From ASFisher@aol.comWed Sep 13 11:14:38 1995 Date: Wed, 13 Sep 1995 00:08:48 -0400 From: ASFisher@aol.com To: sanet-mg@amani.ces.ncsu.edu Subject: Community Food Security Newsletter Fall 95 The Community Food Security News Fall 1995 Andy Fisher CFSC Po Box 209 Venice, CA 90294 310-822-5410 asfisher@aol.com For a hard copy, e-mail me your street address. Act on the Act The Coalition's legislative efforts are now focused on getting the House's version of the Community Food Security Act enacted as legislation in the Senate. As of this writing, the bill is to be sponsored by Senator Leahy (D- VT, and minority chair of the Agriculture Committee, and hopefully Senator Lugar (R-IN, chair of the Agriculture Committee) and others. We are working over the next couple of weeks to get as many co-sponsors as possible. Enactment of Senate legislation will help ensure passage of the Act when the House and Senate go to conference. The Senate version will ask for $4 million a year, and hopefully will propose the same funding mechanism as the House. To support this effort, please call your US Senators immediately and ask them to express their support for Senator Leahy's CFS Bill. Also ask them to co-sponsor the bill. You may refer to HR 2003, or if you would like a faxed copy of the Senate legislation, contact us (See the "For More Information" box for our addresses). Time is of the essence! Thanks. ________________ FOOD BANKING: NEW IDEAS FOR THE 90S The times are a-changing for many food banks across the country. For the past decade or so, food banks have focused on meeting the emergency food needs of an ever increasing amount of hungry people. With conservative business leaders (with links to the food industry) as board members, food banks have in many cases shunned an advocacy role for a business model. Or as one food banker put it, "We're in the business of charitable food distribution." Nevertheless in recent years, a series of factors have encouraged an increasing number of food banks to take on projects that are a departure from their usual scope of operations. Let's take a look at these factors. Nutrition: The nutritional value of food bank donations has long been questioned. Highly processed and high fat foods, such as government surplus commodities, routinely compose a significant portion of food bank donations. Health concerns combined with the addition of nutritionists to many food bank staffs have raised interest in distributing more fresh fruits and vegetables to low-income communities. Reduced Donations: The advent of new more efficient management techniques such as total quality management and just in time delivery in the food processing and supermarket industries has substantially reduced corporate food donations. Similarly, government commodity donations have diminished and promise to do so even further with the cost-cutting mood of Congress. These concerns have led food banks to seek out new innovative forms of providing food as well as to redefine their role within the food system. Burn-Out: After 15 years of "emergencies", the emergency food system is becoming institutionalized. The level of hunger has not abated significantly since the "crisis" of the early Reagan era, and food bankers are continuing to see many of the same hungry faces year in and year out. This situation has led some food banks to consider prevention-oriented programs that attempt to put themselves "out of business." These factors have led food banks to increase their presence as community institutions, and develop food security related projects. Many of these projects revolve around gardening and farming while others focus on education and training. The Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank's Green Harvest program is a comprehensive and ambitious foray into food production and distribution. Green Harvest has evolved since its inception in 1991 from a community gardening and gleaning program to include a community supported agriculture farm and three farm stands in public housing projects. Central to the philosophy of the food bank is a belief that the food bank is part of the community and has a social responsibility to make best use of its far reaching distribution network. The development of farmstands in isolated housing projects is an excellent example of the way in which the Food Bank utilizes its projects for multiple purposes and grounds them in community organizing. The farmstands not only achieve their objectives of increasing access to fresh foods, but also accomplish nutrition and environmental education goals through cooking demonstrations and farm tours. Like the Pittsburgh Food Bank, the Capitol Area Food Bank in Washington, DC also operates a community supported agriculture farm and farmstands. From the Ground Up operates three gardens/farms on 12 acres, producing over 60,000 lbs. of food last year. About 35% of the produce goes to the 125 members of the community supported agriculture arrangement, who subsidize much of the operating costs for the rest of the program. Another 10% or so is sold to restaurants and health food stores, and the other 50% is sold at well below market price through the seven farm stands. As with the Pittsburgh model, these farm stands were designed to increase community access to fresh foods in isolated areas. They also serve as economic development vehicles, providing part time jobs and profits for community organizations and churches. Leigh Hauter, director of the