New research is making the case for an online system to better serve young families who depend on the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC).

Ohio is among just 10 states requiring WIC recipients to mail or present their EBT card at a WIC office every four months to reload benefits.

Hope Lane-Gavin, health equity fellow at the Center for Community Solutions, said Ohio had a tremendous health and human service response to the pandemic, but during the same period, states with offline systems saw a significant decrease in WIC enrollment.

"If you're on WIC, you're either pregnant, postpartum, and you have a toddler or a newborn," Lane-Gavin explained. "And so, you have to load everybody into a car or take the bus just to get the benefit itself, and then you have to go shopping. So that is a whole ordeal and that is reflected in our enrollment numbers."

Data showed WIC participation was 9% lower in offline states relative to online states. Ohio was one of the first states to use EBT cards. And while the decision occurred years ago, Lane-Gavin contended the pandemic exposed it actually runs counter to the program's intentions and goals.

Lane-Gavin pointed out an online EBT program could improve infant mortality rates and maternal health. She used Medicaid as an example, where beneficiaries are inherently eligible for WIC.

"There's about 115,000 births in the state every year, and roughly 50% of those births are on Medicaid," Lane-Gavin noted. "So, hypothetically, if all of those people got on the WIC program and the benefits were remote, it would make a huge difference in infant and maternal health in the state and the takeup of the program. "

The American Rescue Plan Act included WIC modernization funding, so Lane-Gavin emphasized researchers encouraged state officials to use those dollars to bring the system online.

"Families are hurting," Lane-Gavin observed. "And as we face this inevitable COVID-19 cliff where a lot of these programs that were created because of the pandemic are starting to wind down, we know that families still need help."

The Center for Community Solutions has an online series examining ways to improve the WIC program.

Reporting by Ohio News Connection in association with Media in the Public Interest and funded in part by the George Gund Foundation.

Food donations are pouring in to help victims of the Los Angeles fires, to the point donors are being asked to hold off a bit so it can all be distributed.

Antihunger advocates cautioned there are still hidden needs, because many people who did not directly lose their homes are still struggling.

Frank Tamborello, director of Hunger Action Los Angeles, said thousands have lost their jobs and may now have trouble feeding their families.

"You have a lot of people who didn't lose their homes but are housekeepers, maintenance workers and others who have lost a lot of clients," Tamborello pointed out. "They live all over the county, so their food situation has been impacted as they've lost income."

Tamborello predicted some families will need ongoing assistance for months, long after as the initial outpouring of aid dries up. In addition, some communities like Altadena and Pacific Palisades have lost their main grocery stores. Altadena lost three, as Aldi, Grocery Outlet and Super King all burned to the ground, so people there have to travel farther to get groceries. It can be challenging for those with disabilities or who may have lost their car or other transportation in the fires.

Alba Velasquez, executive director of the Los Angeles Food Policy Council, said the fire also has taken a toll on local agriculture.

"Many farmers in the impacted regions are dealing with destroyed crops, damaged infrastructure and loss of revenue," Velasquez noted. "Additionally, air quality issues caused by the fires can have a lasting impact on crops and livestock health."

Advocates said they will work to address the issues with policymakers as agencies begin distributing disaster aid.

Groups working to fight hunger in California are calling on Gov. Gavin Newsom to protect funding for the CalFood program in his initial budget proposal, which comes out Jan. 10.

CalFood allows food banks to purchase things that are not often donated - such as eggs, milk, produce, meat and cheese - from California farmers.

Becky Silva, director of government relations for the California Association of Food Banks, said CalFood has enjoyed a temporary boost for the past three years - so, unless the line item is made permanent, funding levels would see a major drop next summer, at the end of the fiscal year.

"So, that means that it'll go from the current approximately $62 million per year down to about $8 million," she said, "and so obviously, food banks are incredibly worried about what that will mean."

She said the food banks are asking for a permanent allocation of $60 million a year in order to avoid big cuts in service. The association estimates that a 1% drop in hunger prevents $600 million in health-care costs, while supporting farmers and food producers in the Golden State.

The association represents 41 food banks that served about 6 million people per month in 2023, which is a 20% increase, year over year. Silva said hunger levels jumped during the COVID pandemic and have not come back down.

"Food insecurity rates are not decreasing, right? Even though a lot of people think of the pandemic as being over," she said, "the economic impacts are still being felt by people all over the state."

Once the governor releases his blueprint, the Legislature will start negotiations. Lawmakers have until June 15 to produce a final budget.


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New funding is making it easier than ever for Oregon farmers to become certified organic.

To achieve certification, farmers must go three years without using synthetic additives such as fertilizers or pesticides. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service in Oregon has launched the Organic Transition Initiative to provide financial and technical support.

Ben Bowell, director of education and advocacy for the group Oregon Tilth, noted the funding is especially valuable because the transition can be costly.

"During that time they have to be farming as organic farmers but they are not able to access an organic crop premium," Bowell pointed out.

Farmers can also get support through the initiative to develop organic systems for fertilization, building soil and controlling weeds.

Bowell explained the initiative is one of a three-part national USDA Organic Transition Initiative. This five-year program provides mentorship from experienced organic farmers, technical assistance and an organic market development program. He emphasized with the three programs, the combined $300 million investment in organic farming is historic.

"Right now is an amazing time to consider transitioning to organic in terms of all of the support that's available," Bowell stated.

Erica Thompson, farm operations manager for the U-pick blueberry farm Blueberry Meadows near Corvallis, which has been in her family since 1993, is a little over a year into the three-year process. She said figuring out a new fertility program and disease management has been a challenge, along with understanding the application and documentation process.

Thompson added working with the Organic Transition Initiative has been helpful.

"Being part of it has really solved or like is in the process of solving all my questions and uncertainties," Thompson observed.

Along with farmers, support is available for ranchers and forest landowners looking to go organic. Applications for the current round of funding are due Jan. 17.


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