SNAP now accepted at Produce Market!

We hope everyone will join us this Thursday, January 29, 2015, for our next Pathfinder Produce fresh fruit and vegetable market.  You can find the freshest tastes around at the Village Commons, from 2 to 5 p.m.

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GREAT NEWS:  We’re pleased to announce that in addition to accepting cash, personal checks, and VISA/MasterCard/Discover card payments, patrons of our Pathfinder Produce may now use SNAP benefits to shop with and serve more fresh fruits and vegetables during meals.  By accepting SNAP payments, it is hoped that area families will be able to eat a more healthy diet and extend their food dollars.  Studies show that better nutrition helps students perform better, and seniors feel better, both of which are positive results. 

What is SNAP?  SNAP stands for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which is overseen by the US Department of Agriculture.  This program, the successor of the Food Stamps Program, offers nutritional assistance to families that are struggling financially.  If you or someone you know needs food assistance, the first place to go for help is the County’s Department of Social Services.  Another handy reference is the SNAP eligibility and application 10-point checklist.

 According to Feeding America.org, 49.1 million Americans live in food insecure households, including 33.3 million adults and 15.8 million children (2013).  Other statistics show that about 4.8 million seniors are also food insecure, and are generally reluctant to seek assistance.  SNAP is our nation’s largest domestic hunger safety net, and according to the USDA, has a powerful antipoverty effect: When SNAP benefits are added to a family’s gross income, 12 % of SNAP households move above the poverty line.  Admittedly, I don’t know much about the program, so I did some quick research.

According to the USDA, in 2013:

• Over 60 % of SNAP participants were children, elderly, or had disabilities: 54% of these individuals were under age 18, 9% were 60+, and 10% were disabled adults. 
• About 11% of SNAP households are in or near smaller cities and towns, and about 7% live in rural areas. 
• Many SNAP participants had jobs. About 31% of SNAP households had earnings and 42% of all SNAP participants lived in a household with earnings. 
• Less than 7% of all SNAP households received Temporary Assistance for Needy Families benefits. 
• Nearly 24% of SNAP households received Social Security, and 20% received Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits given to the aged and disabled. 
• Nearly 22% of SNAP households had no cash income of any kind. 
• The average gross income for all SNAP households was $758 per month. 
• The average monthly benefit received by SNAP households was $271.

Through government programs like SNAP, coupled with efforts of local food banks, soup kitchens and charitable programs, we can improve the hunger situation.  Here in New York State, things are looking up, as it was recently announced that $4.5 million will be invested in the emergency food system, which will help 2,600 food providers support 3 million state residents who access emergency food programs each year. 

Until next time, be well,

Lori

Food for Thought

We hope that everyone will join us for our next delicious Pathfinder Produce market, this Thursday, January 21, at the Village Commons from 2 to 5 p.m. The market cheerfully accepts personal checks and Visa/MC/Discover card payments and offers a rewards card for committed customers. 

This past Monday we observed Dr. M.L. King Jr. Day, to honor the life’s work of the slain civil rights leader.  For some, it offered a day off from school, for others it meant that banks and government offices were closed.  For me, it reminded me of the time I spent as a journalism intern working at the Legislative Gazette in Albany.  The Gazette is a student-run newspaper, a joint venture between SUNY New Paltz and the University at Albany, which offers in-depth news on state government and issues, and provides learning experiences for cub reporters.

As I recall, civil rights activists then – January 1983 – were still working towards the passage of the federal holiday, and community groups and the Black and Hispanic Caucus had installed an exhibit of large B&W images of Dr. King’s life in the Legislative Office Building.  As a staff photographer, I had to take a photo that captured the activists’ work and zeal for equal rights and opportunity.  I did all right with the photo (it ran on the front page), and the activists were successful in the legislative process: President Reagan signed the law that November, after Congress had been presented with a petition with six million signatures, later cited by The Nation to be “the largest petition in favor of an issue in U.S. history."

So what does this have to do with food? 

Today, we realize that we are far from Dr. King’s dream of equality and access, especially given the tragedies of 2014.  But another, less noticeable symptom of stress in our national fabric is revealed through eating trends.  A recent study published by The Journal of the American Medical Association Internal Medicine, points out that a food divide is growing between the haves and have-nots, and is adding to serious health problems. According to a Washington Post blogger Roberto A. Ferdman, “Diet-driven diseases like obesity and diabetes now cost the country hundreds of billions of dollars every year.”

Conducted by a research team led by Dong D. Wang, MD, MSc, at the Harvard School of Public Health, the food gap study ran from 1999 through 2010, and included a pool of over 29,000 adults, aged 20 to 85.  The study found out that while American diets have gotten slightly better (lower intake of transfats, less soda), by and large, this improvement was concentrated among wealthier consumers.  People of limited means (including the 17% considered to be food insecure by the U.S. Department of Agriculture), are making worse food choices.  In summary, the researchers found that:

• Price is a major determinant of food choice
• Healthful foods cost more than unhealthful foods in the U.S.
• The poor are less well-informed about nutrition overall.

So what can we do about this?

Here in Edmeston, through the 5210 Program and the cooperative efforts of local organizations, we’ve started the process of better food education. Food Service Manager Brian Belknap, Superintendent Brian Hunt, and other staff/volunteers at Edmeston Central School instruct students on better food choices, and children are served a variety of fresh vegetables during lunches.  The school program also encourages students to grow vegetables at the ECS Hoop House; this program has expanded to the vocational agricultural program at Pathfinder Village.

