Income and Age Based Kansas Voucher Program

03/2/25 by Melissa Karsten

Our market has been excited to be part of the Kansas Senior Famers Market Nutrition Program (KSFMNP) the last few years. This program is target at 60+ (or 55+ when an Indian tribal organization member) and based on income. You can check out eligibility and how to apply for more details. This initiative is meant to “help low-income seniors purchase fresh fruits and vegetables, fresh herbs, and local honey at farmers markets, roadside stands, and farm stores.”

Why Apply for the Vouchers?

You could assume and be right that it’s great for you! When approved, you receive $50 worth of vouchers (in $5 increments) that you can use to buy produce and honey at Kansas farmers markets. You might be amazed at how much you can get for $5, and many produce items can be frozen to last long after the farmers market season. Our favorites to freeze are onions, peppers, and tomatoes, but there are many more options. Medium to large potatoes can also be shelf stable for quite a while, if kept in a cool dark place.

What you might not know is, you’re also helping local growers. By selling more produce, they can cover costs you might not realize they have in the growing process. During droughts, they have to pay for watering (image your water bill 10 fold). There's also fertilizing, mulching, staking, caging, equipment repair, fuel, and more that reduce the profit of what they sell.

And you’re helping the environment. Local growers tend to use less chemicals (if any), and there's less pollution than shipping from other states or even other countries. Much of the produce at grocery stores is often shipped much further than 30 or less miles, like is the case at our market.

And, How Do They Work?

The system has been evolving for spending and getting reimbursed for KSFMNP vouchers, and might look different in the future. For 2025, the recipients will receive a paper booklet with 10 $5 vouchers. They will sign them and can use them like a check with vendors that are certified to accept them.

How do you tell if a vendor can accept them? They will have a sign out at their booth. Just in case, you can always ask. Sometimes the start of the market can be hectic and putting out the sign can be a temporary oversight.

How does a vendor get certified? They have to attend training, or if renewing can review a presentation. If a vendor isn't certified, they can’t legal accept the vouchers, and have no way to redeem them. Certified vendors have access to an app where they can submit vouchers they collect.

Although Kansas has reduced state sales tax on produce to 0% in 2025, vendors would normally still have to collect county and city sales tax for a traditional purchase. Produce or honey purchased with vouchers is exempt from all sales tax. So let the vendor know you are using vouchers when you start your purchase, so they can adjust the price accordingly. Many vendors include sales tax in the price of the produce, so they have to reduce the price to remove the county and city sales tax.

You also must spend in $5 increments, unless you want to make up the larger difference with cash. And vendors are legally bound to not give any cash back on purchases using vouchers that don’t equal the $5 increment purchase. For instance, if you only have $4 worth of produce, they will help you find $1 of produce to get you to the $5. If your purchase is $6, then they will ask for a $5 voucher $1.03 in cash (they have to add sales tax to the cash amount owed, unless they pay the $.03 themselves as a courtesy).

Where Can You Apply?

The Cherokee County Health Department is championing this program for Cherokee County in Kansas (thank you!!!). You can contact them and follow them on Facebook to keep updated when they become available and when you can start using them. Last year, they visited the regional markets to sign people up, but you don’t have to wait for them to come to you to make sure you get one of the limited number of vouchers.

Open: 8 a.m.–noon, Saturdays

June through October

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