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White House Farmer’s Market Opens Today

U.S. Department of Agriculture undersecretary Ann Wright announced the opening of the White House Farmer’s Market slated to begin today, Thursday, September 17. The announcement was made at the Chefs Collaborative conference in Chicago Tuesday.
Eighteen farmers and producers will set up the market outside the White House grounds, north of Lafayette Park, on Vermont Avenue [...]

Five Must-See Tips to Keep Food Fresh

Americans are collecting food stamps in record numbers while many fortunate enough to have jobs have had their hours slashed, and pray they won’t be part of the next round of layoffs. One way — often overlooked — to stretch our food dollars is to maximize the shelf life of the food we’ve already purchased. [...]

Original McCormick & Schmick’s Closes After Three Decades

The recession has hit some long-established restaurants hard as more people than ever before are unemployed and on food stamps. People just don’t eat out as frequently these days. After failing in attempts to renegotiate their lease, the original McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood Restaurant in Portland, Oregon, closed down Wednesday after 30 years. McCormick & [...]

Ohio Food Stamp Rates Soar to Desperate Levels

The federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program provided food stamps to over 30Million Americans in February — the highest number on record in the program’s history. In Ohio’s most populated county, 1 out of every 7 people received food stamps in the month of February, a rise of 8 percent from a year ago, while [...]

Costco To Honor Food Stamps – 2 NY Stores

Despite several huge food retailers like Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s and Wal-Mart, all accepting food stamps, Costco had insisted on stranding weary consumers hit hard by the economic recession by refusing to accept food stamps.
Now, under pressure from civic-minded lawmakers, Costco — citing the very same economic recession — has announced that next month it [...]

American Gurgitators – Gluttony In The Last Days

A country is defined by what forms of entertainment it seeks. What does it say of a nation when competitive eating contests are celebrated as a serious sport, even as two of every ten Americans are on food stamps, and tens of millions in the Third World starve?
The last days before the fall of Rome [...]

Three Great Depression-Era Recipes

The economic crisis beginning with the stock market crash in 1929 and continuing through the 1930s is known as The Great Depression. The national unemployment rate was 25 percent and even higher in some states. During the Great Depression there were no government programs like unemployment insurance and food stamps.
Those that endured that lean [...]

U.S. Food Stamp Enrollment Sets New Record

Monday’s government figures indicate 32.55 million Americans enrolled for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly known as food stamps. Food stamp enrollment set a record for the third consecutive month. The USDA reports an increase in February of 350,000 people, up 4.8 million people from one year earlier.
Five states reported increases of more than 3 [...]

Costco Stranding Needy New Yorkers

Image via Wikipedia

Wholesale grocery giant Costco needs to change its no-food-stamps policy so New Yorkers on food stamps have access to fresh food. Since food stamps aren’t accepted at Costco clubs nationwide, residents within walking distance are forced to commute to a retail grocery store if they want to use their government aid.
“In tough economic [...]

Banning Fast Food Joints Near Schools

We’ve known for a long time that one out of three schoolchildren in the United States is overweight or obese.  It hits us in the face every time we turn on the TV, open up a newspaper, or check the online newsfeeds.  So these latest figures announced by the Centers for Disease Control came as [...]

Weekly Twitter Updates for 2009-04-19

Weekly Twitter Updates for 2009-04-12:
Uploading pictures from dinner at Soma on Fillmore in San Francisco http.. http://tinyurl.com/dhpl9g #
Treat High Blood Pressure with Grandma’s Penicillin:
Chicken soup, known historically as “Grandma&.. http://tinyurl.com/cvh6fk #
Jeff Corwin to Join the Food Network:
Fans of Jeff Corwin will be happy to know that this wildlife expert will.. http://tinyurl.com/d7pmek #
New Recipe: Whiskey still [...]

BJ’s Accepting Food Stamps; Offers free 60-day Membership through July 6

Americans who qualify for and receive food stamps are now able to use them at more places.
BJ’s Wholesale Club, the third largest warehouse club in the country, says it is now accepting  electronic food stamps as a payment option at all of its 180 locations.  Previously, only a small fraction of their clubs accepted food [...]