text:
How Does Household Food Assistance in Puerto Rico Compare to the Rest of the United States?
Puerto Rico receives a block grant with a fixed amount of federal funding to provide basic household food assistance through the Nutrition Assistance Program (NAP, or PAN for its name in Spanish, Programa de Asistencia Nutricional). This block grant structure differs from that of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the food assistance program operating in the 50 states and some territories.[2] SNAP's entitlement structure enables the program to serve all eligible people who apply, which in turn allows it to expand and contract to accommodate changing need. Thus, while other major federal nutrition programs — including the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) and child nutrition programs including school meals programs — operate the same in Puerto Rico as in the states and territories, the Commonwealth is disadvantaged with respect to household food assistance.
Like SNAP, NAP includes specific eligibility criteria; determines benefit levels based on income, expenses, and household size; and issues benefits on electronic benefit transfer (EBT) cards. SNAP serves all applicants who meet the program's eligibility criteria, which are based on poverty levels, and can provide consistent benefits to all participants based on the cost of food. But NAP's capped funding structure forces the program to set eligibility and benefit levels to stay within its budget rather than base them on need or the price of food, which means it cannot serve all residents who might be eligible in SNAP or provide the same level of benefits as SNAP does. And while SNAP's funding structure enables it to respond to changes in demand, including those due to natural disasters or recessions, NAP, with its limited funding, cannot, at least not without further lowering benefits.[3]
NAP and SNAP share many similarities — and some differences — with regards to administration and oversight. Puerto Rico administers NAP through the Department of the Family's Administration for Socioeconomic Development (ADSEF), and states and territories administer SNAP. Under both SNAP and NAP, states and territories split the cost of administration with the federal government. The Agriculture Department's Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) provides oversight to states and territories in their administration of SNAP, as well as to ADSEF in its administration of NAP, though Puerto Rico implements some functions that the federal government carries out in SNAP such as certifying retailers, among other differences in administration and oversight.
Puerto Rico's Need
Puerto Rico participated in SNAP's predecessor, the Food Stamp Program, from 1974 (when the program went nationwide) until 1982. Congress and President Reagan replaced Puerto Rico's food stamp program with a block grant that became NAP — with funding levels set well below what Puerto Rico had been receiving under the Food Stamp Program — through the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1981.[4] Block granting NAP was part of a larger package of cuts to food stamps and other income security programs in the President's budget proposal and this legislation.[5]
The transition to the block grant resulted in a program that served many fewer people, despite significant poverty and hardship in the Commonwealth. The block grant capped funding at about 25 percent below what households in Puerto Rico would have received under the Food Stamp Program and did not include automatic annual adjustments for inflation, resulting in a greater gap over time.[6] Meanwhile, poverty and unemployment rates remained far higher than in the states. To keep NAP spending within the new funding limitations, Puerto Rico targeted benefits to households with the lowest incomes and set benefit levels below levels in the Food Stamp Program.[7] By 1984, for example, income eligibility limits were about 40 percent lower than they would have been in the Food Stamp Program, and eligibility and benefit restrictions contributed to NAP participants having fewer resources available for food.[8]
Providing resources to buy food is especially important in Puerto Rico, given the Commonwealth's high rates of poverty and fewer programs available to help low-income families meet basic needs.
Over two-fifths of all residents of Puerto Rico (43 percent) and over half of children in Puerto Rico (57 percent) lived in poverty in 2018, according to the most recent U.S. Census Bureau data.[9] In 2015, about one-third of Puerto Rico's adult residents experienced food insecurity, which is a lack of consistent access to adequate food, a recent study found.[10] While not directly comparable due to methodological differences, this rate was more than twice a similar rate for adults in the United States in 2015.[11] This same study found that people with low incomes (under $25,000 annually) were more than three times as likely to experience food insecurity than households with higher income.[12] Puerto Rico has never recovered from a recession that began in 2006, and events including two devastating hurricanes, delays in rebuilding aid, and population decline have contributed to Puerto Rico's economic challenges and made it more difficult to alleviate poverty.[13]
Despite these challenges, Puerto Rico receives lower funding for some key economic security programs than other states or territories, making these programs less available to meet its residents' basic needs, and underscoring NAP's importance in providing basic support. (Puerto Rico fully operates other programs, such as Social Security and some federal nutrition programs such as school meals.) For example, federal Medicaid funding for Puerto Rico is limited by law, resulting in Medicaid serving fewer people, covering fewer health services, and directing lower payment rates to providers than it would if Puerto Rico fully participated in the program.[14] Some low-income seniors in Puerto Rico also receive less assistance with Medicare premiums and prescription drug costs than they would in the states.[15]
And rather than the federal Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program that provides benefits to people who are disabled or elderly with low income and assets in the states and some territories, Puerto Rico has a capped grant called Aid for the Aged, Blind, and Disabled (AABD). Limited funding for AABD results in much lower eligibility and benefit levels than SSI. If Puerto Rico were fully eligible for SSI in 2011, over 300,000 individuals would have received an average of over $400 in monthly federal benefits under SSI, compared to 34,000 individuals receiving an average of $58 per month under AABD, the Government Accountability Office estimated.[16]
As states do, Puerto Rico receives a Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant to provide direct financial assistance to families to meet basic needs. But in the Commonwealth and other territories, the block grant has some limits that states don't, such as an overall federal funding cap for the programs that are funded by the grant.[17] As a result of that and limited funding that affects all states and territories, Puerto Rico is able to provide TANF assistance to only a tiny share of families in poverty, just 4 out of 100 in 2017.[18]
Puerto Rico residents also cannot access the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) or the Child Tax Credit, as residents of the states and the District of Columbia can. The federal EITC is not available to people who live in Puerto Rico, while the Child Tax Credit is only available to families there with three or more children. In 2019, Puerto Rico introduced its own, locally funded EITC, but it is very modest and provides low-income working families with just a fraction of what the federal EITC provides on the mainland, because Puerto Rico lacks the resources to make its EITC more adequate.[19]
Funding Structure
SNAP is an entitlement program, which means that anyone who qualifies under program rules can receive benefits. As a result, SNAP can respond quickly and effectively to support low-income families and communities during times of increased need. Enrollment expands when the economy weakens or disaster hits and contracts when the economy recovers and poverty declines, without additional action from Congress or the President. In this way, SNAP helps families bridge temporary periods of unemployment or family crisis. SNAP food benefits are funded with federal dollars, and administrative costs are shared evenly between the state and federal governments.
