Zone 7 Gardener | Growing, Cooking and Loving in Tennessee
In today’s Food Justice Friday, we examine another effort to connect consumers to producers within our food system: community-supported agriculture, or CSA. Keep reading to find out why you should join one and how to find a CSA share near you.
If you’ve ever looked into an alternative to your traditional “big box” grocery store – whether you’re shopping for bulk items or natural foods, you’ve probably heard of a “co-op.” What makes these grocery stores different than your traditional stores? Let’s take a look.
Over the last weeks, we’ve covered several topics that outline the numerous ways Americans face food insecurity within our food system. Over the next weeks, I will go through some of the ways America has addressed the shortfalls of its current food model, offering some solutions to a big question – How do we give more people access to nutritious food?
Formerly known as Food Stamps, SNAP is administered under the USDA under the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS). SNAP is the largest nutrition program administered under the FNS. In 2019, 38 million Americans, or 12% of the population, received SNAP benefits. The benefits are distributed by specific departments of states, such as Health and Human Services. Benefit amounts are determined by household size and composition.
SNAP benefits are used to purchase food for the household. In 2018, the average SNAP household received $256 per month, about $1.40 per meal.
A list of what can and cannot be purchased with SNAP benefits can be found via the USDA website below:
https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/eligible-food-items
Because SNAP is a means-tested program, recipients must meet all eligibility criteria in order to receive benefits. If an applicant fails to meet even just one of the criteria, they will not receive benefits. Criteria range from income requirements, to resource requirements, to work requirements, to immigrant status and eligibility. Currently, one of the most challenging requirements is the work requirement, especially in areas of the country with high unemployment rates. When policymakers tighten SNAP requirements or tighten the criteria for obtaining work waivers, Americans cannot obtain these needed benefits and continue to face food insecurity.
As we have discussed in previous Food Justice Fridays, under the current American food model, the food that is often the best for you is most likely the most expensive. Raw produce, fish and grains simply cost more. When an individual is faced with food scarcity, they will naturally cut the things that cost the most. Maintaining an ideal and healthy diet is nearly impossible for low to no income families that qualify for SNAP benefits. Once again, people eat what they can access.
Another federal assistance program under the FNS, WIC provides healthcare and nutrition of low-income pregnant women, breastfeeding women, and children under the age of five. WIC serves over 50% of infants born in the United States. Applicants to the WIC program must meet eligibility requirements in four areas: categorical, residential, income and nutrition risk. Often, states will allow automatic income eligibility. If an applicant is participating in a program such as SNAP or Medicaid, they will automatically meet the requirements for WIC.
WIC participants receive supplemental nutrition as well as a number of other services, including the following: formula, nutrition education and screening, access to healthcare screenings and other social services and breastfeeding support.
One of the strengths of the WIC program is that participants are allowed access to more nutrient dense foods. The food items provided by WIC are juice, milk, cereal, cheese, eggs, fruits and vegetables, whole wheat bread, whole grain items including brown rice and tortillas, canned fish (for exclusively breastfed mothers), legumes and peanut butter. The program also provides tofu, soy milk and medical foods for children and women with various metabolic or other diseases. Additionally, organic fruits, vegetables, legumes and grains are covered under WIC.
Another strength of the WIC program is that WIC has dramatically reduced healthcare costs by providing prenatal services and by promoting breastfeeding. Studies have shown that women who receive prenatal WIC services have lower hospital costs for both them and their infants than women who did not receive WIC services.
One challenge to the WIC program is the program’s requirements, namely the appointments. Mothers reporting unplanned pregnancies, fewer social supports and more structural barriers, such as transportation were less likely to participate in WIC.
EBT Cards are a federally-funded payment option offered at participating stores. SNAP distributes funds for purchasing food via EBT cards, which resemble debit cards. Once an applicant is approved for benefits, an account is established in the recipient’s name, and their SNAP benefits are deposited electronically in this account each month.
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SNAP and WIC are just two ways we address the nation’s food insecurity. They are not perfect, but they certainly help, and their impact can be felt. Without these programs, a large percentage of America’s population would face a greater threat of hunger.
Below is a SNAP fact sheet for Tennessee. I was surprised to learn that 1 in 8 of residents here in our state rely on this crucial program. Another fact that surprised me was the economic impact of the SNAP program. However, when you think about it, it makes sense. When a recipient receives their SNAP benefits, they are likely to go out and spend them as soon as they can, and that money goes back into the economy.
To check out fact sheets for the other states, check out the link below:
https://www.cbpp.org/research/food-assistance/a-closer-look-at-who-benefits-from-snap-state-by-state-fact-sheets#Alabama
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Are you located in Tennessee?
Do you (or someone you know) need to apply for benefits?
Follow the links below, or use the QR codes provided.
What better time to ring in the New Year with a new Food Justice Friday? Today, we’ll explore another food justice movement: food sovereignty. What is it, and what does it look like here in the United States?
For our second Food Justice Friday, we take a look at America’s food deserts. What are they, and why are they a problem?
Happy Friday, folks! Today, I wanted to take a break from our regular posts to introduce a new campaign here at The Food Martyr that is close to my heart: Food Justice Friday. What better time to introduce this than the holiday season? As we sit down at our holiday dinners (both near and far, thanks to COVID) and think about all that we are grateful for, let’s take a moment to recognize that some folks struggle with our most basic necessity: food.