program, notes however that one of the primary reasons for the farmstands is to make connections and organize low income communities, while helping them to better understand questions of food security and environmental sustainability. In Los Angeles, the 1992 civil disturbances proved to be the impetus for the L.A. Regional Foodbank to become a more active force in its low income community through the development of a community garden. With federal urban greening funding, the Foodbank developed the 7.5 acre patch adjacent to its warehouse. Increased self-reliance is only one benefit for the garden's 150 members. Located in a neighborhood devoid of parks, the garden has become an important community place for meetings and celebration. Birthday parties and barbecues are common on weekends. The garden has been so successful (with an 80 person waiting list), that the food bank will be developing the second adjacent 7.5 acre parcel. The Foodbank now has two community gardening persons on staff, and is planning to assist pantries in developing their own gardens. Four hundred miles to the north in Oakland, the Alameda County Community Food Bank has been attempting to foster relationships between local growers and residential treatment programs. Motivated by a desire to help support small organic farmers while educating low-income consumers on seasonal eating and the environmental impacts of food production, the Food Bank project is the vision of staff nutritionist Leslie Mikkelsen. She notes that, "I feel that we have a role in the local food system. Because we are concerned about food security we should be concerned about preserving agricultural sustainability." The project has run into a few snags since its inception six months ago. Having run out of funding, the Project has yet to convince a treatment program to purchase directly from a farmer. Leslie thinks that this is because they have focused on high-priced organic produce and farmers who don't produce sufficient variety to meet the needs of the treatment programs. She notes that any future effort will most likely include larger scale growers (100-200 acres) and focus on local rather than organic agriculture. These are just a sampling of the many food security projects that food banks across the country are undertaking. In Atlanta, the Food Bank has developed an educational program with a Hunger 101 curriculum as well as hosts a community forum on affordable housing every month. The Greater Boston Food Bank operates the Kitchen Works Program which adds value to bulk and surplus foods to make nutritious alternatives. In Hatfield MA, the Western Massachusetts Food Bank operates a CSA farm much like the ones in Pittsburgh and Washington. For other food banks interested in taking on similar projects, a few common themes run through each of these organizations' experiences. * Financial sustainability: Find a way to keep the Project from draining the food bank's resources. Funders often like these kind of projects. Revenue generating arrangements like CSAs can provide an important subsidy. * Vision and Plan: Having an eye for where you're going can keep your project on-track and free from multiple side distractions. * Step by Step: Most successful projects added one component at a time. Don't try to solve all the problems at once. They'll wait for you. * Know Your Limitations: A couple food banks had to put a halt to their job training components of their programs once they realized that they weren't equipped to be providing the life skills training that the workers needed. For more information: Joyce Rothermel; Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank, 412-672-4949. Doris Bloch; LA Regional Foodbank, 213-234-3030. Bill Bolling; Atlanta Community Food Bank, 404-892-9822. Leigh Hauter; Capitol Area Community Food Bank, 202 526 5344. Leslie Mikkelsen; Alameda County Community Food Bank, 510-568-3663. Maria Markham; Greater Boston Food Bank, 617-427- 5200. David Sharken; Western Mass. Food Bank, 413-247-9738 FROM THE FIELD Upcoming conferences: National Association of the Farmers' Market Nutrition Program, October 18-21; Santa Fe, New Mexico. Mark Winne, 203-296-9325. The American Community Gardening Association's Gardening: Pathways to Community, October 5- 8; Portland, Oregon. Leslie Pohl-Kosbau, Portland Parks and Recreation, 503-823-1612. The Marin Institute's Safe Communities: Toward a Comprehensive Urban Agenda, October 5-8; St. Helena, South Carolina. Sheila James, Marin Institute, 415-456- 0491. The 1995 Western Region Community Supported Agriculture, November 12-14; San Francisco. Jared Lawson, CSA West, 408-459-3964. Northeast SAWG, "Annual Harvest Fair Conference," October 10-11; Hebron, MA. Kathy Ruhf, New England Small Farm Institute, 413-323-4531. The California Sustainable Agriculture Working Group's Rural-Urban Partnerships for a Sustainable Food System, December 2-3; Menlo Park. Kai Siedenburg, CALSAWG, 408-458-5304. The National Congress for Community Economic Development' A Vision for Change through Community Economic Development, October 5-7; Portland, Oregon. NCCED, 202-234-5009. The E. F. Schumacher Society's 15th Annual E. F. Schumacher Lectures featuring Cathrine Sneed, Paul Hawken, and Kent Whealy, October 21; New Haven, CT. E. F. Schumacher Society, 413-528-1737. Projects and Studies Nationwide: The University of CT's Food Marketing Policy Center recently released a comprehensive study of the lack of supermarkets in 21 inner