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CSA and food stamps



Readers of this list may be interested in this post which I picked up from
the bdnow list, which is for folks with an interest in biodynamic
agriculture. - Steven McFadden


>
>-------- Original Message --------
>From: "Claire Klotz" <claire_plum@hotmail.com>
>Subject: Re: Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) & food stamps
>To: NE community food systems <nefood-l@sardonyx.tufts.edu>
>
>Dear Marla and Friends
>
>re: food stamps and CSAs
>
>My comments are based on having heard Shirley Watkins, Under Secretary
>of Agriculture for Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services, USDA speak at
>the International Conference on Women in Agriculture in June 1998.  This
>very question about CSAs and food stamps was asked.
>
>(In other words, this is not official USDA statement, only my personal
>perception of Watkins comments.)
>
>What she said was that this was up to the regional offices to approve
>CSAs to take food stamps.  She indicated that there have been cases
>where CSAs have been allowed to take food stamps.  (And by cases, I
>think we are talking only like one or two have actually gone through the
>process of being approved that she knew of.)  She suggested that if a
>CSA wanted to be able to take food stamps that they contact their
>regional FNS office.  The Website on "How to get information for FNS can
>be found at: http://www.usda.gov/fcs/fcsinfo.htm
>
>The problem is that CSA is on a "share" basis.  That there is no
>"guarantee" that Jane or Joe Consumer will actually get produce.  (The
>scenario being that what happens if Jane Consumer pays her CSA share in
>food stamps and then the farm is wiped out by a hurricane and she gets
>no produce.)
>
>This "risk" is something that prevents FNS from saying outright that
>CSAs can take food stamps.  (We can have emails back and forth for sure
>saying that CSAs are low-risk, no-risk....) The key in approaching FNS
>would probably be having a clause in the agreement with the
>consumer/shareholder that guarantees food stamp users that they will
>receive a certain minimum quantity of produce.  I think that with a
>little creative work, the risk issue could be eliminated.  But certainly
>special shareholder agreements might have to be written for food stamp
>recipients.
>
>My personal concern is that from the producer side, many food stamp
>recipients won't be able to put all the share money upfront, which is
>one of the strong points of the CSA.  Where is the security for the
>producer?   If a food stamp recipient is paying them month to month and
>then decides to drop out, the producer ends up having to scramble to
>find somone else to take the share?    I would suggest this also isn't
>just a FNS issue, but also a producer issue.  Even if a CSA gets
>approval to take food stamps, are they willing to make some arrangements
>to spread out the payments?  If this is the case, it isn't really a CSA
>is it?   It is just a thought, but I think that one also needs to
>consider the producer in this, assure them that they aren't going to
>lose shareholders, that they will have most of their money upfront, and
>so forth.
>
>Hope this helps.  But Marla you aren't too far from being wrong.  And
>don't be surprised if CSAs find they can't be approved to take food
>stamps.  But also don't be surprised if CSA producers aren't sure that
>they want to spend all their time making a case with FNS, only to get
>themselves into a situation where they decrease the level of security.
>All of this probably depends on the enthusiasm and ideology of the CSA
>management.
>
>Claire
>
>
>
>


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