Defining what makes a community "low-income"

Some of the federal nutrition programs that serve children from low-income families – afterschool, summer and childcare food – use an overly restrictive area eligibility test in order to provide reimbursements to serve snacks and meals. That test defines a low-income area as one where more than 50 percent of children eligible for free or reduced-price school meals.

This 50 percent area eligibility test is the most restrictive test these programs have ever had. Prior to 1981, for example, the threshold for an area participating in Summer Food was 33 percent.

It’s harder for rural areas like St. Lawrence County to meet this 50 percent requirement since poverty is less concentrated. If Congress lowered this threshold to 40 percent, millions of low-income children would gain access to summer, after school, and childcare food.  This map shows that virtually every community in St. Lawrence County would then be eligible for these programs.

Key for Map: The red areas on the map are currently eligible. If area eligibility is lowered to 40 percent, the blue areas would become eligible.

Source:  Food Research and Action Center, www.frac.org

LOW-INCOME FAMILIES BENEFIT FROM COOKING PROGRAMS

A new study shows that a six-week cooking, shopping and nutrition course for low-income families has a powerful and sustained effect. Families report shopping smarter, eating healthier, and preparing more meals at home even six months after completing the course. What's more, they no longer regularly worry that their food might run out each month. The study found families have more confidence in the kitchen; are eating healthier, putting them at lower risk for diet-related diseases; and are more confident that they'll be able to afford enough food. Before taking the course, families sometimes worried that food might run out each month. Six months later, participants reported they rarely worry. Seventeen percent said they were more confident in stretching food dollars due to strategies they learned, like planning meals, shopping with a list and comparing unit prices.

Source: PR Newswire, 3/29/16, Cooking Skills

Introducing one of GardenShare's interns

Did you  know that GardenShare has only one full-time and two part-time employeesy?  This small, but mighty organization gets so much done in the community that it may surprise you!  Lots of that work is done by student interns and volunteers and today's blog entry comes from one of those interns.

"My name is Dan Pollis and I am a sophomore at St. Lawrence University. When I applied to SLU, after having grown up in New York City, I was thoroughly aware of its geographic placement, that placement being in Canton, New York. I was very aware of the potentially culture shock I might face, but I was excited for the change in scenery and change in environment. Canton lies within what is called the North Country. The tip-top of New York State and the coldest place on earth, as some might like to argue. But for being recognized as such a distant community within the large borders that make up our wonderful state; I have felt nothing but welcomed and loved when living up here in the NoCo. 

"Since St. Lawrence County has welcomed me with open arms I thought I should give something back in return. This semester, my Sophomore spring, I signed up for a CBL class at St. Lawrence. CBL means Community Based Learning and my class specifically deals with civic engagement. In our class of 20 or so people we each, for the most part, have our own placements within our CBL class; mine being GardenShare. Nearing the end of January I first arrived one snowy Monday morning to the office of GardenShare just a few miles from Campus. 

"From the moment I first sat down up until this very point in early April I have had a constantly altering and growing list of tasks. Whether small or big, I always enjoy helping out the people at GardenShare. My time is valuable to them, even if I’m one of a few volunteers/interns who come in throughout the week. Since it’s a nonprofit, people who choose to spend a few hours a week helping assist GardenShare in raising awareness and fighting hunger are important towards living in a better world. Work will always be given to me every time I show up on my Monday mornings because I know fighting hunger is big fight, and organizations like GardenShare can use all the help from the public they can get; and I’m happy to be a part of this team. I have learned so much about the status of our nation and specifically the status of our county just from my few short months of volunteering. I’m excited for what the rest of the spring has to bring the team at Garden hare, and I’m ecstatic to be here."

Vets Growing Berries workshop

Vets Growing BerriesSaturday, April 23^rd, 9am-2pm
Apple Hills, 131 Brooks Rd, Binghamton, NY

Calling All Veterans: 
Do you have an interest in growing strawberries, raspberries, blackberries or other small fruits? Maybe you’d like to start a U-pick, or sell at your local Farmers Market?

Cornell Cooperative Extension of Broome County (Binghamton, NY) will be hosting a workshop with Cornell University faculty to teach about growing and marketing berries, and then will host an on-farm hands-on component at a local farm to see some techniques in action.

Register online here: https://reg.cce.cornell.edu/vetsgrowingberries_203. $15 per person includes all materials and lunch.

Priority for spots will be given to veterans in the New York State, but others are welcome to attend as space permits.

This material is based upon work that is supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, under award number 2015-70017-22882.

STATE TRENDS IN LOCAL FOOD SYSTEMS

In recent years, state legislatures have been active across a several policy areas: local food system approaches; farm-to-school programs; farmers’ markets; community gardens and urban agriculture; healthy grocery retail and food policy councils.  Take for example farmers’ markets. There are now 8,394 farmers’ markets in the U.S. as compared to 1,755 in 1944. State policymakers have recognized farmers’ markets ability to provide access to healthy, local food options for low-income and food insecure populations. From 2012-2014, eight states passed legislation supporting or expanding the ability to use SNAP, WIC, and senior nutrition program benefits at farmers’ markets. In New York, the Governor’s FreshConnect Check Program provides incentive checks for SNAP consumers at farmers market and Veterans, Servicemembers and their immediate family members at Veteran’s Affairs Offices. 

Source: National Conference of State Legislatures, 3/30/16, State Trends

GreenWorks! Grant Program

Project Learning Tree offers grants up to $1,000 to schools and youth organizations for environmental service-learning projects that link classroom learning to the real world. Students implement an action project they help design to green their school or to improve an aspect of their neighborhood’s environment. The projects partner students with their whole school, local businesses and/or community organizations, and provide opportunities for student leadership.

The funds can be used by students to implement recycling programs at their school, conserve water and energy, establish school gardens and outdoor classrooms, improve a forest, or restore a natural habitat, for example. To be eligible, applicants must have attended a PLT workshop, either in-person or online, that provides training, lesson plans, and other resources to help integrate these projects and environmental education into your curriculum or youth programs.
Deadline: September 30, 2016


https://www.plt.org//apply-for-greenworks-environmental-education-grant

BUILDING LOCAL FOOD SYSTEMS

A new resource from USDA can help communities make the economic case for investments in local food. “The Economics of Local Food Systems: A Toolkit to Guide Community Discussions, Assessments and Choices” will help local food stakeholders–including farmers markets, food hubs, and other local food outlets–tell the story of how investing in strong local and regional food systems can revitalize rural and urban economies across the country.  The toolkit allows communities to conduct reliable economic impact assessments of investing in local food system initiatives.  The Toolkit uses real-world projects, experiences, and applied research, making it a practical and useable resource for community leaders, businesses, and others.

Source: USDA, 3/24/16, Local Food Systems