Folks who use food stamps (SNAP) to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables at farmers' markets in South Carolina might soon see their purchases double. During state budget negotiations, the Senate Finance Committee decided to include a provision committing $1.9 million to a program that doubles the first $5 of food stamp benefits when they are used to buy fresh produce at farmers markets. In other words, get $10 worth of veggies for $5.
The double dollars program, which has already been approved in a handful of states, has to get the O.K. from the federal government since it deals with a federal program, SNAP. Read more about the provision's progress!
Update: The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is asking South Carolina for input on what food items would be ...
A well-written food plan can help a city ensure that healthy, affordable food access is a long-lasting priority that will affect the next generation of Latino children. The small city of Damascus, Oregon took a big step when they approved an extensive food plan for their community, called the Healthy Damascus Food Plan. A city planner, city staff, and public health officials began working on the plan in 2011. Through countless meetings with the public, various assessments, and research the group identified ways to write healthy food policies into the city's current and long-term goals. Among the policy recommendations in the plan were policies to support the growth of local farmers' markets including the acceptance of nutrition assistance, economic incentives to ...
More folks can use their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits for fresh, healthy food at farmers' markets in Pittsburgh, thanks to Just Harvest, a non-profit advocating for economic justice. The program works by allowing people to swipe their electronic benefits transfer card at the market and receive wooden tokens that can be exchanged with most vendors to buy food. Live in Pittsburgh? Find a farmers' market or farm stand that accepts SNAP near ...
Going on a trip any time soon? If you stay at any of the Hyatt's hotels, breakfast, lunch, and dinner may look a lot healthier---and more fun!
In July 2013, Hyatt Corporation announced the launch of a new, innovative menu, “For Kids By Kids,” which provides more nutritious, fresh and interactive offerings for the three million children served annually in all full-service Hyatt hotels and resorts throughout the U.S., Canada and the Caribbean.
The “For Kids By Kids” menu was tasted, tested and approved by kids, including 11-year-old Haile Thomas, who is spearheading a campaign for healthy eating through her online cooking show, Kids Can Cook.
What sort of creations has Hallie and the kitchen come up with? A make-your-own breakfast taco inside a whole-wheat tortilla, a shaken ...
Arlington Heights School District, located outside of Chicago IL, has begun bringing healthier options to their schools. They now offer options like poached chicken slider sandwiches, grilled zucchini chips, toasted chickpeas, and turkey meatball soup. They wish to bring these new options to their district in order to provide a healthy lunch, while giving students fun, appealing foods. Arlington Heights has been working on a trial and error basis, even having their first public tasting this summer to introduce the upcoming new menu items. Not all their healthy options have worked in the past, causing them to stop serving fish last year because students simply were not buying it. This school district is also changing it's overall offerings. By bringing in more fruit and ...
The Farmers & Crafts Market of Las Cruces now accepts nutrition assistance for a number of healthy foods, thanks to La Semilla Food Center, a nonprofit organization that is spearheading the project. With a grant from the USDA specifically aimed to improve low-income communities' access to farmers' markets, La Semilla worked to get electronic benefit transfer (EBT) machines into the market and also improve other markets in the area. La Semilla has also employed a person to be present at an informational booth where the EBT machines and tokens will be kept. "We've got lots of partners that we're working with for this," said Rebecca Wiggins-Reinhard, Farm to School Director with La Semilla. To get EBT accepted in Las Cruces, they had to work with WIC (Women, Infants ...
Do you live near a community garden? Does your neighborhood sell good-quality, low-cost fruits and vegetables? Is there a farmer's market in your neighborhood? If you answered "no" to any of these questions, your neighborhood is ready for some healthy changes.
Check out ChangeLab Solutions' "Eight Steps to Get More Fruits and Vegetables Into Your Neighborhood", available in English and in ...
California certified farmers’ markets and farm stands can help bring fresh fruits and vegetables directly to the communities that need them most. It can be difficult—if not impossible—to find fresh, affordable healthy food in many urban and rural low-income communities. These fact sheets from ChangeLab Solutions explain how state law works to encourage more farmers’ markets, farm stands, and community supported agriculture (CSA) programs, where farmers can sell their produce directly to ...
