WASHINGTON (WCAX) – Vermont Sens. Peter Welch and Bernie Sanders are among lawmakers pushing new legislation to get maple products to area seniors.
The MAPLE Act would add maple syrup to the eligible products under the Seniors Farmers Market Nutrition Program, which gives low-income seniors access to locally grown fruits, vegetables, honey, and herbs at farmers’ markets, roadside stands, and community-supported agriculture programs.
“For Vermonters, maple syrup runs thicker than blood—it’s long been a cornerstone of our state’s culture and our economy,” Welch, D-Vermont, said in a statement Thursday. “The MAPLE Act will help seniors in Vermont and across America tap into the nutritious, locally sourced, world-class maple our state is so proud of, expand the market for maple producers, and boost our local economy.”
Senators Welch and Susan Collins, R-Maine, are leading the introduction of the bill in the Senate.