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> Date: Tue, 27 May 2008 10:42:47 -0400
> From: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: WIC and NO ORGANIC?
> To: [log in to unmask]
>
> Hi, Diana The USDA maintains an "approved" list of food items. And most any food with an eco-label, is on the list. The concern here is that the food costs more, when I investigated the issue with the USDA several years ago. Grazing Fields ran into this when we first started up. Jane
>
> Jane Bush
> AppleSchram Farm
> Mount Hope Hwy
> Charlotte MI
>
> Fowaraded by:
> Vicki Morrone
> Organic Vegetable and Crop Outreach Specialist
> Michigan State University
> C.S. Mott Group for Sustainable Food Systems
> 303 Natural Resources Bldg.
> East Lansing, MI 48824
> 517-353-3542
> 517-282-3557 (cell)
> 517-353-3834 (fax)
> For information on organic agriculture production please visit: http://www.MichiganOrganic.msu.edu/
> Please consider the environment before printing this email
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: MI organic growers seeking and offering info and ideas [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Diana Jancek
> Sent: Monday, May 26, 2008 2:46 PM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: WIC and NO ORGANIC?
>
> Thanks to everyone who replied. I do understand the difference in the
> WIC food program, WIC Project Fresh, and the Food Stamp Bridge Program.
> I was surprised to see a plastic Bridge Card with WIC stamped on it as I
> had not heard that WIC was plastic too. And then when the customer, who
> was confused about whether she had a Bridge Card, a WIC card, or both,
> told me about the "no organic" rule for the WIC food program I decided
> to look into it.
>
> Thanks also to all who sent the link below to the Michigan.gov document
> that clearly says "NO ORGANIC" under every allowed food item. Kix,
> Frosted Mini-Wheats, and other corn syrup sweetened cereals are allowed,
> while organic cereals are not. White eggs only. No organic, cage-free,
> free-range Omega 3 or Low Chloresterol eggs allowed. No "organic" tuna?
> There is no such thing anyway. Breastmilk is preferred, but no organic
> baby formula allowed.
>
> The link again:
> http://www.michigan.gov/documents/mdch/wic_card_e_224418_7.pdf
>
> I took a trip to the nearest Meijers store with this list. Here are just
> a few of the "price differences":
>
> Allowed: Frosted Mini-Wheats (first three ingredients Whole Grain Wheat,
> Sugar, High Fructose Corn Syrup) Price: $3.63/18oz
> Not Allowed: Meijer Organic Raisin Brain (all organic, no corn syrup)
> Price: 17 oz. $2.99
>
> Allowed: Jif Peanut Butter 18 oz $2.18
> Not Allowed: Meijer Organic Peanut Butter 18 oz $2.59
>
> Allowed: Fresh Conventional Carrots 1# $1.30
> Not Allowed: Fresh Organic Carrots 1# $.99
>
> Allowed: Conventional White Eggs $1.69
> Not allowed: Conventional Brown Eggs $1.89
>
> Allowed: V8 Tomato Juice 46 oz $2.79
> Not allowed: Organic Tomato Juice 46 oz. $2.99
>
> In my opinion the price difference is not enough to stop a low-income
> mom from being able to purchase what she thinks is a healthier option,
> which is what I thought this program was supposed to be about. It almost
> seems punitive on the face of it; these are after all the most at-risk
> children in our population and we want to restrict their access to foods
> free of chemicals in their formative years?
>
> Whatever the reason is, I don't think it's defensible and I certainly
> hope enough of us will write to the director and ask that it be changed,
> as Michigan is allowed by law to determine which organic items these WIC
> eligible moms will be allowed to buy.
>
> Diana Jancek
> Market Manager
> Sweetwater Local Foods Market
>
> Please write to:
> Alethia Carr, Director, WIC Division
> MI Dept of Community Health
> 2150 Apollo Drive, P.O. Box 30195
> Lansing, MI 48909
> phone: (517) 335-8951
> fax: (517) 335-9444
> Toll-free number: 1-800-942-1636
> Email: [log in to unmask]
>
> If you would like to access previous postings to the Mich-Organic listserv you can copy and paste the following URL into your browser address bar
> http://list.msu.edu/archives/mich-organic.html
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