From

Location

Message

Date Posted

bliss,n.y.- heart of Wyoming County

I just learned this. This could help many struggling families. SNAP or Food stamps can be used to vegetable seeds or plants!
How To Apply
Applicants and Recipients
Learn How to Apply for Benefits
Eligibility Requirements
Learn When Benefits Become Available
Reporting Lost, Stolen or Damaged EBT Card
Find SNAP Authorized Retailers that Welcome SNAP Benefits
State Hotline Numbers
Frequently Asked Questions
Retailers
Apply To Accept Benefits at Your Store
Check Status of Online Store Application
How To Accept EBT Cards at Farmers' Markets
Learn About Store Eligibility Requirements
Store Training Information
SNAP Fraud and Abuse Poster
What Can SNAP Benefits Buy?
Additional Information
Browse by Subject
Disaster Assistance
Employment &Training
EBT
Healthy Incentives Pilot (HIP)
Income Eligibility & Benefits (COLA)
Info Materials
Nutrition Education
Outreach
Program Data
Program Improvement
Program Legislation
Program Policy
Program Regulations
Quality Control
Research & Reports
Standard Utility Allowances
State Options Report
Topics A-Z
Waivers

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
Eligible Food Items

Households CAN use SNAP benefits to buy:

Foods for the household to eat, such as:
breads and cereals;
fruits and vegetables;
meats, fish and poultry; and
dairy products.
Seeds and plants which produce food for the household to eat.

I never knew this.
Get the word out to help people help themselves

2/6/2014 11:37:56 AM

Menomonie, WI ([email protected])

LOL people plant their own food...Sounds like work

2/6/2014 1:15:14 PM

Minnesota

Haha @ sounds like work. A couple weeks ago I picked up a bag of garbage someone threw out on the road. In it was 3 packs of cigarettes (camels of course), half full 20 oz pop bottles, misc candy wrappers and a receipt for a $4 energy drink and 2 20 oz rootbeers for $7+ ... Paid with snap. For $7 I could make a great tasting pasta meal that could feed a small family. I think a lot of people abuse the system.

2/6/2014 2:09:27 PM

North Smithfield, RI

Good intentions Joe but Mr Van Pelt is right .

2/6/2014 3:10:00 PM

Hinckley MN

Are you saying that if they were willing to do the work of growing their own food, they would probably be willing to work at a job and not need SNAP?

I think about my last renters. They went to the food shelf every month and brought home all this canned and packaged food. They filled the cupboards with it, because they didn't know how cook. I had to show them how to make meals with it. Brown some hamburger, add a can of this, a can of that, some rice or noodles and you have a meal. You know what they said? Too much work, we want pizza!

2/6/2014 6:05:39 PM

Central Illinois

they could just steal your vegetables, but thats dirty work too

2/6/2014 6:07:43 PM

Alaska

What would Jesus do? He wouldn't be casting stones that's for sure. Who are you talking about here? Rural people who have ground they can farm but don't or the millions of people who live in the cities that have no ground. Not too many people have a clue what it takes to be entirely food self sufficient. How many PB.comers are vegetarian? How many are totally food self sufficient, very very few I'm sure. So before you start casting stones clean up your own back yard and quit disparaging folks less fortunate than yourself. IMHO.

2/6/2014 6:50:20 PM

Western NY

Really Spudley, nobody is talking about being totally self sufficient. I think Jesus would teach people how to grow stuff instead of just giving it to them. Millions of people who live in cities have plenty of space to grow on. If they don't have land to grow on there is something called container growing which is done all over the world but why make the effort when you can just make excuses. IMHO

2/6/2014 8:19:34 PM

Piqua, Ohio

I kind of agree with Scott on this one. Not everyone who gets the SNAP card are bums. I have a friend who is a 12 year veteran of the Marine Corps who has served four combat tours diagnosed with PTSD and has a hard time holding down a job after getting a discharge. He has a SNAP card, does this make him a lazy bum? For those who truely need it that's what it's for.IMHO

2/7/2014 7:59:03 AM

bliss,n.y.- heart of Wyoming County

My purpose for posting this was to alert accomplished gardeners to assist those in need to stretch their SNAP payments. Unfortunately, my good intentions , went amuck.
As Ray stated, a few buckets or window boxes can grow remarkable amounts of food.
There are many good, decent, honest people hurting right now.
Plus many have kids. They are the innocent victims. Honestly, I was taken back by some of the responses.

2/7/2014 8:33:57 AM

Waquoit Mass

the sad part is it comes under the dept of agriculture.its about 75 percent of its budget. put it with the rest of the handouts not with working farmers

2/7/2014 8:50:34 AM

Minnesota

Im sure nobody was trying to put down the disabled or families in need. This is a discussion board full of opinions. Here's how I see it. If the undeserving (like in my post) werent allowed to buy $4 energy drinks with snap, the well deserving (like in Josh's post) would get better assistance.

2/7/2014 11:57:33 AM

Central Illinois

Sorry if I threw off your post, sometimes I joke about the sad things in life.
I have a sister who is the most dedicated mother I know she has been just steps away from food stamps for several years while working two jobs.She has supported three children she had with her husband , they are now separated. She hasnt moved from a small town so as not to uproot the kids from school, they are almost finished from high school and she now has a state job making three times what she was making doing two jobs.

I know many people on a low income and on disability, its not a easy way to live, and many times you wont see the disability, one woman I know has severe dyslexia, your not getting a good job when you cant read,and even counting money is hard.

I am also on disability,I had a job from age 14 to 49, Ive broken my back twice and had some other fun injuries. I might be able to keep a full time job if I took enough pain killers but employers dont like you to be in a stuper and for insurance reasons they also wont hire you.

I do work during the summer now at a restaurant,after 3 to 4 months I am usually in enough pain it takes the rest of the year to recover, luckily I have known my boss for 30 years,and takes it easy on me.Mostly I just sell fishing bait ,thats how I got Baitman as a nickname.

I grew a garden full of vegetables for two years and gave them to the elderly and low income people in the near town, after I broke my back the second time,I grew another garden but told the people they had to weed it,and harvest it, no one came out to do it.

I think that most people do know of low income people that are good gardeners, sometimes its just the lack of knowledge holding people back, anyone willing can use some of my land to grow on.

2/7/2014 3:18:49 PM

Upa Creek, MO

oh boy, and cheers to Bill for the effort.

You can't fix stupid. My mom told me that too once tappin' my shoulder.

2/7/2014 9:51:16 PM

Menomonie, WI ([email protected])

I think some people missed my point I was trying to make...to many people think and live for now and have no thought for the future... Why plant a tomato when I can go buy a tomato...Why buy groceries and cook, when you can have someone else make it for you. Why go to work full time when if you just give up someone else will provide for you. Because it takes a lot of work. Something a lot of people are not willing to do.

2/7/2014 10:07:46 PM

Upa Creek, MO

Shannon, that was not directed towards you. And yes, 99% of the po' people in St Louis could care less about ever growing anything as long as they can shoot someone that night, break in a car, rob a house, and use Spuds tax money to buy crack and a 40 ounce.

2/7/2014 10:17:05 PM

Minnesota([email protected])

I might be missing something, but I don't see what the problem is with SNAP funds being able to buy seeds and plants to grow food. Those that want to grow some of their own food can take advanage of it. Those that don't want to grow food, won't. It seems like a good option to have.

2/8/2014 2:26:17 PM

Alaska

SNAP is a subsidy for buying food. The subsidy your talking about Dough is for big AG farmers. Both are not perfect but are necessary. Anytime you say stupid things like 99% of a certain group of people are just stupid lazy thieves and drug addicts is WRONG! Whether it's motivated by demographics, geographic or income again is just WRONG. Anytime you attack anyone beneath you it says way more about you than it does about them. IMHO

2/8/2014 3:16:12 PM

Long Island,New York

Like republicans Spudley?

2/8/2014 4:30:13 PM

Minnesota([email protected])

No Scott, I'm talking about the subsidy, for those who qualify, to buy food and/or plants/seeds to grow food. I didn't state anything about "big AG farmers".
I do agree that just because some people abuse the "system", we can't make generalizations across the board, or let it reflect poorly on those who truly need assistance. It would be nice if there were more, or better safeguards in place to lesson the fraud and abuse that goes on.

2/9/2014 3:38:19 AM