Next, through the efforts of many, we’ve developed a new marketing model, Pathfinder Produce (which has limited but regular hours and relies on volunteers).  The market works by adding additional produce to the Village’s weekly shipments from food vendors.  This extra produce is then sold at competitive prices to the public, answering the needs of families in an area that is a food desert.  The market takes effort and planning, but it has staying power.  It will begin its third year in March, and is probably one of the greatest success stories of our 5210 experiences.

What we’ve done here in Edmeston is smart, shareable, and can be replicated in other rural areas, but also in inner cities provided there is a cohort of people who wish to make things better.  This type of work is a continuation of the organizing work of Dr. King, Gandhi, and other civil rights leaders.

Until next time, be well!

Lori

Learning about Nutrition with the Otsego Academy Students

We hope everyone will join us this Thursday, January 15^th between 2 and 5 p.m. for our next Pathfinder Produce market at the Village Commons.  We’ve got the freshest produce around, and our friendly staff is happy to assist you with your vegetable and fruit purchases.

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This past week, I caught up with my new friends, the students enrolled in Otsego Academy, Pathfinder Village’s new two-year post-secondary program.  The students are completing a food and nutrition unit; they were visited last Thursday by Deborah Rodrigues, a Registered Dietitian who works for the Otsego Office of the NYS Office for People with Developmental Disabilities.

The four Academy students – who live in a Village dorm and take advantage of learning experiences throughout our entire region -- have focused on healthy eating since their arrival at Pathfinder in early November.  The students help plan, shop, and prepare the meals they eat while attending school.  Through their increased awareness of the foods they eat (serving sizes, nutritional and calorie content), coupled with regular exercise, the students have all lost weight, averaging each about 11 pounds.  Well done!

“Moderation and variety,” Dietitian Rodrigues explained to the students during their discussion, “It comes down to making better choices and the right-sized food portions.”  The students also discussed healthy strategies, like drinking lots of water, not drinking sugary drinks or too many fruit juices, using healthier fats, and cutting back overall on fats, sweets and salt.  Ms. Rodrigues also advised that skipping meals does not lead to weight loss, as this practice actually lowers an individual’s metabolism as the body tries to conserve energy.

Ms. Rodrigues reviewed the most recent information from the US Department of Agriculture’s choosemyplate.gov website, including the recommendations for food serving portions (more than half of your plate should be comprised of vegetables and fruits) and the food pyramid.  The students demonstrated their food smarts on food categories, offered healthy dinner menu suggestions, and discussed healthy foods they enjoy.  One student likes grapes, another likes bananas, and yet another likes shish kabobs as a healthy dinner favorite – kabobs are a fun way to feature delicious grilled vegetables, balanced with an appropriate amount of lean meat.

Our thanks go out to Ms. Rodrigues for the visit, and I hope to visit the students again soon. (Mmmm, I bet they’re all good cooks – would it be rude to show up at dinnertime?!)

Until next time, eat and be well,

Lori

Powerhouse Veggies & Fruits

A belated Happy New Year to all!  We hope you’ll be able to join us this Thursday, January 8^th, at our Pathfinder Produce market at the Village Commons, from 2 to 5 p.m.  We look forward to serving all our wonderful patrons in 2015!

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During the transition from old year to new, it’s typical that there are many top ten stories featured on the web and other news media.  In looking for the top ten vegetable and fruit stories for 2014, I came across an article from June in which the top 41 powerhouse vegetables and fruits were determined by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

Powerhouse vegetables and fruits are those are “most strongly associated with reduced chronic disease risk.…”  According to the CDC study, “Defining Powerhouse Fruits and Vegetables: A Nutrient Density Approach,” researchers ranked 41 powerhouse foods based on their nutritional density, focusing on 17 key nutrients and vitamins: potassium, fiber, protein, calcium, iron, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, folate, zinc, and vitamins A, B6, B12, C, D, E, and K.  Each food had to provide at least 10% of the daily value of a particular nutrient to be considered a powerhouse food, and lower calorie foods received higher rankings.

In an article on the LiveScience website, study author Jennifer Di Noia, an associate professor of sociology at William Paterson University, said, "This study is the first of its kind to define and rank powerhouse fruits and vegetables…. The score, given as a percentage, quantifies the amount of beneficial nutrients contained in the fruit or vegetable relative to the energy (measured as calories) the food provides.”

The top ten veggies and their nutritional density scores were (drumroll please):  Watercress (100); Chinese cabbage (91.99); Chard (89.27); Beet greens (87.08); Spinach (86.43); Chicory (73.73); Parsley (65.59); Romaine (63.48) and Collard greens (62.49).  I’m struck with how most of these top scorers fall into the dark green leafy type of vegetables:  Kale, one of my new favorites, finished 12th at 49.07. (I thought chicory and parsley were odd additions to the list – I have no evidence, but I don’t believe they are widely consumed as vegetables by the general public).

More-popular veggies making the powerhouse rankings included broccoli (16th, 34.89), Brussels sprouts (18^th, 32.23); and cauliflower (19th, 25.13).  Tomatoes were the highest ranking fruit on the list, ranking 22nd with an overall score of 20.37.  Surprisingly, blueberries did not make the cut, as they didn’t meet the basic powerhouse criteria.

Researcher Di Noia noted, “The rankings did not include data on phytochemicals, such as antioxidants, because there are no recommended intakes for these plant-based chemicals, and uniform data on the amount of these phytochemicals in foods are also lacking.”  (Foods like garlic and blueberries are rich in these phytochemicals, which seem to be a new frontier in mainstream nutritional studies).

The upshot of the rankings is to encourage consumers to add more powerhouse foods to their diets as a way to improve health and prevent chronic diseases like cancer and heart disease.  Consumers may also wish to change how frequently they serve staples like apples, corn, and potatoes, which are considered non-powerhouse foods according to the study standards.

Until next time, eat and be well,

Lori