TEFAP Alliance Blog

Foodlinks America - March 30, 2007

In this issue:

• Budget Resolution Moving Through Congress
• Senior Meals Face Funding and Diversity Challenges
• Food versus Fuel Debate Rages On
• Food Stamp Facts
• School Food News and Notes
• CSFP Eligibility Guidelines Updated
• Community Food Projects Profile: Planting Roots of Food Security in Holyoke
• Small Bites

Foodlinks America is published 24 times a year by California Emergency Foodlink in Sacramento, CA and distributed by Weinberg & Vauthier Consulting, 6412 CR 116, 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.

Budget Resolution Moving Through Congress

The Senate and House of Representatives are working on a fiscal year 2008 budget resolution that is expected to be completed next month. The Senate finalized its budget, which outlines spending priorities, on March 23, 2007 by a 52-47 vote. Two Republicans, Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe, both of Maine, joined all Democrats and Independents in supporting a spending plan that is opposed by the Administration.

The Senate’s $2.9 trillion budget provides an $18 billion increase next year for non-defense, discretionary programs, including more funds for education and health care for low-income children and veterans. The budget assumes a 2010 expiration of some of President Bush’s biggest tax cuts, a move that, along with the increased spending, drew White House opposition. For the first time in a number of years, the resolution also includes a provision – referred to as “pay-go” – that will require an increase in revenues or other cuts to offset any new initiatives or increased spending on existing programs.

In the House, the Budget Committee passed its budget resolution on March 21 on a 12-11 party-line vote. The full House is expected to consider the budget resolution on March 28.

The 2008 budget resolution details are important for nutrition programs, as decisions will have a major impact on reauthorization of the Farm Bill, which affects the Food Stamp Program, commodity distribution programs such as The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP), and the Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program. According to anti-hunger advocates, the House committee version is preferable to the Senate resolution because it provides a larger five-year reserve fund for the Farm Bill ($20 billion versus $15 billion in the Senate), affirms a “Sense of Congress” statement about tackling domestic hunger that is not in the Senate resolution, and sets a higher discretionary spending level of $417.8 billion, compared to the Senate’s $412.7 billion, and $392.5 billion in the President’s budget.

Although access to the Farm Bill reserve will require offsets in other programs or new revenues, both Senate Agriculture Committee chair Tom Harkin (D-IA) and House Agriculture Committee chair Collin Peterson (D-MN) have indicated they will seek to find resources to trigger the reserve funds. Moreover, the House resolution expresses that, “It is the sense of the House that the Department of Agriculture programs that help fight hunger should be maintained and that the House should seize opportunities to enhance those programs to reach people in need and to fight hunger.”

Democrats are optimistic that a House-Senate conference committee will be able to iron out differences between the two bills in late April, following a recess of April 2-9 in the Senate and April 2-13 in the House. The budget resolution, though non-binding and not requiring Presidential approval, sets spending limits in 12 broad categories. Last year, under Republican control, Congress failed to complete a budget resolution, leading to the February 2007 passage of a $464 billion, catchall, continuing resolution.

Senior Meals Face Funding and Diversity Challenges

The Older Americans Act (OAA), the federal law that establishes programs and services for Americans 60 years of age and older, is facing a dilemma. How do you, with limited funding, provide for the needs of both an active 60-year-old and a frail centenarian?

The OAA provides states and communities with core funding for congregate feeding programs and home-delivered meals (HDM). Such meal services are of critical importance, with federal surveys showing that for 66 percent of HDM recipients and 56 percent of congregate meal participants that one meal provides more than half of their daily food intake. But changing demographics of the elderly population, especially as the baby boomers reach the 60-year plateau, have caused senior nutrition programs nationwide to re-evaluate their operations.

“We’re supposed to provide food people like and that’s healthy,” said Jean Lloyd, national nutritionist at the U.S. Administration on Aging (AoA) in Washington, D.C. “It’s not easy; one meal doesn’t fit all.” Tastes are changing. “As I get older, the kind of food that I’m going to want to eat isn’t the same that my mother ate,” commented Enid Borden, executive director of the Meals on Wheels Association of America (MOWAA). “My mother ate meatloaf and mashed potatoes. I don’t eat that,” she added.

Satisfying a variety of preferences is one of the most significant challenges elderly nutrition programs must address. Increasing numbers of congregate programs offer wider choices, such as a salad bar, to elderly diners. Even meals on wheels programs are expanding their offerings. “Home-delivered meals traditionally had non-selected menus,” Linda Netterville, MOWAA’s vice president for education told Foodlinks America. “Some now provide a choice option and a variety of entrees.”

