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Grassley says food stamp work requirements not in Senate Farm Bill

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Senator Chuck Grassley. (file photo)

The U.S. Senate is expected to vote this week on the Farm Bill, though Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley says the Senate version will not include a controversial element.

Republicans in the House passed a Farm Bill that includes a work requirement for food stamp recipients, something Democrats are rallying against. “I support work requirements for people that can work,” Grassley says. “That would leave out disabled, families with children, elderly people, but if you’re an able-bodied person, I support work requirements.”

Under the House plan, recipients of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits would be required to work or do job-training for at least 20 hours a week, unless they are pregnant or caring for a young child or for a person with significant health issues. Grassley says those requirements have been a big sticking point between the parties.

“They are not in the Senate bill,” Grassley says, “and they won’t be in the final bill that goes to the president of the United States because we have to get a bipartisan bill in the Senate and we can’t get a bipartisan bill with work requirements in it.” The House needs to “back down,” according to Grassley, or the Farm Bill may need to be extended into 2019.

One amendment Grassley is adding to the Farm Bill aims to close the loophole which he says enables Wall Street bankers to get federal farm dollars, even if they’ve never had dirt under their fingernails. Grassley says, “Allowing these types of nonfarmers to milk the farm safety net for millions of dollars in subsidies each year is ridiculous.” The Senate will be working on Farm Bill amendments today, Wednesday and Thursday and Grassley predicts it’ll go to a vote either Thursday evening or Friday.

“The leader of the Senate wants to get it done before we go home for 4th of July and I do, too, want to get it through,” Grassley says. “The extent to which we can give farmers certainty five years ahead of time is really the best farm policy.”

The current five-year Farm Bill, which expires this fall, is worth some $489 billion , though nutrition programs account for about 80% of that total.

 

2018 World Food Prize shared by two men from Britain

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Lawrence Haddad and David Nabarro.

The 2018 World Food Prize will be presented in Iowa later this year to two men from Britain.

World Food Prize President Kenneth Quinn today revealed the selection of this year’s laureates – Lawrence Haddad and David Nabarro.
“Through their leadership, our laureates have inspired efforts by governments and by countless thousands and thousands of others, which between 2012 and 2017, reduced the number of stunted children in the world by 10 million,” Quinn said at a ceremony at the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Washington, D.C.

Haddad and Nabarro have been working separately to fight malnutrition and food insecurity. “Those improvements have come in countries around the globe, some of which are represented here today – Bangladesh, Nepal, Malawi, Tanzania, Kenya, Ghana,” Quinn said. The 59-year-old Haddad is an economist who is executive director of the United Nations-created Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition. It was launched in 2002 to tackle human suffering caused by malnutrition.

Nabarro is a 68-year-old physician who has coordinated U.N task forces on food insecurity and hunger. He also led the U.N. response to the cholera epidemic in Haiti following a 2010 earthquake. The men will be honored at a ceremony at the Iowa Capitol on October 18.

The Iowa-based prize, often referred to as the “Nobel Prize for food and agriculture,” is awarded annually to individuals who’ve helped improve the quality, quantity, or availability of food in the world.

Expansion announced for Blue Bunny Ice Cream parlor in Le Mars

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Wednesday’s kickoff to the Ice Cream Days celebration in Le Mars included an announcement by officials with Wells Enterprises about expansion plans for the town’s Blue Bunny Ice Cream parlor.

Wells Vice President of Retail Sales Adam Baumgartner says the parlor already attracts over 230,000 visitors a year. He expects the multi-million dollar renovation project will draw even more tourists to the town nicknamed “The Ice Cream Capital of the World.”

In addition to redesigning the parlor, Baumgartner says Wells has purchased a building next door to make room for an interactive “farm to spoon” display.

“We’ll be able to highlight how we get our milk, where it comes from, the processes it goes through to get into our facilities, how it gets processed in there, and how it gets turned into ice cream,” Baumgartner said. The added space will also feature rooftop seating.

Outdoor rooftop seating — so, a first-of-its-kind in downtown Le Mars. We are super excited about that,” Baumgartner said. The exact cost of the renovation project was not revealed at Wednesday’s announcement. The parlor will be closed in October and much of November, as well as between March 1st and mid-June of 2019. The project should be ready for next year’s Ice Cream Days, when the town of Le Mars will also celebrate its sesquicentennial.

