Foodlinks America - October 9, 2009
Foodlinks America - October 9, 2009
In this issue:
• Appropriations Reflect Program Growth and Expansion
• SNAP Shots
• WIC Watch
• Feedbag: A Compendium of News on Nutrition Assistance Programs
• Reports from the Field – Marshalltown, IA
• Small Bites
Foodlinks America is published 24 times a year by California Emergency Foodlink in Sacramento, CA and distributed by Weinberg & Vauthier Consulting, 122 South Main Street, No. 9, Burnet, TX 78611; Zy Weinberg and Barbara Vauthier, Editors; email: bvauthier@tefapalliance.org.
Foodlinks America is not copyrighted, so the information can be freely shared with colleagues and friends, though attribution for reprinted articles is appreciated. For archived issues of Foodlinks America, go to: www.tefapalliance.org. To request a free subscription to the newsletter or to submit story ideas, contact Barbara Vauthier at: bvauthier@tefapalliance.org.
Appropriations Reflect Program Growth and Expansion
Congress put the finishing touches on a fiscal year 2010 agriculture appropriations bill on October 7, 2008 that includes important expansions for key federal nutrition programs. The final bill (H.R. 2997), which passed the House on a 263-162 vote and was endorsed in the Senate by a 76-22 tally, includes $97.58 billion in mandatory spending and another $23.30 billion for discretionary programs administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The bulk of the funds are dedicated to nutrition assistance programs.
A total of $58.278 billion has been allocated for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), a $4.3 billion increase above 2009 and enough funds to aid more than 36 million people a month. The WIC Program is slated to receive $7.252 billion, an increase of $398 million above last year’s non-emergency level. The WIC total includes funds to increase fruit and vegetable voucher amounts up to levels recommended by the Institute of Medicine, $80 million to support breastfeeding initiatives, $60 million for improved state management information systems, $14 million for infrastructure improvements, and continued exemption of military combat pay from WIC income considerations.
Other child nutrition programs were allotted $16.9 billion, an increase of $1.9 billion over 2009. Some of the funds will be directed to expansion efforts. Afterschool meals in the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) will be permitted in four new jurisdictions (CT, DC, NV, and WI), besides the 10 states in the program now. Annual funding for the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) was raised to $171 million, allowing seven new states (AR, DE, GA, ME, NJ, OK, and UT) to join 32 others in operating a CSFP for women, children, and the elderly.
The appropriations bill also contains $49.95 million for storage and distribution costs under The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP), $6 million to initiate a Food Bank Infrastructure Grants Program, $3 million to promote Hunger-Free Communities, and more than $130 million for one-time grant opportunities that will feed low-income children in demonstration projects during the summer months, increase direct certification of low-income children for school meals, enhance breastfeeding efforts, and continue school equipment assistance grants.
SNAP Shots
And still growing: Nationwide participation in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or food stamps continues to skyrocket, setting a new record each month. The latest caseload statistics tallied 35,851,176 people on the program in July 2009, up by more than 725,000 from June. Nearly one in eight Americans now receives SNAP/food stamp benefits.
Again, Western states led the growth parade, though all states reported increases of caseload between July 2008 and July 2009. The largest caseload gains over the 12-month period occurred in Nevada (49.2 percent), Utah (48.6 percent), Idaho (42.3 percent), and Washington (41.8 percent). Other states experiencing large increases were: Florida (40.2 percent); Vermont (38.2 percent); Colorado (36 percent); Wisconsin (35.8 percent); Arizona (35.6 percent); New Hampshire (33.7 percent); Maryland (31.8 percent); Wyoming (31 percent); and Georgia (30.5 percent).
The caseload profiled: Who gets food stamps? Most SNAP recipients are children (49 percent) or elderly (nine percent), nearly a third (29 percent) have jobs, and few receive cash welfare benefits (only 11 percent do). Those are some of the key demographics of the caseload, according to the latest household characteristics report issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in October 2009.
The most salient characteristic of SNAP households is how poor they are. Forty-one percent have incomes at or below half of the federal poverty line. And 16 percent have zero net income, up from seven percent in 1989. For additional information, go to: http://www.fns.usda.gov/ora/MENU/Published/SNAP/FILES/Participation/2008CharacteristicsSummary.pdf.