Moreover, the needs of the homebound elderly keep growing. HDM programs now eat up 58 percent of OAA nutrition funding compared to 15 percent some 20 years ago. According to the most recent statistics from AoA, 61 percent of HDM clients live alone, nearly three-quarters are age 75 or older, and 29 percent would be eligible for nursing home care if meals and ancillary services were not available in the community to keep them in their homes.

Funding for the meal programs is another huge challenge. Federal funding for OAA programs has been relatively static over the past 30 years, in spite of the burgeoning number of elderly. “The funding sources are just not there and not increasing at the rate they need to,” said MOWAA’s Netterville. She noted that HDM programs are becoming more entrepreneurial, administering other meal programs – like summer feeding for children – to increase economies of scale, seeking other funding sources such as Medicaid, and recruiting private pay clients.

OAA funds are no longer the primary source of support for providing meals for the elderly, said Ms. Lloyd at AoA. A recent chart from the U.S. Department of Agriculture showed that in 2005, OAA programs contributed only 28 percent of major nutrition program funding serving the elderly. Food stamps, at almost 65 percent, provided the bulk of the support. The OAA provides a base structure and some funding, Lloyd explained, but increasingly, state and local governments, community resources like United Way, and private insurance are picking up the tab to help feed America’s aging population.

Food versus Fuel Debate Rages On

Food costs are beginning to rise as the growing demand for biofuels pushes up grain prices. Corn, a commodity on which American agriculture is fixated for the production of ethanol, recently reached its highest price level in a decade. Not only will increased demand for corn – which, as corn sweetener, is included in a large number of food products – cause a rise in grocery prices, but expanded cultivation of corn by American farmers is expected to reduce plantings of wheat and soybeans, two other staple grains that are critical to domestic food supplies.

The upward pressure on corn prices is also affecting consumers’ pocketbooks when it comes to buying meat. “Feed prices are rising, so that pushes up the costs of poultry, hogs, and cattle and therefore a rancher is going to lower the size of his herd to keep costs down,” explained Keith Collins, chief economist for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, “in turn there is going to be less meat, which means prices are going to go up.” In addition, the strong demand for grain-based biofuels has contributed to a significant decrease in global corn and wheat stockpiles, which are now at a 25-year low.

Food items that will increase in price, according to Robert Wisner, an agricultural economist at Iowa State University, include soft drinks and processed food such as ketchup made with high-fructose corn syrup, corn-based foods such as corn chips and breakfast cereals, and soybean oil and wheat flour. Already, “Food and beverage manufacturers are seeing a significant increase in prices,” noted Cal Dooley, president of the Food Products Association. Consumer price increases are undoubtedly not far behind.

Ethanol production, however, need not rely on corn. In fact, corn is one of the least efficient sources of biofuel. Brazil is making large quantities of ethanol from sugarcane, enough so that Brazilian ethanol will soon be exported to the U.S., which will impose a 54-cent per gallon tariff on the Brazilian fuel to protect its corn-based ethanol industry.

Besides sugarcane, another potential candidate for ethanol production is switchgrass, a hardy perennial commonly found in North American prairies and pastures, as well as along roadsides and in gardens. Switchgrass is grazed by certain animals, used as ground cover to control erosion, and farmed as forage for livestock. After a single planting, switchgrass can be harvested for up to ten years. It also requires very low fertilizer and herbicide inputs and can thrive in poor soil and variable climatic conditions.

Switchgrass has the potential to produce 1,000 gallons of ethanol per acre, compared to 665 gallons for sugarcane, and 400 gallons for corn. However, the development of the technology for efficient conversion of switchgrass to ethanol is not yet perfected. And switchgrass may yet become a viable option if corn prices go through the roof. “Developing cellulosic ethanol technology will be necessary to move our industry beyond the limits of grain-based ethanol,” admitted Bob Dinneen, president of the Renewable Fuels Association in a speech earlier this year.

Food Stamp Facts

Participation still going up: The national food stamp caseload increased by more than 86,171 persons between November and December 2006. More than 26.3 million Americans are enrolled in the program.

Growth driving increased food stamp costs: The Food Stamp Program experienced a five percent increase in expenditures during fiscal year 2006 resulting from a four percent rise in participation. Total food stamp spending reached $32.8 billion last year, a record high for the program, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Participation topped out at 30.8 million people in November 2005, the largest number of participants in a single month ever, as the result of temporary eligibility for households affected by Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Wilma. Per person benefits over the year averaged $94.04. Additional details are provided in USDA’s semi-annual Food Assistance Landscape. The latest edition may be found at: http://www.ers.usda.gov/Publications/EIB6-4/.

Outreach and participation grants offered: USDA is accepting applications for Food Stamp Program (FSP) participation grants for fiscal year 2007. A total of $5 million is available this year. Up to $1 million of this money will be awarded to a partnership between a State agency and one or more private non-profit organizations, including faith-based or community-based organizations.

