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I just received an email update from OCPP regarding the Farm Bill and food stamps and post it below in its entirety; please visit their website links below for more information. Punishing Food Stamp Success: The Bush Administration’s Farm Bill would reverse Oregon’s progress against hunger The Agriculture Committee of the U.S. House […] I’m currently in eastern Oregon, facilitating a community meeting with farm workers and monitoring the programs I manage. My options for food have been suddenly limited in these past few days, and identifying a place to eat in a small town that could accommodate the restrictions was a challenge; nevertheless, last night, I found a […] A recent spate of surveys indicate that the national electorate has undergone a huge shift to the left on a number of key progressive issues (see my favorite summary here). Carla at Loaded Orygun summarizes political trends among Oregonians in her post here. In the last days of their current session, the Oregon Legislature is likely to approve a 23% increase in the Department of Human Services budget, says a story in the Oregonian this morning. [link] Around 27% of the final budget comes from state tax dollars, and the remainder comes from other sources–which might be news […] For all you Oregonians out there, today’s Election Day. It’s obviously too late to mail in your ballot, so take it to a drop box near you. You can even vote the old-fashioned way, in a booth, at your county elections office. But why do that when you can fill it out at home with […] After receiving an email from a friend who wondered if I’d survived the food stamp challenge, I realized that a final update might be in order. The media continue to report on Oregon’s governor’s participation in the challenge, which I’m glad to see. I’ll believe we’ve talked about it enough the day that every family […] I’m fortunate to have access to a microwave, refrigerator, and sink at my work. This means that it’s pretty convenient to bring a variety of food, store it, and heat it when I am hungry. Last night, after a mere 10-hour day at work, I was home early enough to make a pot of black […] Due to my work, which at this time of the year has me working on grant renewals until late at night, I haven’t cooked any black beans. I’m now in the fourth day of the challenge, and the diet is getting decidedly dodgy. Last time I talked about the food I had on hand, I […] …or “lateria,”* as one Latina farm worker described the kind of food she finds when she needs to access community food banks after her monthly allotment of food stamps runs out. “What do I do with canned beets?” Although it’s a statement that might potentially raise the hackles of any number of people […] Sunday was a good start to my $21 week–I got free food! My friends Misty and Lindsey, who know about the food challenge and are fellow social services gurus, watched as I made three trips to the snack table at Quaker meeting during social hour and filled up on cheese and crackers. I spent the […] |