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If people on foodstamps had but HALF the energy, intelligence, and family cohesiveness of these remarkable people, they would not be on foodstamps in the first place!
Also, zoning laws in many places forbid this type of activity, most HOA's would freak out over this stuff as well. Most apartment complexes will not allow it either.
I have seen other types of stories where they grew their foods in a tiny backyard, pretty neat! As for the jab on Food Stamps, much better solutions abounds.
If people on foodstamps had but HALF the energy, intelligence, and family cohesiveness of these remarkable people, they would not be on foodstamps in the first place!
Dream on.
If a fraction of more people were as resourceful and persistent as this family, things would be so much better in the world
If people on foodstamps had but HALF the energy, intelligence, and family cohesiveness of these remarkable people, they would not be on foodstamps in the first place!
This is a political myth that keeps being debunked, but just will not die... because some people really WANT to believe it.
In fact, according to US Census data, 60% of the recipients of SNAP (Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Benefits) benefits have jobs, but are paid at poverty levels by corporations that don't pay living wages. Many are single parents. Some have two jobs. Most have children to care for and feed. And according to a Bill Moyers report, “76 percent of SNAP households included a child, an elderly person or a disabled person. These vulnerable households receive 83 percent of all SNAP benefits.”
And of course people who live in apartment buildings don't have a place to do this, and many city dwellers don't have the gardening skills, nor do many cities permit raising livestock, so using this one remarkable family's highly unusual accomplishment - one that relatively few could replicate in any circumstances - to make political attacks on people living in poverty is loathsome.
Keep in mind that these people (5 adults?) work full time at this. And let's keep this thread focused on the food aspect, and leave politics out of it.
I have a much smaller urban garden and probably match the same output per square foot that they're getting (plus they get one more growing season than I do). It's not really that hard, but at the scale they're doing it, and with the animals, it's got to be a full time job for at least two people. Anyways, great for them! I'm looking forward to planting my garden in a week or two.
I wonder if they're violating water use restrictions with the current drought?
At age 80, my father planted a garden of approximately one acre that was on a flood plain and was part of a community garden. He really liked that land as it was extremely fertile and it was far enough away from traffic that people would leave it alone (but not all the deer). He ran the rototiller, planted the garden, pretty much alone. He also helped a lot of the young folks who were gardening.
At the end of the summer, he had a huge bumper crop. He gave each family member whatever they needed but that left about 75% of the food left. So he called the food bank. He told them that he had plenty of free, fresh produce and would be more than willing to give them all they could pick. They said, "we can't ask our clients to help you pick. You will have to pick it." So, my father picked it and filled nearly every box he could find.
He called the food bank back and said that all the produce was picked, could they send someone to the garden to pick it up. The guy laughed, "We don't do that. If you want to make a contribution, you have to deliver it to us." By this time, he was steamed and said to forget it. He ended up taking it to the town square and giving it out to anyone who wanted it. That was the LAST time that he planted a large garden.
Karma is a funny thing. Four months later, he gets a call from the local food bank asking for a cash contribution. He said, "I don't do that" and hung up on them.
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