(By Dennis Morrice, KLEM, Le Mars)

 

CDC expands recall of cut fruit packaged in Indiana, sold in Iowa

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Federal officials are warning consumers and retailers in Iowa about packaged fruit that’s linked to a salmonella outbreak.

There’s a recall for sliced watermelon, honeydew melon, cantaloupe, and other cut fruit that was packaged by Caito Foods of Indianapolis, Indiana. The fruit was sold in a plastic container shaped like a clamshell. Costco, Trader Joe’s, Walmart, Walgreens and Whole Foods are among the retailers that sold the products.

Iowa was just added to the initial recall which covered four other states.

The Centers for Disease Control has not updated its mapping of cases connected to the outbreak. The agency reports that by late May, 60 people in Missouri, Illinois, Indiana and Michigan were sickened by salmonella linked to these fruit products. Half of those struck by the illness were hospitalized. No deaths have been reported.

(Photo from CDC website)

It’s a national day dedicated to cheese

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Today is National Cheese Day and it appears more Iowans are making and eating the dairy product than ever before.

Stephanie Clark, a food science and human nutrition professor at Iowa State University, says Iowans are becoming more exploratory in their cheese consumption.

“They are going out and trying new, more expensive cheeses that are out there in the market, which is exciting to see,” Clark says. “I think that’s part of the reason why some of our specialty cheese shops are doing well and even the specialty cheese areas in some of our grocery stores.” A recent survey found the three most popular cheeses in the U.S. are cheddar, mozzarella, and American.

Iowa dairy operations make roughly 20.5 million pounds of cheese a year, placing Iowa 8th in the country among the top cheese-producing states. Clark says there are around 220,000 milk cows in Iowa, with the average operation having a herd of 50 cows.

“So, we do have some large production facilities, but we have a lot more smaller ones,” Clark says. There’s an opportunity for some dairy farms to boost revenue. Clark notes Iowa produces more milk than we process in the state.

“In my mind, this is an opportunity,” Clark says. “Because a lot of milk is being sent out of state, it’s an opportunity for our farmers to actually consider doing some value-added agriculture on farm.” She suggests farmers could turn milk into cheese and make more money than they would be simply shipping milk out-of-state.

 

 

Summer food sites provide more than nutrition to kids and families

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As schools let out for the summer, tens of thousands of children could lose the free meals they eat each weekday, though sites across Iowa are gearing up to offer free lunches.

Schools, libraries, community centers and other groups can apply through the Iowa Department of Education to sponsor the week-day meals. Ann Feilmann from the Bureau of Nutrition and Health Services, says some places get creative to feed as many kids as possible.

In Davis County last year, she says a bus driver brought meals to rural children in a converted truck. “The kids were so excited to see him come,” Feilmann says, “and they also connected with a book program where they were able to get books to give out.” Feilmann says Sioux City is adding a bus this year. Last June, Feilmann says more than 25,000 children ate daily at community meal sites, adding, it’s not just for kids who are eligible for free-lunch during the school year.

“There are also households where both parents are working and there’s not someone that has high cooking skills, plus it’s also a place to go and socialize with friends,” she says. All kids are welcome. Communities throughout the state provide meals to children thanks to the federal Summer Food Service Program.

(By Amy Mayer, Iowa Public Radio)

 

Transportation costs a big issue for Food Bank of the Heartland

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Most Iowans don’t realize how many of their friends and neighbors rely daily on the Food Bank for the Heartland to put meals on the table.

Brian Barks will take over as CEO of the Omaha-based agency on July 1st and says they face many challenges making sure that no one goes to bed hungry. Barks says one of the biggest challenges is trucking the food across a wide area.

“Our guys are driving all the way out to the Panhandle of Nebraska and we serve a good chunk of western Iowa,” Barks says. “Our guys are doing about 30,000 miles a month. We’re sometimes paying more for freight than we are for the food that we buy.” Barks says they’re two drivers short right now and are in touch with truck driving schools to find more.

“The explosion in the cost of transportation in the trucking industry can have serious implications in regards to what we do,” he says. Barks says they’re looking forward with a long-range hunger forecast.

“We’ve done a ten-year strategic plan that estimates how much food we need and it is 39-and-a-half million meals,” he says. “We’re doing 25-and-a-half million, so we’ve got about 14-million meals in order to get to a point where we have enough food for people to access.”

The Food Bank for the Heartland distributes food to 535 non-profit groups, including schools, homeless shelters and food pantries in 92 counties across Nebraska and Iowa.

(Thanks to Karla James, Omaha)

 

Café Beaudelaire in Ames wins ‘Best Burger’ competition

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The classic burger at Café Beaudelaire in Ames.

A small, Brazilian-inspired restaurant in Ames has claimed the title of “Iowa’s Best Burger” for 2018.

Lexi Romitti, a server at Café Beaudelaire, believes they’re prepared for the wave of new customers who will be wanting to sample the menu over the coming weeks.

“I think we’re as prepared as we can be,” Romitti said. “We are so excited for people to come in and try our burger and what we have to offer at Café B.” The annual contest is run by the Iowa Cattlemen’s Association and the Iowa Beef Industry Council.

Café Beaudelaire owner Claudio Gianello.

The winner is announced each year on the first of May, which is “Beef Month.” Café B, which has been in business for 28 years, is owned by Brazilian-born Claudio Gianello and his wife, Kellie, from Carroll. Romitti, who’s worked at the restaurant for three years, is a senior at Iowa State University majoring in public relations. She led Café B’s campaign in the best burger contest.

“I think we have such a unique burger because it has a Brazilian twist to the classic burger,” Romitti said. Café B is located in the Campustown area of Ames. The indoor capacity is around 50 and there’s a small outdoor patio. It’s open until 1:30 A.M. daily, so – according to Romitti, it’s equally popular with Ames residents who visit over the lunch hour and with college students.

“It’s a unique environment because, during the day, it’s a really nice Brazilian café and then at night, it turns into a full bar,” Romitti said. “We have a great transition.” Café Beaudelaire is located at 2504 Lincoln Way in Ames.

 

 

https://www.iabeef.org

 

Cooking Channel hostess gives tips for saving money on food

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Laurie March

The hostess of the Cooking Channel program “Good to Know” is urging Iowans to change up their grocery shopping habits.

Laurie March, who also appears on the HGTV show “House Counselor,” notes Iowa farmers may be helping to feed the world, but a lot of that food winds up in the garbage.

“Believe it or not, one-third of all the food that’s produced on earth gets wasted,” March says. “Much of it is ending up in a landfill.” A study finds the average American wastes $27 worth of food every week, or about $1,400 worth per year. March says the food waste problem causes double-trouble in the state’s landfills.

“Aside from taking up a ton of space, all that food is breaking down and it’s releasing methane gas, which is a greenhouse gas and it’s contributing to our climate change,” she says. We should stop buying food in bulk, March says, and make out a weekly meal plan, only buying what we’ll use that week.

“Obviously, we can all make some changes in our shopping habits,” March says. “We can look to use food better, is there some preserving you could do at the end there or is there a big soup you could make where you could throw lots of things in before they go bad.” In addition to freezing leftovers, she suggests sharing with friends and neighbors.

“Use everything and maybe keep a journal,” March says. “Look at the end of the week and say, ‘Hey, wow, I wasted all of this so when I go to the grocery store next time, I’ll buy half as much,’ so you don’t throw away that 27 bucks a week.” She also suggests using your garbage disposal more instead of tossing food in the trash. So it won’t end up in a landfill, that food goes through the water treatment system which she says is more environmentally-friendly.

(Thanks to Karla James)

 

Get your nomination ready for the best tenderloin in the state

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Last year’s winner of the best tenderloin.

The Iowa Pork Producers begin their 16th annual search for Iowa’s Best Tenderloin Wednesday.

Pork Producers spokesman, Ron Birkenholz says the tenderloin is an item many restaurants across the state have on the menu. “We’re hoping for another good turnout — we had over 3,000 nominations last year with 271 different establishments named in the contest,” Birkenholz says. “We know there’s a lot of good tenderloins out there and we hope people will nominate them,” Birkenholz says.

Nominations for the best tenderloin can be submitted at www.iowapork.org. Birkenholz said the deadline for all entries is June 5th. He says the contest generates good publicity for the eateries.

“It’s good for the business, all of the past winners have told us that their business has increased exponentially after wining the contest. Even the runners up — we name a top five — and even those restaurants see a major increase in their business,” according to Birkenholz. The winning tenderloin is announced during “Pork Month” in October. It’s something he says the creators of the tenderloins anxiously await.

“It puts them on the tenderloin map if you will,” Birkenholz says, “we have people all over the midwest that follow this contest and love tenderloins and want to go to the winner’s restaurant and try it. So, it’s a great deal for the entire industry.” Last year’s winning restaurant was the “Grid Iron Grill” in Webster City.

(By Pat Powers, KQWC, Webster City)