A Double Win for Fresh Food

[marmar]

from YES! Magazine:



A Double Win for Fresh Food
In Michigan, food stamps are worth double at farmers markets, which means more healthy food for low-income shoppers and more customers for local farmers.

by Oran B. Hesterman
posted Sep 15, 2011


Detroit is home to the longest-running public farmers’ market in the country, as well as to many low-income residents who receive government aid in purchasing food. But until recently, those worlds didn’t really meet: of $361 million in SNAP benefits (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly known as food stamps) spent in the city in 2010, less than $200,000 went to farmers’ markets.

A new program is working to close the gap, in Detroit and beyond: to increase access to fresh, healthy food for low-income residents of inner cities and “food deserts” while simultaneously strengthening the local economy and improving the livelihoods of farmers and rural communities.

The program, called Double Up Food Bucks (DUFB), is a project of the nonprofit Fair Food Network. It’s a simple idea: SNAP shoppers use their benefits at a participating farmers’ market and receive tokens for an equal amount to purchase any Michigan-grown fruit or vegetable at the market. In effect, food dollars spent at farmers’ markets are doubled, up to $20 per market day. By spending $20 of SNAP benefits at the farmers’ market, the shopper comes home with $40 worth of healthy, fresh, regionally grown produce.

The program started as a pilot project in Detroit, but it’s now gone statewide, allowing Michigan residents to double the value of their SNAP purchases at 55 farmers’ markets. Since the 2011 program season started on June 1, more than 22,000 people have taken advantage of it—one-third of them using their SNAP benefits at a farmers’ market for the first time ever, creating an entirely new cadre of shoppers at the markets and supporters of the local food economy. Shoppers have already used $350,938 of SNAP benefits at these markets and have received $311,076 in DUFB matching tokens—more than tripling the SNAP income of farmers’ markets the year before. ............(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.yesmagazine.org/people-power/a-double-win-for-fresh-food

[Coexist]

1. that is wonderful.

[phasma ex machina]

2. Getting all of your eggs from one factory farm is foolish. nt

[xmas74]

3. I love this!

More should look into offering similar programs. Fresh food for at risk families and support for local/state economies. Seems like a win-win.

[On the Road]

4. Well, That is a Great Way to Incent Better a Better Diet Among the Poort

Usually the best policy is simple -- easy to grasp and implement.

Now if poorer neighborhoods would start having more farmers' markets, it would be really good.

[blueamy66]

12. Sorry, but it ain't gonna happen.

:-(

I would say that about 5% of food stamp users will go to the farmer's market for their food.

[SemperEadem]

16. and that declaration is based upon what?

[blueamy66]

22. personal expericence, a few years working for juvie probation and CPS

and oh yeah, personal experience.

Come on.....be truthful here....mac and cheese, hamburger helper, frozen chicken tenders, tuna, bologna and american cheese....

You gotta buy what you can afford.

When we had some hard times, that's what we bought.

Never thought once about going to a farmer's market.

[Moosepoop]

32. I've had hard times too (having them now)

but I still bought/buy whatever fruits & veggies I could/can with what I had/have to spend. Sometimes, that meant none... but if the opportunity to buy them with essentially a "Buy 1, get 1 Free" offer arose, I would and do choose to do that. I think that many others, whether relying on food stamps or not, would do the same.

Maybe you chose solely the food items you listed above, and never once gave a thought to going to a farmer's market, but you cannot speak for everyone (a few years working with juvie probation or with CPS notwithstanding).

It's a good program -- not sure what the pooh-poohing of it is all about. :shrug:

[blueamy66]

33. Okay, I'll stand corrected.

It's just easier to go to the local supermarket than to a farmer's market....

[On the Road]

19. Oh, I Know

My tenants who are on food stamps get the worst combination of food -- frozen breaded things, cans, takeout french fries, soda. All of which are OK in moderation, but not as a whole diet. You can see the effects of bad nutrition in people over time just walking down the street.

I understand some of it. These foods are readily available and cheap. A lot of people work two low-paying jobs, are single or in single-parent households and don't have the time and energy for extensive food preparation. Most also don't have cars, which makes it very time-consuming to shop unless they live across from the Hispanic supermarket. They often seem to eat out of the corner convenience stores.

The other problem, which you may be alluding to, is that a lot of lower-income people don't know how to cook and are not interested in devoting the effort to eating better. Something has been lost between generations, and girls are not learning to cook from their mothers. It's a mixture of convenience, lack of motivation, short-term thinking, and resistance to being told what's good for them.

On the other hand, there are always exceptions. I don't doubt your 5% estimate. But for an inexpensive public health policy with the other benefits mentioned in the article, it's not a bad decision. And food stamps have become so ubiquitous that the recipients are a lot more diverse than they used to be.

