The Maine Senior FarmShare Program (MSFP) is celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2026. Since the program’s inception in 2001, hundreds of Maine farms have participated, serving fresh, nutritious produce to approximately 15,000 income-eligible older adults each year. Each participant receives a $50 share during the growing season to purchase fruits, vegetables, culinary herbs, and honey at farms and farmers’ markets throughout Maine’s 16 counties.
Former Maine governor John Baldacci, who in 2001 was a United States Representative serving on the House Agriculture Committee, and Gus Schumacher, former undersecretary of the US Department of Agriculture, worked to secure funding through the Farm Bill for senior farmers’ market nutrition programs throughout the United States, it’s territories and tribes. The program has grown to include 44 states, 9 Native American Indian Tribes, and 2 U.S. territories.
MSFP is a program of the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry (DACF). For more information, go to www.maine.gov/dacf/ard/food-assistance/farmshare, email seniorfarmshare.agr@maine.gov, or call (207) 287-3491.
This project has been funded at least in part by Federal funds from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The contents of this publication do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, nor does mention of trade names, commercial products or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.
