Market Days for Older Adults

Market Days Logo

Reducing Food Insecurity · Promoting Healthy Aging · Supporting Local Farmers

Market Days for Older Adults is a unique program that addresses food insecurity among older adults while supporting local agriculture. The program began in summer 2018.

How Market Days for Older Adults Works

Income-eligible participants who are 60+ receive vouchers to purchase fresh fruit and vegetables at the Larimer County Farmers’ Market. The vouchers are distributed at the market on the first Saturday of the month from June through October. Our funding comes from sponsors, donations, grants and fundraising.

 

 Donate Now

Why Market Days is Important

Patricia Lipinski, FNP, is a Nurse Practitioner at St. Luke's Medical Clinic. She loves Market Days for older adults because of how it supports healthy aging for her clients. As she says:

“Many of our patients live in poverty. One 90-year-old woman living alone was eating cat food. Market Days is greatly needed in our community.”

A Community-Wide Effort

Produce from a Market Days bag laid out for display. Included is acorn squash, carrots, cabbage, turnips, apples, mushrooms, and potatoes.From volunteers, local farmers, county leaders, and partners, Market Days is truly a community-wide effort.

Some of our community partners who participate in the program include:

  • The Larimer County Office on Aging
  • Housing Catalyst
  • Meals on Wheels Fort Collins
  • Neighbor to Neighbor
  • Loveland Housing Authority
  • St. Luke’s Medical Clinic
  • Red Feather Lakes Community Library
  • Grandfamily Coalition
  • Volunteers of America’s Cadence and Sanctuary Communities
  • Oakbrook I and II Senior Housing

Support Market Days for Older Adults 

 

According to Hunger Free Colorado, 7.5% of older adults face hunger in Colorado. You can make a difference! Your donation:

  • Helps reduce the hard decision between paying bills or buying food
  • Supports healthy aging
  • Connects local farmers to the greater community

Donate Now

Sponsor Market Days for Older Adults

We offer a variety of sponsorship opportunities for small and large businesses. Your sponsorship supports our work to reduce food insecurity in older adults in Larimer County.

Review our Sponsorship Opportunities

For more information, contact Maggie Switzer at the Larimer County Extension Office: marketdaysfc@gmail.com or 970-498-6000.

2024 Sponsors: 

 Supporting Sponsor: 

Trozan Insurance Agency - VIP Insurance Partners

Other Sponsors:

 

Kaiser PermanenteBiobubbleLarimer County Office on Aging

 

 

  Expand All   Collapse All

View a PDF Impact Report

Market Days for Older Adults provides fresh produce to older adults experiencing food insecurity.  A program of Larimer County Colorado State University Extension, all produce from Market Days comes from local farmers. Market Days began in 2019 and operates from June through October.   

Voucher Program Re-introduced:

Before COVID-19, participants received vouchers to shop at the Larimer County Farmers’ Market. In September, we re-introduced the vouchers. Participants could choose between:

  • A pre-made produce bag valued at $18
  • A voucher packet valued at $18

CSU Service Learning Students were available at the Larimer County Farmers’ Market
to help shoppers. We distributed 114 voucher packets in September and October.

"I have thoroughly enjoyed the items and I can usually get at least a week's worth of meals out of everything."
- Pam, Market Days Participant

2023 By the Numbers:

  • 310 Individuals Served
  • 2,050 Bags Distributed
  • $32,043.05 Paid to Local Growers
  • 296 Volunteer Hours
  • 438 Paid Student Intern Hours
  • 96 Service Learning Student Hours

Community Partners:

  • A Little Help
  • Grand Family Coalition
  • Housing Catalyst
  • Lago Vista Mobile Home Park
  • Larimer County Office on Aging
  • Loveland Housing Authority’s Silver Leaf I & II
  • Mason Place
  • Meals on Wheels Fort Collins
  • St. Luke's Medical Clinic
  • Neighbor to Neighbor
  • Oakbrook I & II Senior Housing
  • Red Feather Lakes Library
  • VOA’s Cadence and Sanctuary Communities

" I love Market Days!  It helps a lot and I like the experience of getting things I’ve never eaten. The recipes and information are great, and I love discovering a new food that I like. I look forward to getting the bag every time."