If this is your first time hearing about food justice, it’s okay to feel overwhelmed. Terms are typically thrown around like food access, food insecurity, food desserts, etc. And I’ll be honest, when I first started working at a fresh food access nonprofit in New York, I was overwhelmed at, too! I knew I was passionate about giving everyone equal access to fresh food, after all, I was a member of their fundraising team. Fortunately, I had a group of teammates who educated me, and it was through this knowledge that I allowed my passion for food justice to grow with a greater understanding.
Let’s start off with the big question:
What is food justice?
Food justice requires us to almost look at food through a microscope, because when we carefully examine food as a whole, we can see what’s lacking. Food justice examines questions of access to healthy, nutritious, culturally appropriate food, as well as: ownership and control of land, credit, knowledge, technology and other resources; the constituent labor of food production; what kind of food traditions are valued; how colonialism has affected the food system’s development and more. Essentially, food justice shows the greater impact of food in our community and highlights its strengths and weaknesses.
But why is this important?
Our current food system model reflects most of mainstream American culture – cheap, easy, quick, and mass produced. A restaurant bosting qualities such as “farm to table,” “clean,” “organic,” or “sustainable” is typically going to be much more expensive (and harder to find) than a fast food joint. Simply take a trip to a grocery store, and you’ll know what I’m talking about. Frozen or processed food is cheaper than fresh. If your food budget is meager, you’re going to cut out the most expensive products, which are often the ones that are the best for you.
This model leaves Americans both undernourished and unhealthy. Heart disease, cancer, diabetes and stroke are among the most common causes of illness, disability and death in the US. An estimated 80% of cardiovascular disease, including heart disease and stroke, are preventable. However, cardiovascular disease remains the #1 killer and the most expensive disease, costly nearly $1 billion a day. Chronic conditions like heart disease, as well as lack of access to fresh food, are more common in minority groups – something we’ll take a deeper look at during another Food Justice Friday. It makes me wonder – how many lives could we save if people had access to nutritional food?
Recommended Readings
Food Justice Now!: Deepening the Roots of Social Struggle
https://amzn.to/372s9jN
Food Justice (Food, Health, and the Environment)
https://amzn.to/37VKn5T
Join us as we explore everything you need to know about growing peas! Learn why they’re becoming our favorite fall crop.
The summer season has drawn to a close. The air is crisper, the days are shorter, and the leaves are gearing up for their brilliant display here in East Tennessee.
Happiness is a homegrown tomato.
Today I’m sharing our favorite varieties of heirloom tomatoes that we’ve grown this garden season. You’ll see these babies sprinkled all over the blog, so I thought I’d give them the proper introduction.
Before I get into it, let’s take a look at what heirlooms are and what makes them special.
You’ve probably heard the term heirloom to describe anything of value that is passed on from generation to generation. Did you know the same can be said for seeds? Most heirlooms have been saved and selected because they have the best flavor and production in home and small market gardens. According to southernexposure.com, “heirlooms may carry genes that provide disease resistance or other useful traits we don’t even know we need. Preserving heirloom varieties maintains this gene bank as insurance against future plant diseases or other threats.”
I grow heirlooms primarily for their superior flavor. Hybrid varieties are genetically engineered to produce a predictable product over a wide-range of growing conditions. Growers favor hybrids because of reliable qualities such as size, ship-ability, shelf-life and appearance over flavor. Disease resistance can be engineered into a hybrid crop, but it sometimes sacrifices general quality.
My husband John calls me a “tomato snob” because I simply will not consume your average run-of-the-mill tomato from the grocery store. After growing our own tomatoes for four years, I just can’t! Nothing beats the superior flavor of a tomato you’ve grown yourself. So, without further ado, let’s introduce what we’ve got in the works this season.
First is my all time favorite tomato, Cherokee Purple. Cherokee Purple is a indeterminate (pole) Cherokee Indian variety from over 100 years ago. Allegedly, this cultivar traces back to Sevierville, Tennessee. A great slicer tomato, fruits average approximately 10-14 ounces. These tomatoes are excellent in salsas and enjoyed straight off of the vine. We’ve grown Cherokee Purples every year because I can’t go without them. Nothing says summer quite like biting into one of these tomatoes.
Next, we have the Golden Jubilee tomato, known for its recognizable brilliant goldenrod color. This indeterminate (pole) variety dates from the 1940’s and boasts a very mild and low-acid flavor. I love that Golden Jubilee tomatoes have a smaller seed cavity, resulting in a meatier tomato. The fruits average approximately 6-7 ounces, although some of ours have gotten up to 14 ounces! This is our second year growing this variety.
Third, we have the Sweetie cherry tomatoes. I couldn’t resist getting this indeterminate variety simply because of its cute name! These cherry tomatoes get up to one inch in diameter and are known for their high sugar content. This season, our Sweetie tomatoes have gotten over eight feet tall! We enjoy these cherry tomatoes on salads, sun-dried, and of course, straight off the vine.
Finally, we have Italian Roma tomatoes. This tomato is the absolute champion of the garden. The Roma is a determinate variety, requiring little support and pruning in comparison to the indeterminate varieties. Additionally, Romas contain very few seeds, making them perfect for sauces and canning. Determinate varieties set fruit all at once, which means that you can process them in a short window of time. If you’re looking to take your canning and preserving game to a new level, I’d encourage you to give the Roma a try! You will not be disappointed.
There you have it! Obviously, there are many more heirloom tomato varieties out there, and I encourage you to get adventurous and try as many as you can. Below are some of my favorite websites where you can purchase your own heirloom seeds:
Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds – https://www.rareseeds.com/
Botanical Interests – https://www.botanicalinterests.com/
Southern Exposure Seed Exchange – https://www.southernexposure.com/
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