All state agencies that administer the FSP, state or local governments, agencies providing health or welfare services, public health or educational entities and private non-profit entities such as community-based or faith-based organizations, food banks, or other emergency feeding organizations may apply. Eligible applicants may use the money to support projects that develop and implement simple food stamp application and eligibility determination systems, or measures to improve access to food stamp benefits. Applications are due by June 13, 2007. For more details, see the request for applications at: http://www.fns.usda.gov/fsp/government/grants/2007-RFA.pdf.

School Food News and Notes

Schools and their students report healthier fare: Pizza is still the number one choice in school cafeteria lines, but it is losing ground to chicken (typically served as nuggets or strips) and Mexican foods, according to the 2006 Back to School Trends Survey from the School Nutrition Association (SNA). More importantly, significant numbers of food service directors report serving healthier meals.

Most schools nationwide have adopted wellness policies to comply with the 2004 amendments to the Child Nutrition Act, policies that are driving healthier choices in the lunchroom and throughout the school campus. Making healthier beverages available in vending machines, limiting the fat content of a la carte or vending items, and increasing the availability of fresh fruits and vegetables are actions that have been taken by at least 60 percent of schools responding to the survey. Over 40 percent of schools now offer vegetarian entrée choices.

SNA also reported that French fries have dropped in popularity more than 10 points from 1998 to 2006, to a number two ranking among vegetables after corn and followed by carrots. The most popular fruits are apples, peaches, grapes, and strawberries. Chocolate chip cookies dominate the dessert category, followed by ice cream dishes and brownies. “We are dealing with much more sophisticated audiences now, and we are working hard to meet their needs in a healthier way,” said SNA president Janey Thornton.

Safety inspections lagging: Nearly 40 percent of schools in the National School Lunch Program failed to receive semi-annual health inspections as required by law, according to a March 16, 2007 news investigation by The Associated Press (AP). The situation is not dire, and fewer inspections do not necessarily translate into more cases of food poisoning. “But [the lack of inspections] contributes to all the other little things – temperatures, rat droppings – to all those things that could make your child sick,” commented Ken Kelly, an attorney for the food safety group Center for Science in the Public Interest in Washington, D.C., about the findings.

Using U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) figures of 94,132 schools nationwide subject to the inspection requirement, the AP noted that 9,498 schools – about 10 percent – were not inspected at all. Twenty-nine percent – or 27,184 schools – were inspected only once. On the positive side, 57,450 schools were reviewed at least twice.

The lack of inspections, however, is not the fault of the schools, as food service workers do not inspect themselves. The responsibility lies with state and local health authorities, that are often understaffed. Congress doubled the inspection requirement a couple years ago, but did not provide any additional funds for enforcement. “This was a federal mandate which came down with no resources to support increased levels of inspection,” said Paul Jarris, executive director of the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials.

Eligibility disclosure rule finalized: USDA has issued final rules to establish requirements for the disclosure of children’s free and reduced price eligibility in child nutrition programs. In certain instances, limited eligibility information on children and their families for school food, summer feeding, and child care food programs may be released without parental/guardian consent to other programs, federal officials, and law enforcement agencies. More detailed guidelines for disclosure may be found in the rule, published in the March 12, 2007 Federal Register at: http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20071800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2007/pdf/E7-4268.pdf.

CSFP Eligibility Guidelines Updated

Income eligibility guidelines for the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) in 2007 were adjusted in a recent memorandum issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Income limits are set at 185 percent of federal poverty guidelines for women, infants, and children in the program and at 130 percent of poverty for elderly households. For further information, go to: http://www.fns.usda.gov/fdd/programs/csfp/CSFP_IncomeGuidelines07.pdf.

Community Food Projects Profile: Planting Roots of Food Security in Holyoke

Editor’s Note: This is the ninth and last in a series of articles celebrating the tenth anniversary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Community Food Projects program and featuring some of the more successful projects.

Fermin Galarza, a native of Salinas, Puerto Rico, learned how to grow avocados, mangos, pineapples, bananas, and herbs and vegetables, as well as raise chickens and other livestock, when he was a child. He came to the U.S. 25 years ago as a migrant farmworker, and settled in Holyoke, Massachusetts. When a local non-profit, Nuestras Raices (Spanish for “Our Roots”), obtained access to fertile farmland in 2005 just outside the urban core of Holyoke, Galarza jumped at the chance to run a farm again.

Following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather, Galarza got help from Nuestras Raices in preparing a business plan, and began to plant vegetables and raise chickens. He was able to sell his goods directly to the public from the farm site and at a stand at the Holyoke Farmers’ Market. By the end of his first year, Galarza was not only doing the work he loved, but clearing a small profit and learning how to grow his business.

