Food Assistance Available In Counties Hit By California Drought

Source: CBS Sacramento

Families in areas hardest hit by California’s drought are getting some much-needed help as part of the state’s $687 million drought relief bill.

Yolo County is able to put some of that money to use by feeding families in need.

“Most of us here in town, they work on the fields, and they depend on the season,” said Claudia Covorrubias.

But she says this season, the drought is taking its toll, and her husband is out of his usual farm work. It’s a familiar story in Yolo County.

“We need the water,” she said. “If there’s no water, there’s no planting. So if there’s no planting, there’s no food.”

The need was seen by state leaders who set aside $25 million in the recent drought bill to help feed families like hers. The money is being spent on boxes going to food banks from 24 of the hardest hit counties where unemployment and agricultural work is higher than the state average.

COUNTIES AFFECTED: Amado, Butte, Colusa, Fresno, Glenn, Kern, Kings, Lake, Lassen, Madera, Merced, Modoc, Monterey, San Benito, San Joaquin, Santa Cruz, Sierra, Siskiyou, Stanislaus, Sutter, Tehama, Tulare, Yolo, Yuba

The Yolo County Food Bank began handing out more than 5,600 boxes of donations at two locations on Monday.

The boxes include nonperishable, nutritionally balanced food that can last four or five days for a family of four.

Families qualify if the drought has caused them to be unemployed. “It’s all on an honor system,” said Stephanie Sanchez. “We’re really trying to just help out families in need. If they can’t prove it, we don’t want to have to turn them away.”

Emmanuella Eliadiazzamora has a daughter and is expecting another child in less than a month. For her, the help is huge.

2016-05-31T19:35:28-07:00June 5th, 2014|

USDA Launches New “Healthy Eating on a Budget” Section of ChooseMyPlate.gov Site

Source: CDFA

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has unveiled Healthy Eating on a Budget – the newest addition to ChooseMyPlate.gov. Consumers continue to want more information about how to make better eating decisions with limited resources.

To meet this need, the USDA’s Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion (CNPP) developed the new resource to include easy-to-use and insightful information about planning meals, shopping smart in the grocery store, and preparing foods that save money and time in the kitchen.

“Although healthy foods aren’t always more expensive, many low-income people face time and resource challenges when it comes to putting healthy food on the table,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “Promoting nutritious food choices can have a positive impact on improving the health and diet quality of Americans. USDA offers a broad spectrum of strategies to empower low-income families to purchase healthier foods.”

Consumers who visit the Healthy Eating on a Budget section of ChooseMyPlate.gov will learn ways to plan, purchase, and prepare healthy meals. The new web pages provide families with tips and strategies to help save money and plan a healthier diet.

The new section includes the latest addition to the MyPlate 10 Tips Nutrition Education Series, Save More at the Grocery Store which emphasizes simple-to-use tips to help consumers make decisions as they walk down a supermarket aisle. Dozens of additional strategies are featured in the new section including using unit pricing, reading food labels to compare items, and checking sales on store brands.

“This resource not only demonstrates that it is possible to eat healthfully on a budget, but it shows how,” said CNPP Deputy Director Jackie Haven. “These new pages complement our existing resources on ChooseMyPlate.gov, allowing consumers to figure out how to improve their nutrition, and how to make it affordable.”

Healthy Eating on a Budget supports other initiatives in progress at USDA to encourage healthy eating among more Americans.

With so many food options available, it is often difficult for consumers to determine the best foods to put on their plates when the budget is tight. Healthy Eating on a Budget provides practical information to help more Americans understand their options and supports USDA initiatives to help families make healthy eating a priority in their daily lives.

2016-05-31T19:35:29-07:00May 30th, 2014|

Study Shows No Increased Cancer Incidence from Consumption of Conventional Foods

A peer reviewed study conducted by Oxford University and published in the British Journal of Cancer found that there was no difference in cancer rates of middle aged women who consumed organic foods compared to women who ate conventionally grown foods.

This research, released this week, was sponsored by a cancer research charity in the United Kingdom.  According to the charity’s health information manager, Dr. Claire Knight:

“This study adds to the evidence that eating organically grown food doesn’t lower your overall cancer risk.  Scientists have estimated that over 9% of cancer cases in the U.K. may be linked to dietary factors, of which almost 5% are linked to not eating enough fruits and vegetables.  So eating a balanced diet which is high in fruit and vegetables – whether conventionally grown or not – can help reduce cancer.”

While this study reinforces the safety of organically and conventionally grown foods, the study the Alliance for Food and Farming sent in yesterday’s update shows the clear health benefits of eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables.  That peer reviewed study from the University College of London found that people who consume 7 or more servings of fruits and veggies a day reduces their risk of premature death by 42%.

Both studies underscore that the best advice for consumers is also the simplest:  eat more organic and conventional produce for better health and a longer life.  Both are safe and the right choice is to always eat more.

2016-05-31T19:38:05-07:00April 3rd, 2014|
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