NAP is a capped block grant, which means Puerto Rico receives a fixed level of annual funding for food assistance from the federal government regardless of need. As a result, NAP cannot automatically expand to meet increased need when the economy stumbles or natural disaster strikes. Instead, the Commonwealth has historically controlled program costs by imposing income and benefit limits below those in SNAP. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) determined in a comprehensive 2010 assessment that if Puerto Rico participated in SNAP, it would spend approximately 23 percent more on household food assistance as a result of serving more individuals and providing more robust benefits.[20]
The federal block grant covers all NAP food benefits and 50 percent of administrative costs, and Puerto Rico covers the remaining administrative expenses.[21]
Initially, the block grant was funded at $825 million per year, an amount about 25 percent less than funding for Puerto Rico under the Food Stamp Program, and it did not include regular annual adjustments for inflation, which further eroded program funding. Federal policymakers raised funding by about 3 percent annually between 1987 and 1990[22] and provided some additional modest increases in the early 1990s. These increases did not always keep up with food inflation, however, leading the real value of the block grant to fluctuate in those years. The 1996 farm bill adjusted funding annually between 1996 and 2002 to reflect anticipated inflation, and the 2002 farm bill provided for ongoing annual adjustments to reflect food price inflation.[23]
Federal funding for NAP in fiscal year 2018 was about $1.92 billion.[24] Besides temporary increases following natural disasters and COVID-19 (described below) and as part of the 2009 Recovery Act, funding for NAP has remained flat since then, after adjusting for food inflation. (See Figure 1.)
States and territories participating in SNAP that experience natural disasters can request disaster SNAP benefits from USDA, which include benefits available for new households affected by the disaster that can apply with a simplified application, as well as replacement or supplementary benefits for participating households that lost food due to the disaster. This process does not require congressional action, and the USDA approval process is straightforward. These programs have generally begun operating within months of a disaster, and often within days or weeks.
In contrast, NAP does not have an automatic mechanism to provide disaster benefits (see box). As the recent experience with Hurricanes Irma and Maria demonstrated, additional funding is contingent on congressional action, and requires Puerto Rico to submit and USDA to approve a comprehensive plan outlining the use of those funds, which can significantly delay the process. A recent report from USDA's Office of the Inspector General described how Puerto Rico's lack of disaster authority prevented the Commonwealth from adequately planning for and providing disaster benefits in a timely fashion after the 2017 disasters. Puerto Rico did not receive approval for and begin operating a disaster nutrition assistance program until nearly six months after the disaster. In contrast, the Virgin Islands, which participates in SNAP and can provide assistance through the Disaster SNAP program, was able to provide assistance in November 2017, only 47 days after Hurricane Maria.[25] Puerto Rico has also recently received additional funding to help the Commonwealth serve more people and boost benefits to respond to increased need from COVID-19.
SNAP eligibility rules are, for the most part, set at the federal level and uniform across the nation. Under federal rules, a household must meet three criteria to qualify for SNAP benefits: (1) gross monthly income at or below 130 percent of the poverty line, or $2,353 for a three-person family in fiscal year 2021;[26] (2) net monthly income (income after eligible deductions are applied) at or below 100 percent of the poverty line, or about $1,810 a month for a three-person family in fiscal year 2021; and (3) assets below certain limits, which in fiscal year 2021 were $2,250 for households without an elderly or disabled member and $3,500 for those with an elderly or disabled member. States have the flexibility to ease these limits, and many do.[27]
NAP eligibility is based on net income and asset limits.[28] NAP has no gross income test. The Commonwealth sets specific eligibility criteria and other program parameters in its annual state plan, which the USDA approves. For example, as of March 2019 and continuing unchanged, a household of three had to have net income at or below $1,706 to qualify. Original program rules established a much lower income level of $599 for a family of three for 2019, in line with recent years, but Puerto Rico raised income limits after receiving additional NAP funding in response to Hurricanes Irma and Maria. (This increase in the income limits led to a rise in participation of about 10 percent.) While participant benefits were cut to previous levels when this funding expired in March 2019 (with increases following receipt of subsequent relief funding as described in the box), Puerto Rico kept higher qualifying income limits.
