than $1,467 for an individual or $1,983 for a couple, and

• Be living in a situation where food is not provided for them The attached fact sheet has additional details about Oregon's Farm Direct Nutrition Program. This fact sheet has been shared with partners such as 211Info and Oregon Food Bank. You may also refer to the program’s website at https://www.oregon.gov/DHS/SENIORS-DISABILITIES/SUA/Pages/SFDNP.aspx People who are not eligible for SFDNP and who contact the program’s toll-free information line will be referred back to their local Area Agency on Aging office so they can be linked to senior meal programs or other available local resources.

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If you have any questions about this information, contact:

Contact(s): Please direct consumer questions to 1-866-299-3562 (for staff questions, contact Lori Watt at 503-945-6237)

Phone: Fax:

Email:

Families in the Women, Infants and Children Special Supplemental Nutrition Program (WIC) and limited-income seniors receive checks to spend directly with local farmers who grow fruits and vegetables.

The Farm Direct Nutrition Program (“Farm Direct”) provides families and seniors an additional source of nutritious food and education on selecting and preparing fresh produce. Farm Direct also supports local farmers markets and farmers.

How do WIC Families receive their checks?WIC participants receive $28 worth of green Farm Direct checksthrough their local clinic during a class, an individual appointmentor sometimes at a farmers market.

The Farm Direct Nutrition Program is just one of the diverse ways that WIC provides nutrition and nutrition education to participating families. WIC serves lower-income pregnant, post-partum and breastfeeding women, infants and children under age 5 who have a health or nutrition risk. Women, children and infants over 4 months of age are eligible to receive Farm Direct checks.

2020 Oregon Farm Direct Nutrition Program

FACT SHEET

What is the Oregon Farm Direct Nutrition Program?

How do Seniors receive their checks?Seniors must be at least 62 years old and receiving Medicaid orSNAP (food stamps) on April 1, 2020 to be eligible for the FarmDirect Nutrition Program.

Additionally, seniors must have a monthly income below $1,467 for a single person and $1,983 for a couple, and cannot be living in afacility where meals are provided.

Each year eligible seniors receive a yellow letter from the State in late April that will invite them to participate in the program. Interested seniors must respond to the State by the indicated date in order to receive $24 in Farm Direct checks. If there is not enough funding to serve every eligible senior who would like to receive checks, participants will be selected randomly from the responses received.

Where can Farm Direct checks be used?With more than 700 participating farmers statewide, there are multiple locations to spend Farm Direct checks in each Oregon county. Visit myoregonfarm.org for a list of participating farmers markets and farm stands near you.

What foods can be purchased with Farm Direct checks?The checks can only be used for fresh locally grown fruits,vegetables and cut culinary herbs. Items that can NOT bepurchased include hot foods, dried foods, jams, nuts, honey,eggs, cider, meat, cheese, seafood, baked goods, plants, flowers, or fruits/vegetables not grown locally (such asbananas, oranges, pineapples, or other wholesale produce).

Participating farmers gain new customers and arepaid the face value ofFarm Direct checks; thisincreases their earningsand helps them to keepfarming. In turn, farmersspend those dollars in theircommunities, whichpromotes local economicdevelopment. Farm Directbrings over $1.5 million into the hands of Oregon farmers each year. Keeping local farms in business is important to our communities as well as our health.

How do Farm Direct checks benefit local farmers?

Why are these checks only good with LOCAL farmers?The program helps Oregon families support local farmers and rural communities. Produce at the supermarket may not come from a local farmer. Buying directly from the farmer means they get 100% of every Farm Direct dollar.

When can Farm Direct checks be used?Between June 1 and November 30. After this date, the farmer will not be reimbursed for these checks.

Revised 2/2020

Other questions?• WIC participation: Call your local WIC clinic or dial 211, toll-free, to locate the nearest WIC clinic

• Senior participation: Call Senior Farm Direct toll-free at 1-866-299-3562

• Farmers, farmers markets, and general inquiries: Call 877-807-0889, option 2, or email oregon.fdnp@state.or.us

USDA is an equal opportunity provider. You can get this document in other languages,large print, braille or a format you prefer. Contact Oregon WIC at 971-673-0040.

We accept all relay calls or you can dial 711.