To hobby Farmer , the challenge associated with uprise food may seem all too real : budgeting;access to land , water andequipment ; scourge from conditions , pestsand disease . But the 46.4 million Americans enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program ( formerly known as food stamps ) have encountered a unlike Seth of solid food challenge — mainly purchase factor for three day-after-day meals — though that ’s starting to change .
In 2011 , Daniel Bowman Simon ground nonprofit organizationSNAP Gardensin an seek to bare a little - have sex benefit of the SNAP program : that recipients can apply the money to purchase seed and plant to grow their own food .
“ I embark on the undertaking because in 2008 , someone set about me at thefarmers ’ marketand said she was using food mold to garden and did n’t lie with anyone else who was , ” Simon says . The woman was referring to a little - hump article in SNAP legislation , aFarm Billprovision , that say recipient can utilise SNAP Electronic Benefit Transfer to purchase “ seed and plant life for use in garden to bring forth food for personal consumption of the eligible family . ”
“ I check it out and it was logical , ” Simon says . “ I found the great unwashed on nutrient stamp , growers and nutrient - topic people who did n’t live about it . This lady was correct — there is definitely a need to raise knowingness , so I went from there . ”
Through his research , Simon found only one administration ( locate in Humbolt County , Calif. ) that was broadcast information about this welfare . So he begin creating “ flair , ” include posters , signs , stickers and buttons , to hand out to farmers , farmers ’ mart , food stamp offices and , now , more than250 organizationsin an effort to increase awareness of the option available through SNAP . Despite the political skepticism surrounding the U.S. “ food for thought stamp ” curriculum , he sees SNAP Gardens as a path to further more people to support their local farmer and consume more fruits and vegetables .
“ I see nothing terribly controversial about horticulture , having some stratum of self - enough , and taking amodest government ‘ release ’ and putting their sweat and hard work into making it more , ” he sound out .
Although Simon has endue time in build hoop houses for gardens and interacting with SNAP participants in his local community of New York City , he has let the program take on its own iterations across the country : He provides the noesis and materials about SNAP Gardens and allow local communities lean with the mind . One group he ’s seen adopt the SNAP Gardens welfare is Feed Fayetteville , a hunger - respite and nutrient - security organization in Fayetteville , Ark. agree to the USDA , Washington County , where Fayetteville is settle , had 28,008 individuals participating in the SNAP program in January 2012 — more than any other county in the commonwealth .
“ We project ask a SNAP player from the garden ’s pitchfork to the table ’s dinner party fork by facilitating the sprightliness skills necessary to enable them to actively improve the quality of their lives , ” tell Adrienne Shaunfield , Feed Fayetteville ’s biotic community foodshed coordinator .
This year , the grouping is launching the Fayetteville Community SNAP Gardens opening move . As part of the movement , they ’re partnering with James Leonard Farmer , Master Gardeners and other system to teach first - prison term gardener basics like soil edifice , pest designation , semen savingand nutrient prep . The finish is to plug the participants , mostly those in the low-spirited - income neighborhoods of Fayetteville ’s south side , into community garden , where they will have entree to demesne , tool , water and , most importantly , living .
The first tip of connexion for Fayetteville ’s SNAP Garden starter will be at the sodbuster ’ market , where local Fannie Merritt Farmer will play a critical role .
“ We want first - time gardener to succeed and find joy in produce their own nutrient , ” Shaunfield says . “ So we are ask farmers to help oneself SNAP Gardeners follow by recommend their hardiest [ varieties ] . As part of our community - pedagogy design , we are work on a set of SNAP Garden poser for farmers to apply for designating plants that are hardy and high - yield , such as Sun Gold tomatoes . ”
Plus , Feed Fayetteville is partnering with the University of Arkansas ’ Department of Horticulture to match funds that SNAP recipient role can spend at participating farmers ’ markets . They hope that by encouraging phallus to purchase a couple of flora or a packet of source , they ’ll empower people to produce Sudanese pound of food , countervail their food costs and taking control of their food for thought protection .
“ It ’s so crucial that we can demonstrate success and examine around the country that [ SNAP Gardens ] is something more than information that can be useful to people , ” Simon says .
In the next phase of the SNAP Gardens , he be after to work with four or five organizations like Feed Fayetteville to name challenge and make imagination available so gardening can be successful and rewarding for SNAP recipient role . He encourages hobby farmers across the country to get imply with the program , as well .
“ It would be great if hobby farmersselling at marketsor local grocery stores would make trusted the markets take food for thought stamps , and they should get in jot with SNAP Gardens to request post horse , ” he says . “ perchance if they have extra land they are n’t farming , they can even open up it up to another family who does n’t have realm . ”
To request SNAP Gardens materials or make a donation to the organization , visit SNAPGardens.org .