Additionally, to qualify for NAP, households must have assets (such as money in a bank account but not including the value of most vehicles or most participants' homes) less than or equal to $5,000, or $15,000 for families with elderly members, though the vast majority of participants likely have assets far below these levels.[29]
SNAP eligibility levels are set based on poverty levels, and all eligible people who apply can receive benefits. But ADSEF must set NAP's eligibility levels to fit the confines of fixed funding.
In both programs, applicants must meet limited non-financial requirements in addition to income and asset limits. Both programs have similar rules regarding non-citizen eligibility, but other eligibility rules differ. For example, SNAP eligibility is more limited for most individuals enrolled in higher education than in NAP,[30] while in NAP, families must show that school-age children are enrolled in school or are receiving home instruction, which is not required in SNAP.
Under a particularly harsh SNAP rule, adults without dependent children in their household and without documented disabilities are limited to three months of SNAP out of every three years unless they are working at least 20 hours per week or participating in a qualifying workfare or job training program. They may also be eligible if they meet certain exemptions or live in an area with a temporary waiver of the time limit due to elevated unemployment.[31] Under this policy, states are not required to provide work slots or training program opportunities to individuals subject to the time limit, and as a result, SNAP participants are cut off after three months regardless of whether they are looking for work or would be willing to participate in a qualifying training program.[32] NAP has not had this restriction.[33]
Application Process
In SNAP, states and participating territories (and in some states, counties) administer the program according to federal rules, but with many state options. In most states, households can apply in person at a local human services office or submit an online application. In some states, applicants can also apply over the phone. Households in most states usually have an option to fill out and mail or fax in an application. Applicants must participate in an eligibility interview, which can be on the phone in most states. They must also document numerous aspects of their eligibility, including their identity, residency, immigration status, household composition, income and resources, and deductible expenses. Once households are determined eligible and are receiving benefits, they must also reapply for SNAP at intervals determined by the state called certification periods, typically every six to 12 months for most families and every 12 to 24 months for seniors and people with disabilities. They must also report certain changes such as changes in income. (The Families First Coronavirus Response Act of March 2020 allowed states to temporarily modify SNAP procedures; for example, almost all states received a waiver to temporarily process applications without conducting an interview, and most states received waivers to extend certification periods for households who were due to renew their SNAP benefits during the pandemic period.[34])
In NAP, households face a similar application process. Households apply, typically in person at a local office; complete an interview, also usually in person; and submit verifications of their circumstances such as income. Applicants can provide information to determine their eligibility online or by calling a hotline, through which their information will be shared with the local office, which will contact them to schedule an interview. (NAP also made some temporary changes due to COVID-19 beginning in March 2020, including developing an online and phone application process and allowing households to submit documents through email or in physical dropboxes.) Households are also certified for similar periods (six to 12 months for most families and 12 to 24 months for households with elderly individuals or those with disabilities) and must report similar changes in income or circumstances between those periods. Similar to SNAP, NAP also temporarily extended certification periods in response to COVID-19 so that households would not need to renew benefits during the pandemic.
Benefit Calculation
Both SNAP and NAP determine benefit levels based on household size and other characteristics. Very poor households in both programs receive larger benefits since they need more help affording an adequate diet. SNAP benefits have generally been more generous than benefits in NAP.[35]
SNAP's benefit formula assumes that families will spend 30 percent of their net income for food; SNAP makes up the difference between that 30 percent contribution and the cost of the Thrifty Food Plan (TFP), a minimal-cost, nutritionally adequate diet that USDA establishes according to household size and updates each year for inflation. Households with no net income receive the equivalent to the TFP for their household size, known as SNAP's maximum benefit, and benefits decline as net income — and therefore a household's expected contribution for food (30 percent of that net income) — increases. In SNAP, benefits are therefore theoretically based on the cost of food, though recent evidence suggests they don't meet the needs of many households.[36] SNAP benefit calculation is based on federal rules, but states have options that influence several aspects of benefit calculation, such as flexibility to customize some of the deductions used to determine net income.[37] SNAP's funding structure guarantees that participants receive benefits based on these rules regardless of the size of the caseload.