[tgal]

23. "and girls are not learning to cook from their mothers"

of course boys cannot learn to cook from their mothers or fathers or fathers teach their daughters AND sons to cook.

Please stop the 1950's stereotyping, get enough of that from the racist Koch owned Tea Party these days.

Thanks.

[On the Road]

26. The Point is That Parents are No Longer Passing Skills Along to Their

children. It was never typical for mothers or fathers to teach sons how to cook, so that is not something that could be continued. What is different is that girls are no longer learning these skills from their mothers.

Perhaps changing gender roles has a place in this. If so, it's unfortunate.

[SemperEadem]

27. you mean parents of a certain economic stripe

I've dated guys who learned to cook from their mothers and do a really good job.

Cooking isn't the realm of girls/women--if you're hungry, then you'll learn to either cook or starve from being broke from ordering take out all the time.

[On the Road]

28. I'm Sure You Have Met Guys Who Can Cook

I do about half the cooking in the house.

However, that is and always was an exception. The difference between now and previous generations of working class families is not that parents stopped their sons to cook, because that is negligible. Daughters are no longer learning to cook. This is partly because mothers are more likely to be working, and partly because daughters are less likely to see themselves as a future housewife. It may also have to do with some of the other components of generational poverty.

In any case, if you go back a generation or two there was an usually an experienced cook in most working class households. That proportion has steadily gone down, and it affects public health.

[Moosepoop]

30. Your doomsaying might be premature.

Roughly 4.5% of Michigan food stamp users went to farmer's markets for the first time within the first 3 1/2 months of this program going statewide. I'd give it time to become more well-known and see what the usage rate is then, rather than declaring that "it ain't gonna happen." It's already started happening. :)

[me b zola]

5. K&R!

[thereismore]

6. Yes! I love this! nt

[lildreamer316]

7. Oh man. I'm jealous.

really hope this spreads.

[roody]

8. Here in NoCal also.

[SourFlower]

9. Sooooo, if Detroit can do it.....

C'mon people!! All local farmers' markets can adopt the same policy. I live in chi-chi, foofy Santa Fe, NM and people are so proud of obtaining their lettuce from the local farmers' markets every Saturday and Tuesday, yet the same policy could benefit local people. But , we're continually non-plussed by the intergenerational poverty/obesity that plagues NM. The people who could most benefit from this kind of deal would be local growers, and local people who are trying to live in a healthy way. Both heroes in my book!

[Gormy Cuss]

10. FNS's own research has shown that an added monetary value works.

Historically it's been hard to get much participation without incentives. There are other farmers markets that offer similar bonuses and they work. FNS is aware of them because even though they don't underwrite the bonuses the regs for accepting SNAP benefits require that vendors notify FNS of any discounts offered to participants.

[Fly by night]

11. Great idea!! Here in TN, I don't think any farmer's markets accept EBT.

I may be wrong, but I haven't seen it. Doubling their value is a fantastic idea and one that I do hope goes national.

[Marrah_G]

13. omg that is terrific !!!!!!

[Viva_La_Revolution]

14. 4 Ways to Fix the Farm Bill - read this and contact congress

http://www.yesmagazine.org/issues/food-for-everyone/4-ways-to-fix-the-farm-bill

KnR!
The video at the link is good too :)

[NashVegas]

15. This Is Wonderful - Now, Get Ready to Fight the Fraud

At our Farmer's Market there are a number of vendors who resell products from outside the state, especially in the winter months but sometimes in the summer.

[MedicalAdmin]

31. Most of my local farmers markets have dealt with that by...

... the simple expedient of having all vendors sign a contract that, a) allows un notified site visits, b) verifies that all food is locally grown (usually about a 100 or so mile limit).

IT works here. And the few folks who don't want to participate can go and rent space at the gas station and set up their melon stand.

I think this is a great idea to double up... all across the nation.

[BlueIris]

17. Great idea. nt

[xchrom]

18. recommend

[Honeycombe8]

20. That is GREAT! A win-win all 'round. The fresh food at FMs are often healthier...

since they don't have to travel long distances (if the food is local), losing vitamins and anti-oxidants during the trip. It helps local farmers and businesses. And it helps those on food stamps get more bang from their buck, while encouraging buying healthier food.

I just bought some tomatoes at an FM this weekend....Mmmmmmm. Fresh and big and packed with vitamins and yummy. I also picked up some local squash, eggplant, watermelon, and Texas honey, but haven't eaten those, yet.

[Shandris]

21. Now that's an idea who's time has come!

100% in favor.

K&R&Thanks for the info!

[Recursion]

24. A group of bars does this in DC

They have a partnership with a local brewery where the proceeds from beer sales go to doubling SNAP benefits at the neighborhood farmers market. It seems to work pretty well. (I think the brewery gets something from the city for this, in addition to exposure.)

[Lucky Luciano]

25. Brilliant. nt

[valerief]

29. Excellent! nt