Holyoke is a depressed, former manufacturing center of 40,000 people. Today, more than 40 percent of the population is Latino, predominantly Puerto Ricans with agricultural backgrounds. Nuestras Raices received one of the very first Community Food Projects (CFP) grants in 1996 to renovate an abandoned downtown building and turn it into a multi-purpose “Centro Agrícola,” or agricultural center, in an inner-city neighborhood. Project plans called for a greenhouse, two kitchens, a café/restaurant, library, meeting space, and a plaza for community gatherings.

Nuestras Raices requested only $89,000 for what became a major renovation project. The former tavern had to be gutted, the roof and floors rebuilt, interior walls reframed, and plumbing and electrical work completed for the kitchens, bathrooms, restaurant area, library, and meeting rooms. Volunteers provided nearly all the construction labor to keep the project within budget. City codes and permitting procedures prolonged the rehabilitation of the building, but provided valuable lessons in citizen empowerment. Completion of the Centro took four years, but became a source of community pride.

Focusing on vegetables and herbs common in Puerto Rico, Nuestras Raices offered use of its community kitchen to 17 entrepreneurs for catering and production of sauces and other prepared foods, which were sold to the public in the plaza under a 16-foot mural depicting urban and rural scenes of Puerto Rico that was painted by 40 neighborhood children. Workshop space and meeting space in the bilingual agricultural library housed extensive programs for youth and garden-based leadership training courses.

The entire community rallied around the Centro. “It’s a very unique project,” said Holyoke’s Mayor in a 1998 interview in the local newspaper. “It’s taking an eyesore and turning it into a vibrant, creative use that will benefit the residents of that area.” Added Nuestras Raices executive director Daniel Ross, “We’re not just a community development corporation – we emphasize crops, environmental justice, and murals and art projects to validate rural and ethnic roots.”

A second CFP grant to Nuestras Raices in 2002 helped initiate new projects and support a local food policy council that inventoried resources, completed a market assessment for development of business enterprises in the inner-city, and examined ways to boost urban agriculture and gardening.

The exemplary work of Nuestras Raices helped the organization earn a third and more substantial CFP grant in 2005. The $240,000 award is helping the group create new, sustainable food and agriculture endeavors on the “Tierra de Oportunidades,” the Land of Opportunities farm – a donated 30-acre tract of Connecticut River bottomland just a couple of miles from the edge of the city. Part of the land is being made available to farmers like Fermin Galarza, but the organization has grander plans. “A powerful blueprint has emerged for the concept of ‘Nuestras Raices Farms,’ a Latino cultural agritourism destination for visitors from throughout the region,” said project director Eric Toensmeier.

The site will have: a farm store to retail value-added products made in the Centro’s kitchens, supplemented by arts and crafts; a “Lechonera” restaurant serving traditional roasted meats of Puerto Rico and the Caribbean; a Paso Fino horse stable, featuring show horses with the iconic Latin American gait; a petting zoo with Caribbean-themed livestock; pony rides; and other outdoor cultural events, festivals, and concerts. Also on the drawing board are environmental education tours led by local youth, a composting operation, aquaculture enterprises, and a tropical and native plant nursery. Nuestras Raices executive director Ross refers to the project as “a Puerto Rican, agricultural Disneyland.”

The Tierra de Oportunidades project has been carefully designed for self-sustainability. Income from leases and license fees from the ventures started will more than cover ongoing costs. “The innovative nature of the project, its combination of food systems, conservation, and community leadership all grow from the culture of the community,” noted executive director Ross. “At every stage community-owned businesses and jobs are created. At heart, it’s about building a healthy community where people know each other, and invest in each other.”

Small Bites

Fund-raising fun: Selling everything from candy to magazine subscriptions, schools, churches, and non-profit groups raise about $1.7 billion a year nationwide for discretionary spending, with schools receiving about 83 percent of the total.

Fund-raising profit: Companies that provide the products for such fund-raising earn more, about $2.1 billion annually. On average, schools keep about 45 percent of fund-raising proceeds; the companies keep the rest.

Fund-raising food: To supplement their budgets, 91 percent of schools in the country engage in fund-raising, with 82 percent of schools selling food – most often candy or baked goods – at the school or in the community.

Seafood supplies: The U.S. imports abut three billion pounds of fish annually to meet consumer demand.

The fishing is better up north: More than 90 percent of all fish caught are caught in the northern hemisphere.

Cod is not odd: Approximately 10 percent of the global fish catch is cod.

mvauthier :: Mar.28.2007 :: Foodlinks America :: No Comments »:: Print This Post

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