NAP benefit amounts are based on a benefit schedule developed by Puerto Rico that sets benefits low enough to ensure that this spending stays within the program's funding levels. Unlike SNAP, NAP may not have sufficient funding to provide benefits based on estimated food needs to everyone who is eligible for the program, and therefore must determine benefits based on available funding. For example, if during a crisis more people apply for the program than funding allows at current benefit levels, ADSEF must decide to reduce participation, benefits, or some combination to stay within available funding. SNAP, in contrast, can guarantee consistent benefits to all newly eligible households that apply. Most NAP households would likely receive higher benefits under SNAP than under NAP. For many households, those benefits would be significantly higher.[38]
ADSEF develops a table of base maximum benefits that participants receive each month according to household size and income, and benefits decline as net income increases. Each elderly individual also receives 20 percent more than the standard benefit, one of several features that target benefits to this group.[39] As described in the box, benefit levels have risen in recent months due to additional temporary disaster and emergency funding approved by Congress.
In addition to these base benefits, participants also receive regular benefit adjustments. If the total cost to provide these base benefits for participants that month falls below the allocated budget, the program distributes the remaining funds to participants based on a formula. This means that most months, participants' benefits include this adjustment, the amount of which varies each month, in addition to the base allotment. For example, as Table 1 shows, in March through June 2019, the base maximum benefit for a household of three people (such as for households with no or very low net income) was $315 in those months without temporary benefit increases, but final benefits for households of three receiving the maximum averaged $381 including the adjustment.[40] In comparison, a household of three receiving SNAP's maximum benefit would have received $505 in SNAP in fiscal year 2019, and more in Alaska, Hawaii, Guam, and the Virgin Islands (for example, $650 in the Virgin Islands.)[41]
In some regions of the Commonwealth, about 4 percent of benefits are taken out of this monthly benefit adjustment and given in vouchers that participants can redeem at farmers markets called Family Markets. In addition, participants may also receive an annual benefit adjustment as funds remaining at the end of the fiscal year allow.
|Maximum Benefits Are Lower in NAP Than in SNAP
|Household Size
|NAP Base Maximum Benefit, March-June 2019
|NAP Benefits for Maximum Benefit Households After Adjustments, March-June 2019
|Maximum SNAP Benefit, Fiscal Year 2019
Source: NAP 2020 state plan and CBPP analysis of NAP administrative data (for NAP benefits) and USDA published data (SNAP benefits). Households with six or more members are not shown but also have corresponding maximum benefit amounts in each program.
Notes: NAP maximum base benefit amounts do not include the supplement for elderly households. These benefits are for March-June 2019, when temporary disaster benefit increases were not in place. Households with very low or no net income (income after deductions are applied) under each program's rules receive maximum benefits, and benefits decline in each program for households with higher income, though using different rules. Therefore, not all households receive the maximum benefit: about 50 percent of NAP households in March-June 2019 and 37 percent of SNAP households in fiscal year 2018 (the most recent data available) received the maximum benefit. Because of different income and benefit calculation rules in each program, not all households that receive the maximum benefit under NAP rules would receive the maximum benefit under SNAP rules. The differences between NAP and SNAP maximum benefits are not representative of overall or average benefit differences between the programs.
Benefit Redemption and Retailers
SNAP households receive an EBT card, which is loaded with benefits once a month. (States can choose whether to issue the benefits to all participants on the same day, or stagger benefits so that different households receive benefits on different days of the month; most states stagger benefits. Households must receive benefits on or about the same day every month, with law requiring that issuance be no more than 40 days apart.[42]) Household members may use the card to purchase food at any of the over 250,000 retailers authorized to participate in the program nationwide, including grocery stores, superstores, corner stores, convenience stores, specialty stores, and farmers markets. Convenience stores make up the largest category of SNAP retailers, but participants redeem over 80 percent of benefits at superstores and supermarkets.[43] SNAP EBT cards can be used for eligible purchases in any state, regardless of where benefits are issued. SNAP participants can generally buy food for home preparation; SNAP cannot be used to purchase alcoholic beverages, cigarettes, vitamin supplements, non-food grocery items such as household supplies, or hot foods.
NAP participants also receive benefits on EBT cards (called the Family Card) once a month, and NAP benefits can only be redeemed at certified retailers within Puerto Rico to buy eligible foods, defined similarly as in SNAP as food for consumption at home, prohibiting items such as hot prepared foods, alcohol, and tobacco. Like most states in SNAP, NAP issuance is staggered over the month. About 3,000 retailers participate in NAP. Participants spend about 75 percent of benefits at superstores and supermarkets, a 2015 study found.[44]
Unlike in SNAP, in the past, a small portion of the NAP benefit could be redeemed as cash at automatic teller machines within the Commonwealth to buy food, though this feature has ended and all NAP benefits now must be redeemed for food. This allowed participants to buy eligible foods from retailers and farmers markets that do not have electronic payment equipment..[45]
Program Integrity
SNAP has strong systems in place to ensure payment accuracy and program integrity. SNAP has a rigorous payment error measurement system to determine unintentional payment errors. Each year states take a representative sample of SNAP cases (totaling about 50,000 cases nationally) and thoroughly review the accuracy of their eligibility and benefit decisions. Federal officials re-review a subsample of the cases to ensure accuracy in the error rates. States are subject to fiscal penalties if their error rates persistently exceed the national average.
