With farmers market organizing, dozens of issues need to be considered. Human needs are first and foremost. Since 2001 undocumented students in the United States have been organizing, advocating, fighting, coming out of the shadows and sharing their testimonies in order to legalize their status. Migration Now! is a portfolio of handmade prints addressing migrant issues from Justseeds and Culture Strike.
national food system work
Support the development of the food systems journal to expand applied research
This is Amy Christian and Duncan Hilchey. We are the founders and editors of the Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development, also known as the Food Systems Journal. We are fundraising because we are in the process of transitioning the Food Systems Journal into a nonprofit organization. We boot-strapped the Food Systems Journal three years ago with our own labor and investments, and have continued to subsidize it. Now that we’ve proved the concept of the journal, it’s time to grow and become more sustainable ourselves!
We have recently been accepted as a project of the Center for Transformative Action, an affiliate of Cornell University. The mission of the Journal meshes very well with the Center for Transformative Action’s, which is about making positive change in the world. With your support we are transforming the Food Systems Journal into a nonprofit that can receive grants and donations.
Seed in Oregon City
Just finished the first ever SEED http://www.marketumbrella.org/marketshare/
study in Oregon City, Oregon. Market manager Jackie Hammond-Williams puts together an amazing market every few days and has a lot of fun while she does it. Look for my upcoming FMC newsletter story about the study day and how this economic tool measures a markets impact. AND you’ll be able to read the report too – which was ready the next day. I guess we’ll let OCFM look at it first but I’m sure they will have it on their website very soon, and it will be followed by their weekday market SEED report too.
How Veggie Co-ops and Ice Cream Collaboratives Could Save the Economy | Mother Jones
This entrepreneur throws some great numbers out in this excellent blog post and also entices us all with visions of local ice cream and veggies at what he, very interestingly calls a winter food bazaar. That typology term may fit in quite nicely to the project that we call Market CITY (Characteristics, Indicators and Typology)
His reference to Civic Economics and Ken Meter’s work is not surprising, since their reports (along with Michael Shuman at BALLE and Jeffrey O’Hara at Union of Concerned Scientists) make up much of the data that we are using to build the economic argument for local food systems.
How Veggie Co-ops and Ice Cream Collaboratives Could Save the Economy | Mother Jones.
Food Stamp Subsidies for Junk Food Makers, Big Box Retailers, and Banks?
As 2012 Farm Bill debate rages in Congress, a new investigative report demands SNAP program transparency
Oakland, CA, June 12, 2012 — Are food stamps lining the pockets of the nation’s wealthiest corporations instead of closing the hunger gap in the United States? Why does Walmart benefit from more than $200 million in annual food stamp purchases in Oklahoma alone? Why does one bank, J.P. Morgan Chase, hold exclusive contracts in 24 states to administer public benefits?
These are a few of the questions explored in a new report called: “Food Stamps, Follow the Money: Are Corporations Profiting from Hungry Americans?” from Michele Simon, president of Eat Drink Politics, a watchdog consulting group. This first-of-its kind investigation details how the food stamp program—originally designed to help farmers and those in need—lines the pockets of junk food makers, food retailers, and banks.
Right now, Congress is debating the farm bill, including significant cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (or SNAP, formerly known as food stamps). Much attention has focused on how agricultural subsidies fuel our cheap, unhealthy food supply. In reality, the largest and most overlooked taxpayer subsidy to the food industry is SNAP, which comprised two-thirds of the farm bill budget in 2008.
“Michele Simon’s well-researched, credible investigation breaks new ground and exposes who else stands to gain from the government’s largest food assistance program,” said New York University Professor Marion Nestle, author of Food Politics. “While reauthorizing the farm bill, Congress needs to make sure that the poor get their fair share of SNAP benefits,” she added.
Food Stamps, Follow the Money examines what we know and don’t know about how much the food industry and large banks benefit from a tax-payer program that has grown to $78 billion in 2011, up from $30 billion just four years earlier, and projected to increase further due to current economic conditions.
“Transparency should be mandatory. The people have a right to know where our money is going, plain and simple,” said Anthony Smukall, a SNAP participant living in Buffalo, New York. He says his fellow residents are “facing cuts year after year, with no sustainable jobs to be able to get off of programs such as SNAP.” Smukall added, “J.P. Morgan is shaking state pockets, which then rolls down to every tax paying citizen. I am disgusted with the numbers in this report. If people knew how such programs were run, and how money is taken in by some of the world’s conglomerates, there would be outrage on a grand scale.”
As the largest government-funded agriculture program in the nation, SNAP presents a tremendous opportunity to help tens of millions of Americans be better nourished and to reshape our food system in a positive way. SNAP dollars now represent more than 10 percent of all grocery store purchases.
“Every year, tens of billions of SNAP dollars are propping up corporations that are exploiting their workers and producing foods that are making America sick,” said Andy Fisher, founder and former executive director of the Community Food Security Coalition, who is currently writing a book about the anti-hunger movement. “It’s high time we stopped this madness, and returned the food stamp program to its original purpose: providing needy Americans healthy real food grown by farmers,” he added.
“I hope Congress does not cut SNAP. Food prices have been skyrocketing while salaries remain unchanged, and many people I know have two jobs to try to make ends meet,” said Jennifer L., a SNAP participant living in Massachusetts. “As a single mom who has only recently re-entered the workforce, the SNAP assistance I receive makes a huge difference in my ability to support my children,” she added. “I am in favor of making retailers’ and banks’ information regarding SNAP public. What are they hiding?”
Food Stamps, Follow the Money offers several recommendations on how to improve SNAP in order to maximize government benefits for those in need. These include:
· Congress should maintain SNAP funding in this time of need for millions of Americans;
· Congress should require collection and disclosure of SNAP product purchase data, retailer redemptions, and national data on bank fees;
· USDA should evaluate state EBT contracts to determine if banks are taking undue advantage of taxpayer funds.
“Congress should make SNAP more transparent by mandating accurate tracking of SNAP expenditures. Why should only the likes of Walmart, Coca-Cola, and J.P. Morgan know how many billions of our tax dollars are spent each year?” said Ms. Simon.
About: Michele Simon is a public health lawyer specializing in industry marketing and lobbying tactics. She is president of Eat Drink Politics, a consulting group that helps advocates counter corporate tactics and advance food and alcohol policy. http://www.eatdrinkpolitics.com Twitter: @MicheleRSimon
Morven Summer Institute studies farmers markets evaluation
Morven Summer Institute, University of Virgina
The University of Virginia has begun their latest set of summer courses at their Morven Summer Institute outside of Charlottesville. The Farmers Market Coalition has partnered with professors Tanya Denckla Cobb, Department of Urban & Environmental Planning and Paul Freedman, Department of Politics to present a 2-week course on farmers markets.
Farmers Markets and Applied Food Systems Research will explore the history of the modern farmers market movement, its purpose and discuss emerging evaluation techniques through guest lecturers such as Stacy Miller, Executive Director of FMC, Richard McCarthy, Executive Director of marketumbrella.org, Bernie Prince, FMC Board President and Co-Director of Fresh Farm, and yours truly, independent researcher and public market trainer. The students will also attempt some market-level research using the Indicator Matrix we are developing at FMC and marketumbrella.org’s SEED tool.
About Morven:
In 2001, philanthropist John W. Kluge gave an extraordinary gift of real estate to the University of Virginia Foundation for educational and charitable purpose. The 7,379-acre gift, valued in excess of $45 million, more than doubled the University’s land holdings. Located in southeastern Albemarle County, the properties comprised 11 farms and estates, including historic Morven Farm.
Building a matrix for measurement
I’m off to Charlottesville this a.m. to join in on the Morven Summer Institute at University of Virginia’s Farmers Market Evaluation course. Stacy Miller of FMC, Richard McCarthy of marketumbrella.org and Bernie Prince of Fresh Farm Markets and Board President of FMC will be joining me as lecturers this week. I, of course, will be talking about the Indicator Matrix and what to be aware of as far as market capacity to do measurement. The link below will take you to the story I wrote about this measurement approach last month.
I encourage any food system that is working on evaluation to take a look and to contact me if you have ideas or questions about the Indicator Matrix.
NSAC’s farm bill timeline (updated)
I rely on their farm bill information and encourage you to support their work.
The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) is an alliance of grassroots organizations that advocates for federal policy reform to advance the sustainability of agriculture, food systems, natural resources, and rural communities.
Chicago market location
I’d very much like to see this market in its full summer glory! The bricked block is where it’s held when outdoors… My friend who lives around the corner goes to it and enjoys it, but only goes to the outdoor summer market. Her reason? ” can’t get it together to make it to the indoor market, and I’m not sure I like it when markets are indoors…”
Huh.
Sourlands Trailer
Please keep your eyes and ears out for a new film called Sourlands by Jared Flesher, who also did “The Farmer and The Horse” another agricultural film many of us supported through Kickstarter.
I urge everyone to support this important movie, a documentary film starring food, energy, habitat, crazy weather, global climate change and — most important of all — the people these issues impact.
Senior Hunger in America 2010: An Annual Report
From the Meals on Wheels Research Foundation report:
14.85% of seniors, or more than 1 in 7, face the threat of hunger. This translates into 8.3 million seniors. In contrast, in Ziliak, et al. (2008) we reported that as of 2005 1 in 9 seniors faced the threat of hunger.
Those living in states in the South and Southwest, those who are racial or ethnic minorities, those with lower incomes, and those who are younger (ages 60-69) are most likely to be threatened by hunger.
Out of those seniors who face the threat of hunger, the majority have incomes above the poverty line and are white.
From 2001 to 2010, the number of seniors experiencing the threat of hunger has increased by 78%. Since the onset of the recession in 2007 to 2010, the number of seniors experiencing the threat of hunger has increased by 34%.
http://www.mowrf.org/The2010AnnualReport.pdf
Senior Hunger in America 2010: An Annual Report
Prepared for the Meals On Wheels Research Foundation, Inc.
May 3, 2012
Professor James P. Ziliak Professor Craig Gundersen University of Kentucky University of Illinois
Help Establish the Healthy Farms, Healthy People Coalition’s Priorities
• The Healthy Farms, Healthy People Coalition is setting its priorities and you can help determine what they will be. These immediate priorities will help to establish a framework for the coalition’s longer term agenda. Moving forward, they’ll be engaging with partners in a conversation about longer term priorities.
• The survey should take about 10-15 minutes.
• Please note that only one survey response is permitted per organization and that coalition members’ responses will be weighted more heavily than non-members. You will be given an opportunity to join the coalition at the end of the survey.
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/HFHP_Survey_1
Join the Healthy Farms, Healthy People Coalition:
You can join the Coalition as an organization or an individual. Joining the Healthy Farms, Healthy People Coalition means that you or your organization is committed to fostering dialogue to improve understanding and identify joint priorities that serve both public health and agriculture. It does NOT mean that you or your organization will automatically be signed on to all actions taken by the Healthy Farms, Healthy People Coalition. It also does NOT mean you will necessarily share the Coalition’s top policy priorities. Members will be provided opportunities to sign on to each activity, letter, etc.
Join the Healthy Farms, Healthy People Coalition online at: http://hfhpcoalition.org/join/
About the Healthy Farms, Healthy People Coalition:
The Healthy Farms, Healthy People Coalition works for policy reform that promotes the health of all Americans while strengthening the economic and environmental viability of the food and agricultural sectors. HFHP focuses on policies that help ensure all Americans have access to a safe, affordable, and healthy diet. Healthy farms and healthy people are essential ingredients for a healthy economy.
Overarching goals:
To identify and articulate the common interests of the agriculture, health, equity, and environmental communities in food and farm policy debates.
To advocate for policies at all levels of government (local, state and federal) that support better nutrition for citizens, a healthier economy for rural communities, and a more resilient and secure farm sector, with justice throughout the food system.
To build a broader-based, more diverse movement, spanning rural and urban interests, to achieve the Coalition’s vision.
Contact Project Coordinator, Holly Calhoun, with any questions at hcalhoun@phi.org or (510) 547-1547.
Helping Farmers Markets Grow 