While food is fuel for the human body, community sustains the human psyche. For senior citizens living on their own, social interaction and nutrition become equally important.
The Senior Farm Share program from Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture (CISA) supports low-income seniors with 10 weeks of farm-fresh fruits and vegetables purchased directly from local farms. Produce is distributed as weekly shares through senior service agencies in Franklin, Hampshire and Hampden counties, giving elders a weekly opportunity to get out of the house and visit their neighbors while picking up fresh, delicious produce.
Seniors commit to the program for the duration, and pay a cost share of one dollar per week in exchange for 10 weeks of produce valued at $155. Shares are limited and distributed through a lottery. The application period is open until May 15 or May 29 depending on the site.
CISA has offered the Senior Farm Share program since 2004. In 2026, the Senior Farm Share Program will serve 800 low-income seniors through 21 distribution sites and 16 farms. Since 2004, Senior Farm Share has distributed over 9,300 season-long shares and paid over $1 million to local farms for their produce.
Shelburne Falls is a community that has two Senior Farm Share sites, grown by two local farms. The Atherton Farm in Buckland supplies seasonal produce for the Senior Farm Share program at the Shelburne Falls Senior Center, which serves the towns of Shelburne, Ashfield and Buckland. Hart Farm in Conway grows produce for residents at Highland Village, also in Shelburne Falls.
Paul Sabin is the owner of The Atherton Farm in Buckland and the farmer delivering to the Senior Center. Sabin delivers to the Shelburne site and then recipients pick up throughout the day at their convenience. Frequently, the farmer spends time visiting with program participants during drop-off.
Sabin said, “I enjoy visiting with my neighbors through the Senior Farm Share program. When I make deliveries, I get to see friends I otherwise might not have a chance to visit. It’s nice to share their excitement over the beautiful produce we are able to grow right here where we live.”
Teddy Doucette is the outreach coordinator for The Senior Center. By facilitating the sign up of community members and overseeing the weekly distributions, he witnesses the camaraderie among recipients. He said, “It’s a really great experience. Folks get to get out of the house, hang out with a farmer and visit with their neighbors. Pick-up days are really great at the Center.”
Health and community are two of the goals for The Senior Center, and the Senior Farm Share program aligns nicely with these goals. Doucette explains that the Center offers diverse activities and programs, including monthly visits from a nurse visits who offers patient education on nutrition and special concerns, like diabetes.
“Living in the Hilltowns, seniors wouldn’t eat as much variety and quantity of produce were it not for this program. Geography is a limitation; it’s top-notch food people can’t find easily up here,” Doucette said.
In the friendly exchange of share pickup, members talk about the food in that week’s share, ways to use it and how much they like it. Members exchange recipes, sharing their family stories and cultures, enriching the food with story and friendship. Doucette adds, “It’s a big community builder. Program members love what they’re getting, and they love talking with each other about the food in their shares.”
Anna Meyer is the owner-operator of Hart Farm. “We typically harvest and pack bags for the senior shares the day we deliver them. We try to curate the bags appropriately for the senior demographic, so we try to get less leafy greens and more of the exciting foods in there,” Meyer said.
She continues, “We deliver to individuals’ homes at Highland Village. Sometimes we get to meet the member at their door and other times we leave it for them. It’s always nice to offer accessibility, especially for people who might have mobility impairments. It’s a really easy way for people to get their food.”
Hart Farm grows vegetables and herbs for their shares, with an occasional appearance by raspberries or other fruit in a bumper year. Meyer estimates five pounds of produce per week, but it varies with what’s in season — squash at the end of the season are heavy.
She said, “It’s hard to quantify, but we like to put five to seven items in the bag weekly. We try to keep it abundant, but not too much because we know that some of these members are living independently and we don’t want to overwhelm them.”
Meyer explains, “In any given share we try to have a cooking green or salad green; a root vegetable, like carrots; and a specialty item, like tomatoes. We add an allium, like garlic or scallions, for good diversity.”
Hart Farm affirms financial and geographic accessibility of local food for everyone — not just seniors — with multiple CSA options, accepting payment through Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Healthy Incentives Program (HIP), farm-to-home CSA delivery, farm-to-neighborhood hub CSA delivery and the Greenfield Farmers Market from May to mid-June and late summer, August to mid-September.
Meyer explains, “At our public-facing spaces (like at the farmers market), we definitely have seniors there, but it’s evident that accessibility poses challenges. So being able to meet members at their homes and drop off a little bit of sunshine from our field adds a little bit of joy to members’ lives.”
She continues, “We get feedback from the members that it brings a lot of ease that they don’t have to get out and go get this fresh produce themselves. They like meeting a farmer and checking in about the weather. So it definitely fosters a sense of community; it feels like an important act for us to be able to meet people who would not be able to find this food in an easy way otherwise.”
Hart Farm is still accepting CSA signups for this season. Anyone can join, and they accept SNAP and HIP. There are several options for home delivery within western Franklin and western Hampshire counties, or pickup through their neighborhood hub sites in Greenfield and Northampton. Learn more at conwayhartfarm.com/csa.
Open daily from May through October, The Atherton Farm offers flowering plants, vegetable plants, eggs and produce picked daily. Find their farm stand at 147 Ashfield Road, Buckland, MA 01370.
Lisa Goodrich is a communications coordinator for Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture (CISA). To learn more about the Senior Farm Share program, see buylocalfood.org/senior farmshare.