Many people earning poverty wages have a difficult time purchasing fresh produce, but that is all changing with a Washington, D.C. program that gives people $10 vouchers to use at their local farmers’ market which are only good for fruit and vegetables.
There are currently 17 million children living in households deemed food challenged, and these are the very households that find it difficult to eat nutritiously on low incomes. Alex Williamson is one of those children, and though he looks on the lesser side of food insecure, his mom finds it a challenge to feed him healthy foods.
Connie Williamson explains:
“When he gets up on his own, he’ll go find what he wants,” she says. “He’ll get a hot dog bun, or get a piece of bread. He’ll get an ice pop or something.”
And that’s exactly what he did early one morning before his family headed out to the local food pantry. Alex ate a blue ice pop for breakfast. This is not an uncommon phenomenon in households across America.
Williamson explains that it isn’t so easy to eat right on a tight budget.
She spends hours driving around each month looking for deals on healthy food. She has to stretch $600 in food stamps for herself, her husband, Alex, and two teenage girls.
“You can get leaner cuts of meat, but then they’re more expensive,” she says. “You can get fresh fruit every couple of days and blow half of your budget on fresh fruits and vegetables in a week’s time, easy.”
The Washington, D.C. program could change these eating habits, which are helping to fuel an obesity epidemic like this country has never seen.
Another low income woman, Beatrice Evans learned about the Produce Plus Program when another bus passenger asked her why she didn’t stop at one of the city’s 45 farmers’ markets on the way to work one day. With the program she is allowed two $5 vouchers every day which allow her to purchase produce, and only produce all summer long.
Evans started taking advantage of the program to purchase bags of cucumbers, collard greens, squash and other vegetables that she normally couldn’t afford. Some farmers’ markets are even doubling the value of the vouchers to help support the food-challenged. It’s a popular program, but it ran out of funding at the end of the summer of last year, and had to look for money elsewhere.
“We’ve got lines around the block starting a half-hour before the market, in the heat of August,” says Lauren Shweder Biel, executive director of the nonprofit DC Greens, which hopes to see the program expand beyond the city’s $450,000 budget for 2016.
Being financially insecure, after all, shouldn’t also mean you have to suffer from poor health, too.
Additional Sources:
Featured image from CivilEats
Maine implemented a program a few years back where if people use their food stamps at the farmer’s markets you get one-half off! Since being on food stamps is an unfortunate reality, if the gubmint is going to pay at least this is one program that helps poorer people AND the poorer farmers.
I like it.
It’s always the humane, compassionate programs that help individuals and society – unlike the austerity imposed by (but never suffered by) the obscenely rich.
Good now they can buy wholesome gmo sweet corn and the like and keep their families well fed.
Your a genius, they can’t buy anything, you idiot.
Instead of using this as a platform for pushing corporate tyranny and you fascist opinions, why don’t you attempt to add something of value.
Man your stupid.
Still smarter than you, but of course that doesn’t take much.
Yeah I can tell by your first comment here, what a moron.
Your lucky GMO’s are subsidized otherwise no one would be able to afford the crap.
Obviously you are pretty far behind the times if you still think there are many subsides. Of course with your obvious low iq since all you can do is throw cheap insults most can realize that you are uneducated.
Obviously you don’t have cable television and don’t know how to use google search if you believe that BS.
Aww, you don’t like being treated like you treat others, cry whine there idiot.
One last time not you are the one whining. As far as subsides you obviously didn’t read the last farm bill, oh I mean you didn’t have anyone read it to you. Outside of crop insurance subsides for grain are gone, but you are that far behind the times. Maybe if you quit insulting and did some research you could have an intelligent conversation.
Research has been done there dummy, so they cut off the little farmers and are subsidizing the corporations, it’s still subsidizing there moron.
