Warrantless Home Searches for Food Stamp Recipients

by: Jill Richardson

Mon Apr 20, 2009 at 10:00:00 AM PDT

The San Diego district attorney adopted a policy in 1997 under which applicants for welfare benefits must agree to a "walk through" of their residence while they are present. The inspectors check on whether the applicant has an eligible dependent child and has the amount of assets claimed. They also check on whether a supposedly "absent" parent lives at the residence. If residents refuse to permit a home visit, they can lose their benefits.

So that's how you get the distinguished title of "lowest food stamp participation rate" in the U.S. And a judge ruled that this is legal because they aren't searching for evidence of a crime. Legal, perhaps - but smart? Definitely not. How many kids are going hungry because of this insane policy?

(Hat tip to Lucas for sending this story my way.)

A Local Perspective on School Lunch

by: Jill Richardson

Wed Apr 15, 2009 at 06:00:00 AM PDT

"Kids don't eat the lunch because of the lines," said junior Joseph Kemp, who bought a bag of Baked Cheetos from a student store, poured nacho cheese on top, and ate it with a plastic spoon alongside his friend David Gutierrez. Kemp estimates that he skips lunch entirely two or three times a week. "I don't even like to eat this stuff. But I'm hungry."

"Sometimes you get food late and you can't even eat," Gutierrez added.

So if you have enough money to bring a lunch, you can. And if you want to buy the "competitive foods" (food other than the federally reimbursable school lunch) and you have the cash, you can - although in that case you're probably eating junk like Cheetos with nacho "cheese." But if you're broke and you qualify for free lunches: get in line and risk it.

San Diego Unified students are far less likely to eat the hot meals dished out by school cafeterias than are students in other urban school districts, according to an outside consultant. Less than 30 percent of San Diego Unified students eat the lunches that are guaranteed free for poor students and that meet minimum nutritional standards set by the government, compared to nearly 60 percent of students in other urban districts including Chicago, New York and Miami. The trend is consistent across all income groups and all but one high school in the district.

A solution to the problem is having more than one lunch period. Simple? Yes. My large public high school did it. But since it hasn't been done here before, it's controversial, according to the article. I'm a newbie to dealing with local issues but if the article represented the situation correctly - that kids are going without food because of long lunch lines - then I think it's a no-brainer. Sure kids might get split up from their friends if there's more than one lunch period, but what's more important? Your right to sit with your best friend during lunch or your right to eat?

Appetizer Sampler Platter

by: Jill Richardson

Wed Mar 04, 2009 at 17:34:13 PM PST

• San Diego's citrus and avocado industries may be in trouble. The reason? Water. Or, rather, lack of water.

• Interested in studying gastronomy in Italy? You get to gorge yourself on fine wines and cheese in Italy and get a college degree for it. Nice! Last week I met up with the university's David Szanto while he was in L.A. I have to admit, I might not be ready to pack my bags for Italia but I sure am jealous!

• Sustainable Table gives instructions to make your own yogurt. OK, now I am seriously sad I don't know of any local dairies near me. Homemade yogurt looks yummy. Hat tip to Natasha Chart for this.

• Civil Eats celebrates National Eat the Stuff in our Freezers and Pantry Week. I'm not sure I can celebrate. Do cashews and dried beans go stale if they've been sitting on a shelf for 2-4 years?

• Marion Nestle went to see Food, Inc and she gives it two thumbs up. I've only seen clips and heard a talk by the director and stars Eric Schlosser and Michael Pollan about the making of the movie. It's going to be a BIG DEAL when this comes out.

• Grist answers the question "Can you compost tainted food?" Their answer, in short, is NO. If you've got food that's been recalled due to salmonella or other toxic microbes, throw that shit away!

• Chef Kurt Michael Friese isn't done yet picking on KFC's cheap chicken ads. He says they hide the true cost of the food. It's a pretty funny take on the ad, especially when he goes into the fine print and translates it from lawyer into English. "The chicken is fresh, except for when it's not." Yum. (Here's his previous commentary on KFC ads.)

• Check out this article about a foodie who gleans the Bay Area's unwanted fruit, herbs, and nuts from residential trees.

• The Ethicurean tells about volunteering at a free lunch program in New England. It's a really well-written and touching story from a first-person point of view. I definitely recommend taking a look, especially if you've ever considered volunteering yourself.

Why Don't San Diegoans Participate in Food Stamps?

by: Jill Richardson

Tue Feb 24, 2009 at 19:02:16 PM PST

Let's take a look at San Diego as a case study: Why aren't San Diegoans getting food stamps? And what can we learn from San Diego that might help us increase the participation rate nationally.

Slow Food Mixer at Sea Rocket Bistro

by: searocket

Fri Nov 21, 2008 at 14:30:18 PM PST

On Wednesday (Nov 19th), we hosted their mixer at Sea Rocket Bistro.  About 250 people mixed over the course of the evening, as well as lots of great local people who bring us our food.

* Dave from Da-Le Ranch brought local, naturally raised pork, chicken, and lamb.  You can find him at the Little Italy Farmer's market.

* Romolo Ghio, a local fisherman, brought one heck of a good time!  He didn't bring any fish though since it's lobster season and he doesn't do that.

* Steve, Rich, and Jessica from Chesapeake Fish Co. brought some amazing local caught swordfish.  

* Phil Noble from Sage Mountain Farm has become quite the local celebrity with such a great personality and wonderful produce!  Sea Rocket is now a drop off / pick up place for Phil's CSA.

* Peter & Mitch, local sea urchin divers, served fresh sea urchin they had caught themselves that same day.  Interview part 1 and interview part 2

* Cid da Silva owns a farm called Bella Vado and makes avocado oil that he gave samples of.  

* Peter Zien brought goat cheese that he made from raw goat's milk fed with the spent grain from AleSmith Brewery which he happens to own.  He can't sell the goat cheese though because of USDA laws.

* Joanne brought lots of bread from her bakery, Cardamom, which is on the same corner as us in North Park.  

Here are some pics of the party.  And for more reasonably priced local food, check out our movie nights.  Slow Food will be doing more events at other restaurants and I'll be sure to keep you posted on the searocket website!  

--Dennis

Understanding San Diego's Food System

by: Jill Richardson

Sat Sep 13, 2008 at 15:20:31 PM PDT

Below I'll share what I learned at the workshop. It was intended to be the first of several ongoing meetings in which we can plan what we'd like to see happen in San Diego and ultimately (we hope) make it happen. Hopefully by blogging this event and future ones here I can help not only San Diego but also other communities looking to do the same sort of thing (or, the opposite - get advice from others who have already done something similar).

San Diego Urban Ag Update by Julie Osborn

by: Jill Richardson

Thu Aug 21, 2008 at 14:00:00 PM PDT

Here in San Diego, we are relatively behind the times when it comes to urban agriculture, but one can argue that being in this position has its advantages.  For one, we don't have to pave the way - or unpave the way, as the case may be - for much of the work we are doing, because others have already done that for us.  No matter what change we are trying to effect, it seems most useful to be able to point to instances where other entities have already instituted the same or a similar change effectively.

Pot Luck (Open Thread)

by: Jill Richardson

Thu Aug 21, 2008 at 12:00:00 PM PDT

$4 later (cash only!) I had 2 pieces of cheese. Both for my boss. My boss, who I'd like to respect by not naming on the internet without her permission, reminds me of Atlas. She holds up the world. She cares for five generations of her own family and when I needed help the most (long before she was my boss, before we even worked at the same company or lived in the same city) she was there for me in a way that even my own parents were not.

More below...

San Diego Kicks Off Its Edible City Celebration

by: OrangeClouds115

Sat Aug 09, 2008 at 08:00:00 AM PDT

Saturday's Events
Bio-intensive Gardening Workshop

Check out the work being done at City College to turn a boring and overgrown patch of grass into a demonstration garden complete with compost bins, companion gardening methods and a hand built bamboo bridge. Join Paul Maschka, expert horticulturalist, as he explains the benefits of the garden and how you can transform your own lawn and garden into something truly special.

Tomato/Basil Festival

Calling all foodies! Taste the difference of a home grown tomato! We'll have several tomato and basil varieties on hand for you to taste the difference between them. We'll also be making some simple but delicious dishes that really pay homage to the flavor of tomato and basil: Caprese, Gazpacho and Salsa. Same location as gardening workshop. See map (above) for exact location on campus.

Sunday's Events
Solar Cooking Demo and Potluck

Come join us in Balboa Park to show off your solar oven and cooking skills and/or to learn how it works. Please bring a dish, snack, or beverage to share.

More events below the fold.

A Trip to the Hillcrest Farmers' Market

by: OrangeClouds115

Sun Jul 06, 2008 at 18:14:27 PM PDT