States get bonuses for good performance: USDA recently recognized a number of states under SNAP for outstanding and timely customer service by handing out $18 million in administrative bonuses. “During these challenging economic times, it is vital that SNAP applications are processed in a timely manner and that barriers to participation are torn down,” said USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack in announcing the awards. “The States we recognize today are leaders in these customer service efforts and can serve as models for other States.”
Cited for having the Best Program Access Index were AK, DC, MO, OR, and TN. AK, MD, DE, and WI won awards for the Most Improved Program Access Index. And MT, MA, VI, LA, DC, and MO were recognized for having the Best Application Processing Time.
At least they have a model: While other states were gathering kudos, Texas was getting warning letters from USDA as its eligibility system went into meltdown phase. The state failed to process 41.4 percent of new SNAP applications in September 2009. Processing delays are as long as 150 days in Dallas and 125 days in Houston, well beyond the federal requirement that eligibility be determined within 30 days. Nonetheless, Texas has more food stamp recipients than any other state; three million have been deemed eligible, though tens of thousands more await an eligibility decision.
WIC Watch
New food package being offered: As of October 1, 2009, after more than a quarter century, the quantity and variety of foods in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC Program) has changed. Although the program’s basic list of milk, cheese, eggs, fruit juice, cereal, and infant formula has been retained, amounts of milk, cheese, eggs, and fruit juice were reduced in order to add fruits and vegetables to the food package.
Millions of WIC participants nationwide can now buy fresh, canned, or frozen produce at farmers’ markets, grocery stores, and supermarkets. The new scheme also allows health and lifestyle appropriate substitutions, such as whole grain tortillas and brown rice. Tofu and soy or lactose-free milk can be obtained in place of regular milk And, salmon or sardines may be purchased instead of tuna.
Administrative upgrades funded: The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced the awarding of $8.5 million to 11 states to improve administrative operations and increase participant access in WIC. Two states, AK and MN, received large grants to develop “robust and modern computer systems” to help administer WIC. Nine other jurisdictions – AL, CO, DE, DC, IL, MO, MT, OR, and PA – shared some $3 million in planning grants to develop electronic benefit transfer (EBT) systems. To learn more, see:
http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/!ut/p/_s.7_0_A/7_0_1OB/.cmd/ad/.ar/sa.retrievecontent/.c/6_2_1UH/.ce/7_2_5JM/.p/5_2_4TQ/.d/2/_th/J_2_9D/_s.7_0_A/7_0_1OB?PC_7_2_5JM_contentid=2009%2F09%2F0462.xml&PC_7_2_5JM_parentnav=LATEST_RELEASES&PC_7_2_5JM_navid=NEWS_RELEASE#7_2_5JM.
Vendor cost containment rules finalized: USDA published final rules in the October 8, 2009 Federal Register governing vendor cost containment in the WIC Program. The regulations helps guide states in the selection, authorization, and reimbursement of retail vendors in WIC in an effort to control program costs. Learn more at: http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/E9-24143.htm.
FEEDBAG: A Compendium of News on Nutrition Assistance Programs
Wider use of TEFAP administrative funds emcouraged: The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has issued a memorandum reminding states that administrative funds in The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) may cover both direct and indirect expenses associated with the distribution of food from other, non-federal sources. TEFAP dollars can help distribute private donations and food purchased by eligible recipient agencies. Learn more at: http://www.fns.usda.gov/fdd/whatsnew_fd.htm by viewing the September 18, 2009 memo.
More markets: The number of farmers’ markets in the U.S. grew by double digits in the past year, reported USDA in an October 2, 2009 news release announcing the availability of an updated online national farmers’ market directory. USDA currently lists 5,274 markets around the country, up 13 percent from 2008 when 4,685 markets were tabulated. Promotion of farmers’ markets is part of USDA’s “Know your Farmer, Know Your Food” initiative. Additional information may be found at: http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/!ut/p/_s.7_0_A/7_0_1OB/.cmd/ad/.ar/sa.retrievecontent/.c/6_2_1UH/.ce/7_2_5JM/.p/5_2_4TQ/.d/1/_th/J_2_9D/_s.7_0_A/7_0_1OB?PC_7_2_5JM_contentid=2009%2F10%2F0488.xml&PC_7_2_5JM_parentnav=LATEST_RELEASES&PC_7_2_5JM_navid=NEWS_RELEASE#7_2_5JM.