While fraud, or intentional misuse of benefits, represents a very small share of SNAP costs, states and USDA also designate significant resources to monitoring and eliminating fraudulent redemption of benefits by retailers or participants. For example, states run database checks to verify program information, and states operate fraud units that can investigate suspected instances of fraud. USDA also has a rigorous authorization and re-authorization process for retailers, and continuously monitors SNAP transactions at retailers, alerting investigators of potentially fraudulent redemption patterns.[46]
NAP also operates payment error and fraud prevention and detection systems, though in some cases with less support from the federal government than states receive under SNAP. NAP administrators take a sample of cases and review the accuracy of eligibility and benefit determinations and report the findings to USDA, though USDA does not do a re-review of a sample of those cases as it does for the states. NAP staff authorize and inspect new retailers, monitor transaction data, conduct investigations into inconsistent data or other evidence of potential fraud, and sanction retailers who are out of compliance with regulations — functions the federal government performs under SNAP. NAP staff also investigate and pursue claims against the small number of participants who intentionally deceive the government, which states and territories participating in SNAP do as well.
Federal Oversight and Support
In SNAP, program rules are generally set through federal legislation and rulemaking, and eligibility rules and benefit levels are generally uniform across the states. States administer the program, splitting the cost with the federal government, and have many options to tailor aspects of the program. The federal government, through FNS, provides oversight for states in many ways, such as reviewing and approving state operational plans, providing evaluations and reviews, and approving waivers or pilot projects to change aspects of state administration. The federal government also performs other functions, such as certifying retailers.[47]
In addition to this oversight, the federal government and its regional offices provide states with support related to SNAP administration, such as providing technical assistance, offering competitive grants for technology improvement, and conducting and sharing research with states on best practices. States track participant data and costs and send FNS regular reports, and FNS posts data such as monthly participation reports for all states.
The federal government also provides oversight and support to NAP. As in SNAP, the federal government splits the costs of administering NAP with Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico submits and FNS reviews and approves a state plan each year, and FNS reviews regulations that Puerto Rico submits. Puerto Rico certifies retailers, a function that the federal government does in SNAP. FNS provides technical assistance and monitoring, but the Commonwealth does not appear to have the same access to some resources, such as competitive grants, that states and territories that participate in SNAP do.
In addition, FNS provides less public information about NAP. This relative lack of information is notable given NAP's size: NAP is one of the largest nutrition programs in the United States. The nearly $2 billion the federal government spends on NAP each year puts the program behind only SNAP, child nutrition, and WIC in federal spending on nutrition programs. The number of people participating in NAP is the tenth largest if considered among states and territories participating in SNAP, equivalent to the number of participants in states such as North Carolina and Michigan. FNS only recently began posting NAP data, such as participation, on its website, and the data are less comprehensive than data posted about SNAP.[48] Further, FNS requires the public to submit records requests to obtain basic information about the program, which contrasts to the more readily available information about other nutrition programs.
Other Program Components
Both states through SNAP and Puerto Rico through NAP operate nutrition education programs, through which they inform participants about how to use benefits towards a healthy diet.[49]
SNAP requires states to operate employment and training programs for participants, and states receive additional funding to administer them.[50] States have significant flexibility in defining these programs and the types of services offered, and often contract with third parties such as community-based organizations and community colleges to provide training opportunities. NAP does not receive funding, nor is it required to administer these programs.
Additional Resources
For more background on SNAP, see Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, "Policy Basics: Introduction to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)," updated June 25, 2019, https://www.cbpp.org/research/policy-basics-introduction-to-the-supplemental-nutrition-assistance-program-snap.
For more resources on NAP, see Center on Budget and Policy Priorities:
- Introduction to Puerto Rico's Nutrition Assistance Program, https://www.cbpp.org/research/food-assistance/introduction-to-puerto-ricos-nutrition-assistance-program
- The Nutrition Assistance Program Helps Over Half of Puerto Rico's Children, https://www.cbpp.org/research/food-assistance/the-nutrition-assistance-program-helps-over-half-of-puerto-ricos-children
- Puerto Rico's Nutrition Assistance Program Helps Seniors, https://www.cbpp.org/research/food-assistance/puerto-ricos-nutrition-assistance-program-helps-seniors
For further detail on the differences between SNAP and NAP, see USDA, "Implementing Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program in Puerto Rico: A Feasibility Study," June 2010, https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/implementing-supplemental-nutrition-assistance-program-puerto-rico-feasibility-study.
End Notes
[1] Elizabeth Wolkomir wrote an earlier version of this paper, published November 27, 2017.
[2] Guam and the Virgin Islands participate in SNAP. American Samoa and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands also receive nutrition assistance block grants in lieu of SNAP.
[3] This paper largely describes NAP and SNAP prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. The far-reaching impacts of the public health and economic crises may affect the programs in various ways, including increasing need, changing procedures at least temporarily to comply with social distancing requirements, and temporary federal funding increases provided in response.
[4] General Accounting Office (GAO), "Nutrition Conditions and Program Alternatives in Puerto Rico," July 1992, http://www.gao.gov/assets/160/151923.pdf.
