[Market-farming] WIC! Wicked!

TxBeeFarmer TxBeeFarmer at HotPop.com
Wed Apr 2 11:34:10 EDT 2008


I think you have it a little wrong.  WIC for Farmers' Markets is in ADDITION 
to their regular WIC.  Yes, it's very small, but it's not ALL they have by 
any means.  They can still get all they need at the local grocery.  The 
Farmers' Market WIC is from a government grant that's separate from regular 
WIC.  I agree it should be more.  Currently, regular WIC does not allow for 
purchasing fresh fruits and vegetables, only packaged foods.  Yes, call your 
legislators!!!!

TxBeeFarmer (Mark)
West Texas Zone 7b

On 3/25/2008 6:18:24 PM, Brigette Leach (avalonfarmshomegrown at earthlink.net) 
wrote:
> Kate,
>
> I agree that everyone should have access to good, nutritious food. I also
> want to provide some information on what I assume you are referring to
> when you say subsidies.
>
> The Farm Bill, as it is commonly called, is actually the Food Security and
> Rural Investment Act. There are ten titles in the legislation; energy,
> commodity, conservation, nutrition, trade, credit, rural development,
> forestry, research, and miscellaneous.
>
> About $2 of every $3 in
> '07 farm bill spending went to food stamp and other nutrition 
> programs...76% up from 68% in 2002. The commodity title spending has been 
> cut more than 60% from previous legislation and currently accounts for 
> about 12% of the total.
>
> Food Security Act spending amounts to $23 per American per year, or about 
> $.06 a day.
>
> We do have problems with access to food in the US, but it is for a variety 
> of reasons. Lack of information as to how to buy, how to cook it after 
> it's
> purchased, how to store fresh produce in order to keep the nutritional
> content, not to mention money management. Lack of even having a grocery
> store in the neighborhood is another.
>
> I make it a point to visit grocery stores wherever I travel...domestic as



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