Food insecurity and children: President Obama and USDA are pledged to eliminate childhood hunger in America by 2015. The goal is a challenging one, as nearly 16 percent of households with children were food insecure in 2007 and the numbers have risen since then.
An updated USDA study, issued in September 2009 and titled “Food Insecurity in Households with Children: Prevalence, Severity, and Household Characteristics,” details the scope of the effort that will be needed. The study found that about 85 percent of households with food-insecure children had a working adult, with 70 percent of those being full-time workers, and that four out of five low-income food-insecure households with children already get help from federal food and nutrition programs. Find out more at: http://www.ers.usda.gov/Publications/EIB56/.
Double-dipping allowed here: USDA has issued a memo reminding states and client groups that although participants in the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) are not eligible to participate simultaneously in the WIC Program, they may receive benefits under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP), and the Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program, if otherwise eligible. The CSFP provides monthly food boxes for about half a million elderly, women, and children nationwide. View the October 6, 2009 memo at: http://www.fns.usda.gov/fdd/whatsnew_fd.htm.
Reports from the Field – Marshalltown, IA
America is a land of immigrants. People come from farms and rural areas around the globe to live in our cities and towns, become citizens, and find work. Many of these people never lose their country roots. The story of two immigrants who settled in the Midwest and are realizing their dream of farming, the same dream they had back in Mexico, is told in the following article from the Des Moines Register of September 13, 2009:
Benigno Lopez smoothly swings the machete and, whoosh, tall grasses are laid flat on the garden’s border. He takes another fluid swing and another, until his wife grows impatient.
Ramona Lopez yells and whoops in the distance to summon visitors to her side. “Come look at my peppers – jalapeños, habaneros, chilis! Most of the time, I’m not as happy as my husband. But this year, when I come and see my peppers,” she calls out, finishing the sentence with a look of adoration.
Benigno, who people call Bernie, and Ramona grew up in Jalisco, Mexico, but left behind farm life 13 years ago to move to the United States. They worked in the meat-packing plant in Marshalltown, became citizens and hoped to one day grow food again. Now they have a plot of land and are harvesting, thanks to a continuing education program to develop new farmers that heavily taps into Marshalltown’s Latino population.
“Take it, take it” Ramona says, shoving a green tube of something-or-another at the visitor. “OK, but what is it?” the visitor asks. “A Mexican yellow squash called a calabacita. Slice it, put it on the grill with a little seasoned salt,” she said. “Oh, the taste!” Just the day before, as August waned and the vegetables hung ripe with promise, she had a party and served them. It was a special evening in a season of growth.
Years ago, the couple planted a peach tree in their yard and others said it wouldn’t grow. But fruit appeared, not every year, but enough to maintain hope that new ideas, new people, could prosper here. Bernie’s father and grandfather grew peaches, mangos, oranges and avocados on their farm.
“Bernie is very happy to work outside. Works 10, 12 hours a day,” Ramona said. Ramona works at Iowa Home Care, visiting the sick and elderly in their homes, then comes out to see her peppers, which grow on plots at Marshalltown Community College. Its Entrepreneurial and Diversified Agriculture Program (EDA) led an adult education class last winter, “Start Your Own Diversified Farm,” whose goal is to help people learn to farm and contribute to the local food economy.
In looking for farmers in Marshalltown, a town long populated with Latino immigrants, it made sense to tap into their willingness and expertise. A survey of 111 Mexican and Central American immigrants in Marshalltown and Denison by Iowa State’s Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture, which paid tuition for the class, discovered that 83 percent grew up on farms and 93 percent wanted to farm, although buying or leasing land was an obstacle. A third of the 18 students in the eight-week bilingual class were Latino, joining Anglos, American Indians, and Sudanese.