cities. Entitled, "The Urban Grocery Store Gap," it is available from Ronald Cotterill at 203-486-1927. San Francisco: The San Francisco League of Urban Gardeners Alemany Urban Youth Farm provides an integrated model for an urban farm. It includes community gardening, youth job training, a vinegar product microenterprise components, as well as a greenhouse, orchards, and appropriate technology. For more information, contact Muhammad Nuru, 415-285-SLUG Los Angeles: Venice High School has teamed up with the environmental organization Earthsave, Common Ground Gardening Program, and some of the best-known chefs in Los Angeles to implement the Healthy School Meals Program. This program will educate students on the environmental impacts of their food choices, assist the food service director in providing healthy alternatives in the school cafeteria, and revamp the school's extensive garden. For more information, contact Susan Campbell at Earthsave, 408-423-4069. Electronic Resources: SANET is a computer network dedicated to sustainable agriculture concerns. To sign up, e-mail to almanac@ces.ncsu.edu In the body of your e-mail, write PANUPS is the newsletter of the Pesticide Action Network. It covers many sustainable agriculture and pesticide related issues. To sign up, send e-mail to majordomo@igc.apc.org, and write in the body of the text Farm Bill Review covers a broad range of agricultural and nutrition concerns related to the Farm Bill. To subscribe, e-mail to iatp@igc.apc.org, and in the body of the e-mail write SNE_DSFS is an e-mail group for, but not limited to, members of the Division of Sustainable Food Systems of the Society for Nutrition Education. Information is shared on topics such as sustainable ag, food processing, food and ag biotechnology, CSA's, etc. To sign up, send a message asking to subscribe to carolg@umce.umext.maine.edu . WELFARE REFORM ANALYSIS Ed. note: Given the potential impact of proposed welfare reform legislation on the food security of low-income individuals, as well as its pressing nature, we have chosen to focus this page on the welfare reform debate and legislation currently making its way through Congress. This article presents a synopsis of the Dole bill- the one most likely to be acted upon, followed by a summary of the negative effects that this bill would have on low-income persons. If passed, this bill would have to reconciled with the House version (HR4) in conference committee, and then signed or vetoed by the President. Frank Tamborello, Southern Calif. Interfaith Hunger Coalition Senator Dole's proposal is called S. 1120. It contains a total of $16 billion in food stamp cuts over five years. The cuts include an across the board reduction in benefit levels, a reduction in the allowable standard deduction, a repeal in increases in the minimum benefit level, a repeal in the increase in the value of a vehicle that the household may own, and a change requiring energy assistance to be counted as income in determining food stamp eligibility. In addition, the Dole bill includes an option for a state to decide to block grant the food stamp program. Once the state did this, it could not return to the federal food stamp program. Benefits would have to be in the form of coupons, commodities, or through electronic transfer (not cash). 80% of the block grant funds would have to be used for food. Some Senators may offer amendments to increase state legislation involvement in the decision to choose block grants over the federal program. Dole's bill cuts the child nutrition programs by over $2 billion over 5 years. Most of the cuts are reductions in reimbursement rates for children who pay full price for school to provide child care under any circumstances. Among the expected amendments: reduction of federal funding if a state does not maintain its current level of welfare spending, and additional funding for child care. Ed Bolen, CFPA We urge you to contact the White House, 202-456-1414, to express your opposition to any legislation that contains the following components. Block Grants: Block grant proposals, for AFDC as well as Food Stamps, would remove the entitlement status of these programs which is a guarantee that those that fulfill all eligibility requirements would receive aid. In the current proposed legislation, people who need help may not get it because the state could simply run out of money. Without entitlements, a state recess, local plant closure or natural disaster would result in more need for assistance without any guarantees. Loss of funding: All proposals include deep cuts to nutrition and cash assistance programs, and remove a state maintenance of effort requirement that would allow states to cease funding AFDC and other programs. Removal of Federal Standards: Especially for nutrition programs, federal rules ensure equal access and program quality. Time Limits for Aid: The five year time limit is arbitrary, doesn't take into account individual situations and needs, and ignores the deeper need for job training and child care. Denial of Aid to Legal Immigrants: Denying benefits to recent immigrants and those that are unable to make it through the citizenship process is discriminatory and based on the myth that immigrants are draining our resources. Child Exclusions: Denying aid to unmarried teenage mothers, children born to women on assistance and cutting benefits until paternity of the children is legally established unfairly punishes the children and struggling families.