Ag Funding Bill Extends Help During Tough Economic Times
Today, U.S. Senators Mark Udall and Michael Bennet applauded Senate passage of a bill that will increase food assistance to seniors and children in Colorado and across the country. During tough economic times, the number of families struggling to afford food has risen dramatically, and the increased support will help food banks and other groups ensure children and seniors can get nutritious food to eat.
The increased support for the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) was included in the Fiscal Year 2010 Agriculture, Rural Development, and FDA Appropriations Conference Report, which won Senate approval with broad bipartisan support Thursday evening. The bill increases funding for the program by $11 million to $171 million.
In 2008, an average of about 475,000 people nationwide participated in the program each month, including an estimated 444,000 seniors. CSFP provides commodity foods, such as infant formula and cereal, non-fat dry and evaporated milk, juice, farina, oats, ready-to-eat cereal, rice, pasta, peanut butter, dry beans or peas, canned meat or poultry or tuna, and canned fruits and vegetables. State agencies store the food and distribute it to public and private non-profit local agencies, which determine the eligibility of applicants, distribute the food, and provide nutrition education.
Both Senators sent letters to Senate leaders urging the increase in funding.
"The number of families and seniors turning to food banks for help has risen sharply. This increased assistance will help ensure children and seniors, who have been hurt the hardest during this recession, have enough to eat," Senator Udall said. "The increased support for the program also benefits our farmers and our farm communities because it ensures that the nutritious food they grow is provided directly to Coloradans in need."
"Colorado families are finding it difficult to make ends meet in this economy, and as a result, our food banks are finding themselves stretched thin," Senator Bennet said. "This increase in funding will help keep our food banks stocked, our kids and seniors fed, and our family farms and ranches afloat as they weather this economic storm."