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Medina County officials decry state cap on farmers market vouchers for seniors
Summary
Senior & Adult Services Director Laura Toth told commissioners the state limited Medina County to 179 farmers market vouchers this year, down from more than 400 applicants last year; she urged restoring a paper option and asked the board to advocate for seniors and local farmers.
Senior & Adult Services Director Laura Toth told the Medina County Board of Commissioners on May 12 that the Ohio Department of Aging and the Ohio Department of Agriculture restricted the county to 179 Farmers Market vouchers this year, sharply fewer than the more than 400 residents who applied last year.
Toth said the application window opened and closed with little notice and that state officials provided no clear explanation for the reduced cap. She told the board she planned to reach out to local organizations such as Feeding Medina County to help seniors who do not receive vouchers, and she recommended restoring a paper-based application option to improve utilization among residents who have trouble completing online forms.
Commissioner Aaron M. Harrison supported continued advocacy and offered the board’s assistance in communicating concerns to state contacts. Toth told commissioners the impact extends beyond seniors to local farmers who rely on voucher purchases as a revenue source.
The board took no formal vote on the matter during the meeting. Senior Day events, which the county is hosting on May 20 at the Medina County Fairgrounds, remain scheduled and were highlighted by Toth as an opportunity to reach affected residents.