[5] For example, President Reagan's fiscal year 1982 budget proposed other deep cuts to the Food Stamp Program, along with cuts to Medicaid, child nutrition programs, and income assistance programs such as the Aid for Families to Dependent Children. The budget originally proposed replacing all food assistance programs in Puerto Rico including child nutrition programs with a block grant. See Congressional Budget Office, "An Analysis of President Reagan's Budget Revisions for Fiscal Year 1982," March 1981, https://www.cbo.gov/sites/default/files/97th-congress-1981-1982/reports/81doc11b.pdf. The 1981 Omnibus Reconciliation Package included many proposed cuts.
[6] "Evaluation of the Nutrition Assistance Program in Puerto Rico, Volume I: Environment, participation, administrative costs, and program integrity," Mathematica Policy Research, 1985a, https://www.mathematica.org/our-publications-and-findings/publications/evaluation-of-the-nutrition-assistance-program-in-puerto-rico-volume-i-environment-participation-administrative-cost-and-program-integrity-formerly-referred-to-as-the-puerto-rico-nutrition-evaluation-i
[7] Ibid.
[8] "Evaluation of the Nutrition Assistance Program in Puerto Rico, Volume II: Effects on food expenditures and diet quality," Mathematica Policy Research, 1985b, https://www.mathematica.org/our-publications-and-findings/publications/evaluation-of-the-nutrition-assistance-program-in-puerto-rico-volume-ii-effects-on-food-expenditures-and-diet-quality.
[9] These are poverty rates measured in the American Community Survey and the Puerto Rico Community Survey, the equivalent survey conducted in Puerto Rico by the U.S. Census Bureau. These differ in some respects from official poverty rates collected as part of the Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplement. Brian Glassman, "A Third of Movers From Puerto Rico to the Mainland United States Relocated to Florida in 2018," U.S. Census Bureau, September 26, 2019, https://census.gov/library/stories/2019/09/puerto-rico-outmigration-increases-poverty-declines.html?utm_campaign=20190926msacos3ccstors&utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery. For more on the differences between the methodologies used in the surveys to estimate poverty, see "Fact Sheet: Differences Between the American Community Survey (ACS) and the Annual Social and Economic Supplement to the Current Population Survey (CPS ASEC)," U.S. Census Bureau, https://www.census.gov/topics/income-poverty/poverty/guidance/data-sources/acs-vs-cps.html. For more on the differences between the American Community Survey and the Puerto Rico Community Survey, see "A Comparison of the American Community Survey and the Puerto Rico Community Survey," U.S. Census Bureau, https://www.census.gov/content/dam/Census/programs-surveys/acs/Library/OutreachMaterials/ACSFlyers/A%20Comparison%20of%20the%20ACS%20and%20the%20PRCS.pdf.
[10] Myribel Santiago Torres et al., "Seguridad Alimentaria en Puerto Rico," Instituto de Estadísticas de Puerto Rico, June 2019, https://estadisticas.pr/files/Publicaciones/Seguridad%20Alimentaria%20en%20Puerto%20Rico%20-%20Final%20%28300519%29.pdf.
[11] Every year USDA estimates household-level food insecurity prevalence rates based on a survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau as a supplement to the Current Population Survey (CPS). (See Alisha Coleman-Jensen et al., "Household Food Security in the United States in 2017," U.S. Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service, September 2018, https://www.ers.usda.gov/webdocs/publications/90023/err-256.pdf?v=0.) While the survey used in the Puerto Rico analysis used some of the same survey questions, there were several methodological differences, as explained in Santiago Torres et al. For example, the Puerto Rico food security study used individual adults as its unit of analysis, used a modified survey as compared to that used in the CPS supplement, and was administered using different methods. Santiago Torres et al. estimated using the CPS data that while not directly comparable, the 2015 individual rate of food insecurity among adults in the U.S. was 12.4 percent, compared to 33.2 percent in Puerto Rico.
[12] Santiago Torres et al.
[13] Javier Balmaceda, "Long in Recession, Puerto Rico Needs More Than Just COVID-19 Relief to Overcome Its Crises," CBPP, May 7, 2020, https://www.cbpp.org/research/economy/long-in-recession-puerto-rico-needs-more-than-just-covid-19-relief-to-overcome-its.
[14] Judith Solomon, "Puerto Rico's Medicaid Program Needs an Ongoing Commitment of Federal Funds," CBPP, April 22, 2019, https://www.cbpp.org/research/health/puerto-ricos-medicaid-program-needs-an-ongoing-commitment-of-federal-funds.
[15] The Medicare Savings Program, which assists low-income seniors with their Medicare premiums and cost sharing, does not operate in Puerto Rico, and many seniors pay their own Part B premiums. There is also no Low-Income Subsidy program to help with the cost of prescription drugs, although Puerto Rico gets a separate allotment of funds to provide assistance with prescription drugs for some seniors. For more, see Annie Mach, "Puerto Rico and Health Care Finance: Frequently Asked Questions," Congressional Research Service, June 27, 2016, https://fas.org/sgp/crs/row/R44275.pdf.
