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http://www.meetup.com/chico-vegan/events/88330532/?a=md1_grp&rv=md1

This Way to Sustainability - Conference Proposals due!

Do you qualify for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)? Find out if you qualify.

Over half of those who qualify for this important program are not signed up. To find out if you are likely to qualify use this Pre-Screening Eligibility Tool : http://www.snap-step1.usda.gov/fns/

If you live in Butte County region of Northern California and would like assistance with the application please call 530-345-9749. If no answer, please leave a message.

Why is CalFresh important to our economy?

• CalFresh supports businesses and farmers.

• Vegetables, fruits, grain products, meat, and meat alternatives account for most of the money value of food used by CalFresh households.
• On average, $1 billion of retail food demanded by CalFresh recipients generates 3,300 farm jobs.
• California has over 125 farmers’ markets that have vendors at 280 different locations.

• CalFresh allows households to redistribute income that would normally be allocated to purchasing food.

• A portion of this can be spent on taxable goods, generating sales tax revenue for the state and counties.
• In addition to helping people put food on the table, CalFresh exerts a multiplier effect that stimulates the economy.

$1.00 = $1.79 in economic activity

• According to the California Food Policy Advocates’ Lost Dollars, Empty Plates Report, in FFY 2007 California lost out on an estimated $4.9 billion a year in federal nutrition benefits and as much as $8.7 billion in annual economic activity. This was based on a statewide participation rate of 48%.
• Estimated Local Effect

An estimated 29,552 of Butte County residents are income eligible, but not participating in CalFresh.
If all income eligible residents participated, Butte County would receive an additional estimated $40.5 million annually in federal funds and $72.5 million in economic activity
Other Counties (estimated increase in economic activity)

• Tehama = $10.2 million / year
• Glenn = $6.1 million / year
• Shasta = $42.1 million / year
• Colusa = $3.8 million / year
• Siskiyou = $6.9 million / year

A gardening workshop will be held on August 18th. Open and free to all the community, this project was organized by the African American Family and Cultural Center in the Southside Neighborhood of Oroville. This project is a collaboration with cChaos and the Cultivating Healthy Communities Grant project. Funded by the USDA Specialty Crop Grant Program through the California Department of Food and Agriculture. this is a 3 year - half million dollar project focusing on developing healthy lifestyles through increased access to fresh fruits, vegetable, seeds and nuts.

For more information on the project, please go to www.cultivatingcommunitynv.org or call Terry Tillman at: 530-712-0496.

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Amber Bailey, lead organizer of the Slow Food Mother's Day Brunch at Llano Seco Ranch takes the cChaos Electric Tractor for a spin. Had a wonderful time. Lots of folks got to try out the electric tractor, and Shasta Cascade Slow Food is donating a portion of the funds raised to cChaos projects.