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Please take me off your mailing list.> 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 _________________________________________________________________ Instantly invite friends from Facebook and other social networks to join you on Windows Live™ Messenger. https://www.invite2messenger.net/im/?source=TXT_EML_WLH_InviteFriends