[16] U.S. Government Accountability Office, "Information on How Statehood Would Potentially Affect Selected Federal Programs and Revenue Sources," March 2014, https://www.gao.gov/assets/670/661334.pdf, and Congressional Research Service, "Cash Assistance for the Aged, Blind, and Disabled in Puerto Rico," October 26, 2016, https://fas.org/sgp/crs/row/cash-aged-pr.pdf.
[18] CBPP calculation using data from the Office of Family Assistance of the Department of Health and Human Services for TANF participants (Total Families, TANF and SSP-MOE Combined, 2017, https://www.acf.hhs.gov/ofa/resource/tanf-caseload-data-2017), and total families in poverty from the U.S. Census Bureau Puerto Rico Community Survey, Table C17010, "Poverty Status in the Past 12 Months of Families by Family Type by Presence of Related Children Under 18 Years," 2016 and 2017 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates. To see estimates that measure the reach of TANF in the states, see Ife Floyd, Ashley Burnside, and Liz Schott, "TANF Reaching Few Poor Families," Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, updated November 28, 2018, https://www.cbpp.org/research/food-assistance/how-is-food-assistance-different-in-puerto-rico-than-in-the-rest-of-the.
[19] Javier Balmaceda, "Puerto Rico on Verge of Implementing an EITC," CBPP, December 10, 2018, https://www.cbpp.org/blog/puerto-rico-on-verge-of-implementing-an-eitc.
[20] Anne Peterson et al., "Implementing Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program in Puerto Rico: A Feasibility Study," June 2010, https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/implementing-supplemental-nutrition-assistance-program-puerto-rico-feasibility-study. The share of the population and share of people in poverty receiving NAP have expanded since 2009, the year of the USDA analysis, due to factors including declining population in Puerto Rico and a recent expansion of eligibility criteria. As a result, the costs of implementing SNAP in Puerto Rico currently may differ compared to this original estimate.
[21] Some functions that are performed by the federal government in SNAP are performed by Puerto Rico in NAP, and therefore funding comes from NAP administrative expenses split with the federal government, rather than being fully funded at the federal level. For example, USDA investigates retailers and monitors them for compliance, a function that Puerto Rico performs and is included in administrative costs.
[22] GAO, op. cit.
[23] As SNAP benefits are, the block grant is adjusted annually by the percentage change of the USDA's Thrifty Food Plan from the preceding June.
[24] As described in the box, "Disaster Funding After Hurricanes Irma and Maria and Emergency COVID-19 Funding," Congress has passed two temporary NAP funding increases since Hurricanes Irma and Maria, one of $1.27 billion that funded increased benefits from March 2018 through February 2019, and the second, for $600 million, that the Commonwealth is spending to boost benefits again for approximately one year that began in August 2019.
[25] USDA Office of Inspector General, "Review of FNS' Nutrition Assistance Program Disaster Funding to Puerto Rico as a Result of Hurricanes Irma and Maria," Audit Report 27702-0001-22, October 2019, https://www.usda.gov/oig/webdocs/27702-0001-22.pdf.
[26] Households with an elderly or disabled member need not meet this limit.
[27] States have flexibility to lift the income limits and lift or eliminate the asset test for households that are categorically eligible for SNAP. For more information, see Dottie Rosenbaum, "SNAP's 'Broad-Based Categorical Eligibility' Supports Working Families and Those Saving for the Future," CBPP, updated July 30, 2019, https://www.cbpp.org/research/food-assistance/snaps-broad-based-categorical-eligibility-supports-working-families-and.
[28] While both programs use "net income" to determine eligibility, there are several key differences. Each program defines household composition differently. SNAP considers earned income from wages, salaries, tips, commissions, self-employment, and independent contracting, as well as unearned income. NAP considers similar categories of income but applies more exemptions and exclusions to some income categories. For example, NAP rules only count a portion of the Social Security income for some units, such as those consisting solely of elderly members or those with disabilities, which can substantially lower their net income, allowing them to qualify for higher benefits. Both programs have deductions to reflect disposable income, but those deductions differ. For example, SNAP allows participants to deduct excess housing costs, which NAP does not, but NAP has specific deductions for groups such as some farmers and producers of specific agricultural products, the elderly, people with disabilities, and the terminally ill. See Peterson et al.
[29] For example, a 2013 report on the 2007 Puerto Rico Survey of Consumer Finances found that only about one-third of families in the bottom quintile of income had financial assets such as bank accounts, and of those who did, the average value was about $500. See Harold J. Toro-Tulla, "Puerto Rico Survey of Consumer Finances: Top-line Report," Center for a New Economy, November 2013, https://grupocne.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/TopLine-Report-FINAL.for_.web_.pdf.
[30] In SNAP, students ages 18 through 49 enrolled in higher education institutions more than half time are ineligible for SNAP unless they meet certain exemptions, such as if they are employed 20 hours per week or more, participate in a work study program, or are taking care of young children or older children without access to child care. NAP does not limit college student eligibility beyond other income eligibility rules, and full-time college students can deduct $100 from their gross income.