Duh 5 seconds on google,
$256 billion in farm subsidies from commodity, crop insurance, and disaster programs and $39 billion in conservation payments
Billionaires Received U.S. Farm Subsidies, Report Finds
10 percent of farm businesses received 54 percent of all insurance subsidies
First of all I did say besides crop insurance, again you obviously don’t pay attention. Secondly, if you insure more acres then obviously you will get a bigger slice of the subsides, pretty simple conclusion that you missed. Conservation payments aren’t subsides another simple fact you missed. Commodity subsides like direct payments for corn and soybeans and the LDP pricing have all disappeared as yet another sign that you are unprepared to have an intelligent conversation with someone that knows about farming in real life vs Google farming.
As soon as you find someone who knows about farming in real life let me know, we’ll get together and chat with them.
Who do you think is paying for the GMO crop growing incentives, subsidies duh.
Like I said if it wasn’t for subsidies GMO’s would cost at least 75% more than naturally grown foods.
Get away from the little, local farmer raping regulations and do tell us of the corporate favoring regulations.
Another 5 second google search,
Subsidies such as preferential tax rates for select industries distort free market forces and put Congress in the position of choosing winners and losers. Many industries that receive some form of corporate welfare from the federal government also manage to spend millions on lobbyists and campaign contributions every year to keep these very subsidies in place. Federal subsidies to profitable corporations are a waste of tax dollars and Congress should eliminate them immediately.
Try telling the whole story there fascist.
First let me compliment you, you made it through a whole comment without a major insult, now if you could actually learn the subject at hand you might get someplace. There incentives for gmo crops are reduced pesticides and superior yields not subsides. What few there subsides that exist are available no matter what kind of seed is planted.
Yeah and I didn’t even mention ethanol, that is a true subsidy boondoggle.
I’m trying to be like you, acting like I know everything about everything.
Then you had bettered try harder, yes there is a subsidy on ethanol, NOT corn. The farmers get at best get another market for corn, not better pricing.
Let’s compare this to a grab bag,
The people approach the grab and grab a random prize, most cases the standard comment would be, oh well but that will help.
The corporate entity grabs and is granted instant millions through various forms.
Your just a moronic tool for the grab bag, repressing the truth.
You have continue to say it, the farmers get very little, while avoiding the corporate incentives, like the great con man distracting the victims from the full blown realization of the facts.
What made this country great has become the target of the corporate sharpshooters. As you support the corruption and tyranny, disperse the lie and offer distraction, the end result lies in your bloody hands.
Your stupid because you don’t possess the vision to foresee the obvious dangers. Your openly supporting the criminal element, while calling the law abiding citizens criminals for your crimes.
I know your a total moron and won’t be able to separate your perfect fantasy world from reality, but we must always hope.
Only a fool sees conspiracies around every corner when they have no better explaination. You have shown zero proof for any of your accusations. Now you are back to your insults because you failed at your feeble attempt. You must have had a very sad childhood, but it is obvious that it is getting worse for you. You have my pity, but hopefully one day you will grow up.
You made the claims and the burden of proof is on the accuser. Since you have decided to attempt to shift your responsibilities, your just saying that you know your wrong and attempting to get me to post so you can twist anything said to support your fantasy statements within your fantasy world and fictitious group of friends.
So your claiming that the small farmers aren’t being regulated out of business, then what is the explanation of the constant decreasing farmland within the US from the historic past to present. While your at it you might as well explain the difference between the corporate crops and the sustainable crops.
My insults are just a mirror reflection of your treatment of people that don’t agree with your fantasy perfect world.
Pull your head out there dummy.
And your conspiracy comment is another form of stupidity directed at those who choose blind faith as their guide. as if your saying, there have never ever been conspiracies in history.
You seem to be insulting yourself the more you open your mouth here.
Yeah childhood was very sad, I’m very successful and have no worries. Too bad your only success in life is here and your dreams. Good luck with that moron, reality will soon catch up with you.
Your an idiot making blind assumptions from within your perfect fantasy land.
Worthless psychobabble.
And it’s still a fact that you constantly support the murderers at Monsanto.
No I have said many times that I’m not a Monsanto fan. You just hear what you want to, and if that doesn’t work you just make it up. People like you are the biggest problem.
People like you?
Ahh People who seek truth and support rights, almost forgot your a fascist.
Yes truth and rights scare cowards like you that live by lies like the ones you have been spewing here.
Lol. Whatever you do, you’ll never match GMO R. in nastiness or lying.
Thank goodness. 🙂
He is the same as you, neither has been able to disprove anything I have said. Much unlike your statements I might add.
A fascist cannot be dis proven, ideologies are not determined by facts and can be easily defended by more lies, distortions.or complete denial of presented facts.
Your just a story of one of they many life’s failures aimlessly wandering around and using the internet to create at least 1 success in your miserable life, loser. Your not special and thousands of losers are doing the same exact thing your doing here, your type is quite common and displayed throughout the virtual world, we see your kind everywhere. Your so stupid you can’t see reality through your psychotropic drug addled mind
By the way how’s your mom doing?
MLB’s Mom is doing fine, I talked to him yesterday. If it wasn’t for his Wife she would have died. Some thing about the widow maker artery being clogged.
He left here because of amateurish attempts at someone hacking into their personal accounts. Lean over and tell your simpleton hacking buddy, don’t F**K with innocent family members.
I would if I had a hacking buddy. You are good at accusing so let me try. You didn’t talk to him because you are him. I am glad to hear your mother is doing better though.
Yeah, you know everything, moron.
F**K with him again, you’ll find your self and your moron buddies in another world that you have no idea of.
LOL, bring it on. If you are really that stupid to think that I had anything to do with your private accounts you are dumber than even I thought. In reality you just aren’t that important. It is funny though that you did prove that you were impersonating a veteran and not hiding and they should come and get you. LOL, I guess they are on your trail!!!!
OMG, your so brave, and a fool.
As you represent, that implicates you in any actions for and against, idiot, regardless of your knowledge.
Back to the proof there unknown moron, Either you have inside information and are operating with a controlled environment, or you are seriously mentally disturbed. I’ll venture at seriously mentally disturbed, just for the sake of argument.
Which is it there stupid?
Wow caught in a lie arent you. Your last comment accused me of hacking and now you don’t think I could have. You flip flop more than a politician. You need to go back to your blowup doll and think about this some more.
Ahh, back to your real self, good, idiots are easier to deal with.
I believe my statement was, lean over and tell your simpleton hacking friend not to F**K with innocent people. So you are guilty, good.
Yup mentally unstable, as is obvious by your reaction to being exposed as a mental patient and total moron.
Get professional help.
At least I don’t spend all day in a basement with a blowup doll like you do.
Good back to normal there fascist idiot.
Masturbation and feeble attempts to blame others for your porn fantasies should be kept to your self.
Nobody wants to hear about your mommy issues and how you choose to bring them to reality.
Try posting with facts and not child psychology, your dealing with real men here and not your made up population of losers.
LOL, you have yet to post a fact. Your best is a newspaper article.
As compared to your non-existent facts, go blow yourself fascist, your reverse tactics only work on children.
A lot of times after a parent goes through a major ordeal like your mom did a person has a softer more compassionate outlook on life, but you have just slipped farther down your sick worthless path
Please explain the difference to me, did your Mother make you a fascist and pervert, if so how did she achieve these miracles?
I’m guessing the direction towards fascism and your chosen sexual perversions were of your own doing.
Your brilliant there genius.
If you want to include my parents here, let me tell you something,
They come from a strong rural background, as a child I got my ass beat a lot. They taught me the repercussions for my actions and today I’m so grateful for their strength and guidance.
I’ll assume your parents were from a city and lived in fear, or their baby was always innocent, they should have beat your ass more, I’ll call it an adjustment towards reality, you have no emotional grasp on reality. Not everybody is a winner, but life’s experiences will surround us with true gifts as we progress in life, I know a lot of great People, they have had a profound effect on me and will always continue to do so.
Look at you now, a complete failure trolling the internet lying about everything as you learned just like your pathetic life has dictated.
Your an fascist., you hold nothing but a true value to yourself.
How can you stand to be near yourself, let alone compare your miserable life to my parents, some of the greatest folks I’ve ever known.
And in closing, your stupid.
Please ponder these words, in reality they hold meaning and value.
Idiot, don’t blame your parents on the world by insulting others or bringing them into your screwed up world and arguments.
Lol, you only show your stupidity when you assume, but then again you do it every time you open your mouth.
You can’t logically respond to parenting or your perverted senses. All you have is troll tactics to appeal to those who are living in fear. Most people aren’t as stupid as you.
It must have been nice being raised by parents who were afraid of a child, your a dreamer and a moron. Go out in the real world there dirtbag.
I’m not the one living in mommies basement that would be you.
Let’s see, first you claim to be from a military family and now from a farming community? You change stories more than a politician.
My claims, or your assumptions there esp boy.
Since I have made few claims, I’ll assume you mean your assumptions.
Turd.
I’m still laughing at this full blown ignorant statement.
So Military Families have no background, they are kept on a shelf in the Military warehouse at a secret undisclosed location, until they are ready to be used? Would you call this a conspiracy theory, or is this some knowledge you are exclusively privy to?
Your F**king stupid.
Reality sure seems to evade your sick demented mind, lmao, brilliant display of stupidity there dummy.
You seem to be afraid of Military folks for some reason, why else would you attempt to demonize them?
Definitely not afraid of the fake ones like you there gi joe boy.
OMG, how many names do you have on the internet?
I see that after you were thrown under the bus for using GMO Roberts, aka GMO ROBERTS as a keyword for posting under natural, you deleted the GMO ROBERTS account, man your really an idiot. You got caught and reacted almost immediately, stupid amateur.
It is still there along with many others that I no longer use anymore. I will commend this site for not banning comments, but sites such as natural news and eco-watch do for pointing out their lies. I have never tried to hide my other ids and have openly admitted to them, unlike you mommy’s little boy.
Ya know the best thing about team viewer…
You don’t know SH*T moron.
A liar always shifts their guilt to others, thanks for making your sorry ass attempts obvious.
You continue to provide proof of your stupidity and mental fantasies, good job stupid.
I’ll stick to my accusation, your a mental patient posting here to find relative success for your constant failures of a miserable life.
LOL that is funny since you have changed that opinion several times already.
Oh yeah, as your a fascist, rights aren’t allowed. You don’t recognize reality? Tell me there genius, what am I thinking, man your really stupid.
Again thanks for showing your true colors.
moron.
Again you are way off the mark. I believe very much in rights that our guaranteed us in our constitution. Of course I always think it is funny what losers like you think is “their” right.
Then fascist, tell me what are my rights?
LMAO, idiot.
Claim to not be a fascist, lie about supporting about the Constitution, then make a fascist statement.
Your hilarious, this out did your last stupid statement.
And you call me a loser, hilarious, your a total mental case.
Obviously you aren’t smart enough to read the constitution are you. Typical whiner.
Constitution, not constitution.
Hilarious, but typical fascist error.
You are the one that made fun of it under you other name.
Your first sentence is Not a complement. But we already know that you habitually lie.
GMO crops increase biocide use and also ultimately result in lower yields. Monsanto’s deliberate failure to tell this to farmers in India has caused over 200,000 bankruptcy-related suicides.
But you constantly support those murderers.
No another of your lies, just as you are lying about the suicides. Pesticide use per acre has decreased. Only bad math by people like you say otherwise. If your case is so strong then why must you make things up? So sad.
Save your ‘sadness’ to lament your immorality – your lies in support of a murderous corporation bent on fascism.
http://www.projectcensored.org/21-monsanto-indias-suicide-economy/
What crap.
Yes after eating gmo sweet corn one can usually produce a little crap, good point.