- Carol, Market Days Participant

2023 Sponsorships:

Total 2023 Sponsorship Funds Raised: $20,000

 

2023 Premier Sponsor:

 

Desperado Realty

Other 2023 Sponsors:

Logo: United Healthcare
Logo: Kaiser Permanente
BioBubble

Click here to view a PDF of our 2022 Community Impact Report

About Market Days

Market Days is a program of the Larimer County Office of Colorado State University Extension and the Larimer County Farmers’ Market providing fresh produce from the market to older adults who are 60+ and experiencing food insecurity or hunger. 

Market Days began in 2019 and operates from June through  October. This year we added a transportation service to bring participants to the market who needed transit. We also created an advisory board for accountability, growth, and sustainability.

2022 by the Numbers

  • 225 Individuals Served
  • 1,281 Bags Distributed
  • $19,250 to Local Growers
  • 260 Volunteer Hours
  • 6 Student Interns

Community Partners

  • Larimer County Office on Aging
  • Meals on Wheels Fort Collins
  • Lago Vista Mobile Home Park
  • St. Luke's Medical Clinic
  • Mason Place
  • Loveland Housing Authority
  • A Little Help
  • Housing Catalyst
  • Neighbor to Neighbor
  • Red Feather Lakes Library
  • Loveland's Community Kitchen

Program Survey

In partnership with CSU's Department of Human Development and Family Studies, we surveyed 32 recipients of the Market Days program.

  • 25 reported their health improved a lot or a little due to Market Days
  • 28 reported they would like to see Market Days run year-round
  • 31 said they were very satisfied with Market Days

2022 Sponsors

Premier Sponsor:

 

Logo: Kaiser Permanente

Other 2022 Sponsors:

Logo: United Healthcare
Logo: Residents United
Loco: ENT Credit Union
BioBubble
Logo: Lucky's Market
Noco Nosh
Larimer County Logo

 

Click here to view a PDF of our 2021 Impact Report

  • Total bags distributed between May 22th – Oct. 23rd, 2021: 1,445 (a 25% increase from 2020)
  • 65 Volunteers – a total of 363 volunteer hours
  • Number of Older Adults Served: 480* (*an additional 46 children benefited through Grand Family Coalition)
  • Total Dollars to Local Farmers: $18,785
  • 11 Community Partners:
    • Larimer County Office on Aging
    • Grand Family Coalition
    • Meals on Wheels FC
    • Lago Vista Mobile Home Park
    • A Little Help
    • Housing Catalyst
    • Neighbor to Neighbor
    • Red Feather Lakes Library
    • Mason Place
    • FC Neighborhood Services
    • St. Luke’s Medical Clinic
  • Number of individuals served: 269
  • Participants received an average of 4.3 bags during the market season
  • Total bags distributed: 1,161
  • Total Volunteers: 73
  • Total Volunteer Hours: 413
  • Total dollars spend: $25,390
  • Community Partners that participated:
    • Housing Catalyst
    • The Northern
    • Lagovista Mobile Home Park
    • Grand Family Coalition
    • Crossroads Church
    • Larimer County Office on Aging
    • A Little Help
    • Partnership for Age Friendly Communities
    • Meals on Wheels of Fort Collins
    • Neighbor to Neighbor
    • Arikara Farm Project
  • Generous Sponsors:
    • Larimer County
    • Bath Garden Center & Nursery
    • Associates in Family Medicine
    • Next 50 Initiative
      • In 2020, with support from a COVID relief grant from the NextFifty Initiative and funding from the Larimer County Office on Aging, the program generated an additional $25,000 in revenue for participating farmers.
  • In addition to produce from market farmers, some produce is donated by community partners. In 2020, Market Days received a donation from the Colorado Dry Bean Committee to provide Colorado-grown beans for participants.

Market Days for Older Adults runs from June to October. We have compiled a list of food pantries in Larimer County as a reference for when Market Days is not operating. 

Market Days partnership harvests unique opportunities for gerontology students

CHHS Summer Standouts: Jesse Whitcomb strives to eliminate food insecurity and create positive change in her community

CSU grad student helps battle food insecurity among low-income older adults

 


Larimer County Farmers' Market

2025 Season:

May 17th - Oct. 25th  
9am - 1pm  
200 W. Oak Street, Fort Collins

Contact the Larimer County Farmers' Market

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