“We always ate. It seemed important that we eat together to help us integrate,” said Linda Barnes, the EDA program coordinator. “The thing we learned is so much of it is about relationships. The reason that is true is we are talking about food.” Bernie and Ramona helped recruit Latinos, earned certificates from the class in March, and joined a dozen who planted plots in the spring.
Some grew excited on the first warm April day and made the mistake of planting early. Bernie waited until May 5. He had experience, working on a ranch in Mexico. “Never with a tractor but with an ox,” he says. “Old fashioned.” “He use a tiller here,” his wife adds. “I’m happy for Bernie to use a tiller.”
Just then Norm McCoy, the farm manager of the college’s 80 acres, suggests Bernie may benefit from a weed eater to tackle his chore. He smiles. New Iowans with unusual ideas like peach trees wisely take some advice from the natives.
It’s a long-time dream. While working at the packing plant, a job she didn’t like, Ramona began attending farmer’s meetings. “I would go home and look in dictionary what they say. I realized the problems same for farmers everywhere,” she said.
The main challenge for new farmers is money to buy land. But students can establish three years of growing history here, which most lenders require to buy land. All they want is a few acres, just enough to grow fruits and vegetables and raise a few cows, chickens and sheep to sell to local customers and restaurants.
Claudia Prado-Meza saw the same hunger while talking to traditional Iowa farmers. “They miss growing food that they know where it goes,” said the Iowa State graduate student in sustainable agriculture, who helps the Marshalltown farmers. “But they are trapped inside subsidized systems.”
“To hear (Ramona) gush about the potential for growing vegetables is like the embodiment of the American dream,” said John Paulin of Prairie Rivers Resource Conservation and Development. “But the institutional knowledge of growing truck crops has disappeared.” Paulin hopes the college program, which became part of an effort carrying the acronym for food in Spanish – COMIDA (County Of Marshall Investing in Diversified Agriculture) – helps connect local farmers and buyers.
Only one-tenth of a percent of Marshall County residents get food directly from farmers, a fourth of the national average. If consumers bought 15 percent, according to a study by Ken Meter of the Crossroads Resource Center in Minnesota, $8 million of new farm income would be generated in the county. So they are trying to grow farmers in Marshall County, dreamers like Ramona and Bernie.
Ramona steers her truck past the rows of white corn for tortillas, tomato plants and twisting vines of melons. It hasn’t been an easy growing summer with early cool weather and college land that hasn’t built up enough organic materials yet. Still, the group gathers enough produce to sell at the Downtown Farmers Market in Des Moines, in McCoy’s Pine Crest Farm stand.
She is chomping on a just-picked cucumber and had few complaints. “This place is the future for new people,” she says. “We raise seven kids here, three still at home. Marshalltown open the doors to us. We need to do something to give back to the community.” Adept at translating, Ramona helps recruit immigrants interested in farming while working to save money to buy land.
Her husband, she says, is never so happy as when he can stop to donate garden items at Helping Hands Temporary Services for the less privileged.
She pulls her truck up to the plot of Jorge Ibarra, a 35-year-old construction worker and father of five who learned to farm from his grandfather in Mexico. “I like to be farmer,” he says. “I lived on a farm. I like the life.” He begins filling up boxes of his sweet corn to give away. Like Ramona, he wants to return something.
As the Iowa sun sets over the standing corn, visitors take home the corn and calabacita to put on the grill, as Ramona instructed. She also cooked the squash the day before at a party for her daughter Jacqeline, the first in her family to ever leave for college. They ate it near the peach tree in Iowa.
Small Bites
Water for food: It takes an estimated 18 gallons of water to produce an apple.
Water for juice: A total of 45 gallons of water is used in the production of a seven-ounce glass of orange juice.
Poultry is all wet: Some 467 gallons of water are required to produce a pound of chicken.
Cheese is wetter: Five hundred ninety-nine gallons of water are needed to produce one pound of cheese.
Burgers underwater: 634 gallons are necessary to produce a single hamburger.
Beef beats them all: A pound of beef uses 1,857 gallons of water.
mvauthier :: Oct.09.2009 :: Foodlinks America :: No Comments »:: Print This Post