[31] A recent Trump Administration rule would have tightened the requirements for waivers from the time limit. See Robert Greenstein, "New SNAP Rule Would Cost Many of Nation's Poorest Their Food Aid," Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, December 4, 2019, https://www.cbpp.org/press/statements/new-snap-rule-would-cost-many-of-nations-poorest-their-food-aid. A federal court struck down this rule in October 2020. See Ed Bolen, "Court Decision Against Trump Rule Preserves SNAP for 700,000 Jobless," CBPP, October 20, 2020, https://www.cbpp.org/blog/court-decision-against-trump-rule-preserves-snap-for-700000-jobless.
[32] For more, see Ed Bolen and Stacy Dean, "Waivers Add Key State Flexibility to SNAP's Three-Month Time Limit," CBPP, updated February 6, 2018, https://www.cbpp.org/research/food-assistance/waivers-add-key-state-flexibility-to-snaps-three-month-time-limit.
[33] In the 2020 State Plan of Operations, ADSEF indicated that the agency was working to reach an agreement with the Financial Oversight and Management Board of Puerto Rico on an implementation plan for a policy to take away food assistance from participants who are not working or in training a set number of hours, which the Board has recommended, but as of October 2020 has not implemented this requirement due to limited staff and other resources.
[34] See Dottie Rosenbaum et al., "USDA, States Must Act Swiftly to Deliver Food Assistance Allowed by Families First Act," CBPP, April 7, 2020, https://www.cbpp.org/research/food-assistance/usda-states-must-act-swiftly-to-deliver-food-assistance-allowed-by-families.
[35] Average SNAP benefits have generally been similar to NAP benefits in recent years, before the increase from disaster funding, but this comparison does not capture the disparity due to differences in benefit calculation. If NAP participants received benefits based on the same benefit calculation as in SNAP, average benefits would be higher than in SNAP for many households. This is because the SNAP benefit calculation gives households with lower incomes higher benefits, and NAP households have incomes that are significantly lower than in SNAP. For example, in 2018, about 65 percent of NAP households had income at or below half the federal poverty line, compared to 38 percent of SNAP households. Because of differences in how benefits are calculated, not all NAP participants would necessarily receive higher benefits under SNAP. For example, some households with elderly individuals could receive lower benefits in SNAP compared to NAP due to the NAP benefit structure, which targets higher benefits to those households.
[36] Steven Carlson, "More Adequate SNAP Benefits Would Help Millions of Participants Better Afford Food," CBPP, July 30, 2019, https://www.cbpp.org/research/food-assistance/more-adequate-snap-benefits-would-help-millions-of-participants-better.
[37] For more on the SNAP benefit calculation, see "A Quick Guide to SNAP Eligibility and Benefits," CBPP, updated November 1, 2019, https://www.cbpp.org/research/food-assistance/a-quick-guide-to-snap-eligibility-and-benefits.
[38] It is difficult to precisely model how much households in Puerto Rico would receive under SNAP rules, particularly maximum benefits for Puerto Rico, due to limited food price data in Puerto Rico, as well as what state options in SNAP Puerto Rico would choose. But, a USDA model of the impacts on both participation and benefits found that likely NAP participants under SNAP would receive benefits on average about 10 percent higher than in NAP, and more for lower-income households, but households comprising only elderly members would receive benefits on average about 10 percent lower with SNAP than under NAP. (This study also found that a transition to SNAP would increase participation by about 15 percent, but due to NAP's increase in income eligibility limits and population decline in Puerto Rico, this increase may have changed.) Unpublished CBPP analysis of NAP administrative data also found that overall, most but not all households would receive higher benefits under SNAP, with lower-income households seeing larger increases. Due to NAP's targeting of benefits to elderly individuals through program rules, CBPP analysis also found that many, and under some assumptions most, elderly households could receive lower benefits under SNAP than under NAP.
[39] Puerto Rico calculates a base benefit based on household size and net income. The regulations provide that elderly individuals receive a 20 percent increase applied to this base benefit, corresponding to a household of the same size with zero net income. In addition to this supplement, NAP also disregards some Social Security and other retirement income, lowering elderly households' net income and thus allowing them to qualify for higher benefits, and allows them to apply as separate households.
[40] In collaboration with Dr. Hector Cordero-Guzman, CBPP obtained public use, de-identified NAP/PAN administrative data from the SAIC database from the Puerto Rico Department of Family through a public records request to the Puerto Rico Institute of Statistics.
[41] Due to differences in net income calculation (as explained in footnote 28), not all NAP households that receive the maximum benefit under NAP program rules would receive the maximum benefit in SNAP. Because benefits decline at different rates as net income increases in each program, the differences between the maximum benefits are not representative of the overall or average benefits in each program. Households eligible for less than the maximum benefit under NAP rules generally face less of a disparity in benefits compared to what they would receive in SNAP.
[42] For more information, see Dottie Rosenbaum, "Many SNAP Households Will Experience Long Gap Between Monthly Benefits Despite End of Shutdown," CBPP, updated February 4, 2019, https://www.cbpp.org/research/food-assistance/many-snap-households-will-experience-long-gap-between-monthly-benefits.
[43] "Fiscal Year 2018 Year End Summary," