Food Policy Council of San Antonio

SNAP Benefits Local Agriculture--Farming magazine

We can all use a refresher course now and then on how some important federal programs started out. When "government" (which, the last time we checked, is of us, by us, and for us) is reviled by so many, it can be very surprising to learn that some programs getting a bad rap today arose from national security and economic development concerns. For example, the National School Lunch Program resulted from the realization during World War II that military readiness was being impacted by malnutrition.

Similarly, in Farming Magazine (the Journal of Northeast Agriculture), we learn from this article on how SNAP helps local farmers that the Food Stamp program (now called Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP) had its origins even earlier in the 1930s, in an effort to connect hungry city folks, who could not afford to buy food, with farmers with good food to sell. The article not only highlights that historic beginning, but also addresses ways of overcoming barriers to accepting SNAP benefits for some modern-day farmers markets.

Stamps or coupons are no longer used. The benefits are delivered on an electronic card (the Lone Star card, in Texas), which many FM vendors are not equipped to handle. That's one barrier. Another can be the price of the food. Read the article to find out some of the solutions that are available.

Public radio's On Point nails it on fighting obesity

The second hour of today's On Point on KSTX (FM 89.1) has a good conversation about measures taken to combat the obesity epidemic. It features Oklahoma City, but touches on many of the initiatives that San Antonio adopted with the same CPPW grant that started the Food Policy Council.

Apart from the noise about whether the government should or shouldn't tell people what to eat/drink (NYC ban on large sugary drinks for example), Tom's guest made the very good points that (1) processed food has drastically changed in the last several years, in ways that our bodies are not equipped to metabolize, and (2) changing the food environment assists people in "making the healthy choice the easy choice" as we say.

Be honest-doesn't your own consumption often depend on what someone puts in front of you?

E-N article on Herff Farm garden, Will Allen on "The Splendid Table"

While waiting for the food policy conference coming up next Thursday and Friday, here are some links to read and listen to, to get you into the mood.

The Express-News SA Life section today features an article on Herff Farm's sustainable "inspiration" garden next to the Cibolo Nature Center in Boerne. Tracy Hobson Lehmann writes about the Nature Center's project to demonstrate a variety of sustainable practices for our climate. These include organic soil-building, growing with compost and mulch, keyhole gardens, drip irrigation, and nontoxic pest control methods.

Also on Saturday, "The Splendid Table," airing on Texas Public Radio, featured an interview with Will Allen about the founding of Growing Power, and his book The Good Food Revolution. Find it here.

And while I'm at it, I'll repeat the Living on Earth link from last weekend that features Mark Winne, keynote speaker for the food conference, commenting on food deserts.

Food Desert commentator speaking in SA May 9 to 11

Noted food activist Mark Winne was interviewed for this week's environmental program "Living On Earth," for an update on food deserts. Recent reports in the New York Times have questioned accepted knowledge about areas lacking access to healthy, affordable food, and how large a role this plays in personal behavior and health outcomes. LOE had treated this topic before and interviewed Winne, and for this week's show he gives an update on the issue and puts the current controversy into perspective. It's 10 minutes of very worthwhile listening, or you can read the transcript.

Winne will be in San Antonio week after next, as keynote speaker at the Food Policy Council of San Antonio's conference May 10-11. Registration closes soon, if you want to attend. Follow the link.

For the community at large, he is also speaking at St. Mark's Episcopal Church Wednesday evening May 9 at 7 p.m. RSVP to the church office, 210 226-2426 for that. St. Mark's is at 315 East Pecan downtown, and has free parking in the church lot across Jefferson.

Both of Mark Winne's books (Food Rebels, Guerrilla Gardeners and Smart-Cookin' Mamas, and Closing the Food Gap) will be available starting this week at The Twig Book Shop and the St. Mark's Bookstore. He will be signing them at the St. Mark's talk and at the conference.

Mark Winne spent much of his career in Hartford, Connecticut, first working for an anti-hunger agency, and then founding an organization to work on fixing the system that was producing so much inequity in access to healthy, affordable food. From that start, he has become one of our nation's leading voices on the causes of food inequity and the policies that are needed to correct it. His analysis and advocacy have influenced federal policy, and have led to the formation of food policy councils in many communities (including San Antonio). He continues his work these days from New Mexico, writing and traveling frequently for conferences, consulting, and speaking engagements.

Food Policy Council of San Antonio hosting conference

The Food Policy Council of San Antonio is hosting a conference next month.

The $60 registration fee is underwritten for the first 200 participants by the Communities Putting Prevention to Work Grant at Metropolitan Health District.
 
The conference will consist of three tracks, focusing on Producers and Markets, Community Food Systems, and Policy. Presentations will include Community Garden Initiatives, Food Waste Recovery, Federal and State Food Policies, and Food Justice.

Sustaining Our Food,
Sustaining Our Future
Thursday and Friday, May 10-11
Madison High School's Agriscience Magnet Program
5005 Stahl Road

See the full program and register through this website, either online or by paper form.

Mark Winne (pronounced "Winnie") will keynote the conference with a presentation on May 10. He is the author of Food Rebels, Guerilla Gardeners, and Smart Cookin’ Mamas: Fighting Back in an Age of Industrial Agriculture and Closing the Food Gap: Resetting the Table in the Land of Plenty. Winne is co-founder of a number of food and agriculture policy groups including the City of Hartford Food Policy Commission, the Connecticut Food Policy Council, End Hunger Connecticut, and the national Community Food Security Coalition.

Talk and Book Signing
If you can't attend the conference but would still like to hear keynote speaker Mark Winne, he will also be speaking at St. Mark's Episcopal Church, 315 E. Pecan, at 7 p.m. Wednesday May 9. Call the church office, 210 226-2426 to RSVP.

Both of Mark Winne's books will be available soon at The Twig and the St. Mark's Bookstore, and will be sold at the conference.

Conference Junkie is on the ground at SSAWG

Tonight at the Southern Sustainable Agriculture Working Group conference in Little Rock, we are treated to virtual farm tours, via 10 DVDs produced by SSAWG to highlight several kinds of sustainable growers. Check out the descriptions here. Somebody needs to order these and kick off a regular foodie movie screening in SA.

Right now, I'm watching "Cut Flowers." The farmer is telling us that landscape fabric will last 5 or 6 growing seasons, versus black plastic which lasts for one, and it lets rain through. In another one, the farmer used black plastic to prevent too much rain from leaching nitrogen. That's not usually our problem! These diverse organic farmers have developed so many efficiencies and cool labor-saving tricks, and they've all had to learn it as they go along, for their particular farms and crops or animals. They are also intent on catering to their customers, whether at a farmers market or CSA (Community Supporte Agriculture).You will be amazed.

Next up are "Pasture-Based Dairy Farming" and "Artisan Cheese Production and Marketing." As the granddaughter of a dairyman, I've been waiting for these.

This conference draws sustainable farmers and food activists from all over the South, and beyond. Several Texans are on the program. More tomorrow!

Didn't believe me about the Farm Bill problema? Believe Bittman.

I mentioned the #secretfarmbill last post, and there was much talk and action about it at #cfsc2011. Now comes Mark Bittman, the Minimalist Cook and NYT goodfood blogger, to call it out. Here's the start:

The Republican-manufactured budget crisis of this past summer — remember? — resulted in a “solution” that’s hijacking what little representative democratic process we have left. Equally sad is that the so-called supercommittee — charged with creating an outline for reducing the deficit by $1.2 trillion over 10 years — may preclude full discussion of the farm bill. Read more. 

I've linked to Bittman's food advocacy pieces so often, he deserves his own tag. Done.

What's up with the Farm Bill? It needs your help now.

I try to write something here at least once or twice each month, and there are always many things I want to write about but don't make time to. October went by in a flash, and I didn't write about a farm tour, or the food trucks article in the newspaper, or a dozen other things that I wanted to.

Now I'm in Oakland at the 15th annual CFSC conference (#CFSC2011 on Twitter), and I should have plenty to say about that. But first, there is something very important going on that you should know about.

People everywhere are waking up to the importance of the Farm Bill, and its effects on local economies and health. Usually it is reauthorized every five years after being revised by the House and Senate Agriculture committees, and after public input. I've been working with several groups gathering that input on Farm Bill priorities. But now, this important legislation that shapes our food system is about to be written behind closed doors, in the Supercommittee. If enough people speak up, the doors can no longer stay closed.

The rest of this post is lifted from the blog "livingmaxwell.com." I saw it on the Sustainable Foods Network of Linked In, and it's the most concise, least wonkish summary I've read of how we got to this point. It also has easy links for the call to action. Please read this by Max Goldberg:

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FARM BILL NEGOTIATIONS

When President Obama came into office, I specifically remember him saying that there will be “no more business as usual in Washington D.C.”

Yet, there is plenty of “business as usual” going on right now, and we need your help to stop it.

For those who don’t know, the very, very important Farm Bill (which gets voted on and funded every five years) is expiring at the end of 2012.

With huge cuts coming across all government agencies, Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) proposed to cut farm subsidies to anyone with an average income over $1 million.

(GMO seed companies, chemical companies, GMO farmers and many others make WAY MORE than $1 million per year, thanks to our generous tax dollars/subsidies.)

This cleared the Senate by a vote of 84-15 and was a huge blow to Big Ag.

Obviously, Big Ag is not going to take this lying down and wants any Farm Bill to be secretly negotiated behind closed doors within the Super Committee. If this is done without any debate or open discussion, organics will definitely suffer and GMOs will definitely benefit.

Right now 4 members of the House and Senate Agriculture Committees are meeting to rush the 2012 Food and Farm Bill to the Super Committee and steal any chances for reforms for local, organic and healthy food until the next Farm Bill comes up in 2017.

Please make an urgent call to the listed leaders of the House and Senate Agriculture Committees today to tell them to say no to corporate greed and NO to the “Secret Farm Bill”.

Personally, I have called all four Congressional representatives below.

And their people are telling me that all the calls are making a difference. Please pick up the phone and complain. It doesn’t matter if the people below are not from your state.

Thanks to Food Democracy, here’s a sample script.

Hi, my name is _______  I’m calling to put an end to corporate greed and say “No” to the Secret Farm Bill. Rushing this vital piece of legislation behind closed doors is unfair and undemocratic.

Please tell Congressman / Senator _____ that I care about America’s family farmers and support the right to an open and transparent Food and Farm Bill for the benefit of farmers and eaters everywhere.

Senate Ag Committee Leadership:

Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) Chair of Senate Agricultural Committee – call: (202) 224-4822

Senator Pat Roberts (R-KS) Ranking Member Senate Agriculture Committee – call: (202) 224-4774

House Ag Committee Leadership:

Congressman Frank Lucas (R-OK) Chair House Committee on Agriculture – call:  (202) 225-5565

Congressman Collin Peterson (D-MN) Former Chair House Committee on Agriculture – call: (202) 225-2165

If you feel like calling additional members of the Senate or House Ag Committees to tell the to Kill the Secret Farm Bill, click on the links below.

Members of the Senate Ag Committee:

Members of the House Ag Committee:

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Thank you so much for interest in and support of organic food.  I sincerely appreciate it.

Cool and not so cool stuff

One of my tags is "Cool stuff I read today," because that is where I get a lot of material for the blog. It takes me awhile to get around to it sometimes, so this cool and not so cool stuff dates back a few days now.

Paletas y mas

In one of those "great minds think alike" moments, the blog San Antonio Tourist featured El Paraiso paleta factory--a great local food story, and the San Antonio Current came out with a colorful spread on Las Nieves paleteria (and a sidebar featured others, including El Paraiso). Too often we associate Tex-Mex cuisine with lard and flour tortillas. Here is a reminder that many of our cultural traditions are much healthier and more delicious than those. Go get some!

Cattle y calaveras

Saturday's Classified ads under Livestock had this: LONGHORN CATTLE & SKULLS. Welcome to our drought...too sad.

Helicopter food waste?

The San Antonio Express-News reported Friday on hunting feral hogs from helicopters, which has just been made legal in Texas by permit. The article, in Friday's Business section, does not address whether provisions are made for using the meat. Judging from online discussions, some is recovered, and most is not. It would be good to learn whether the means can be found for the meat to be moved into the Food Bank network before it spoils on the ground.

Feral hogs, descended from escaped domestic hogs and with no natural predators, present a growing problem in damage to farmland and pastures, and a danger to humans on foot in those places. Their meat is as delicious, or more so, as that of hogs raised for food. For people interested in pastured or grass-fed meat, it can bring a premium at farmers markets. And for those feeding the hungry, it represents a new source of high-quality protein. We will hope that as this activity progresses, ways will be worked out to pick up and use the meat, rather than leave it to rot on the ground. If not, we'll be facing a "buzzard bubble" before long, and you can't eat those.

National Geographic on recovering our food heritage

National Geographic gets it. Read the featured article, and visit the sidebars and slide shows. Meanwhile, I shall digress.

Biodiversity is rapidly shrinking--no, has already shrunk dramatically--in the industrialized food system. Misapplied rules of the market don't favor our health or that of the planet. These flawed rules assume that food shoppers demand visual perfection and uniformity above all else. So fruit, vegetable, and meat varieties have been selected to withstand long transport and to look good. Nutrition and flavor have suffered along with biodiversity. Loads of small or imperfect fruits and vegetables are wasted in this system, while people go unfed. But back to the article.

Indigenous peasant farmers still grow most of the world's food, and that's a good thing. The devaluing of agricultural knowledge as people left the farm for factory or other urban jobs has resulted in a food system we're paying for with our lives and our children's health. Now, there is a deep hunger for recovering the connection to our food. My late parents would be astonished to see how farming is the chic new quest of many young people, and "farm tours" (there was no such thing) draw crowds every weekend. But back to the article.

We've been hearing the drumbeat from two different camps about "how to feed 9 billion people." Industrial-chemical ag says they must push more farmers off their ancestral lands (into factory jobs and food dependence) so their big machines and genetically engineered seeds can do it more efficiently. The UN and proponents of sustainable agriculture, on the other hand, say that organic and bio-intensive methods can double food production in 10 years. That's a stunning claim that is backed up in a UN report. By contrast, decreasing yields, soil erosion, chemical pollution of our food and water, and the ill treatment of farmers are the increasingly obvious legacies of the industrialization process in agriculture.

Increased food production is not the only requirement for our future in agriculture. We 9 billion folk will need food that is rich in nutrients and whose production does not erode soil, pollute streams and rivers, or depend on a volatile fossil fuel market. Industrial-chemical agriculture fails on all those counts; soil-building agro-ecology succeeds. But back to the article.

National Geographic is telling an important truth, with gorgeous photos and charming text. You will be looking for your nearest seed savers' exchange.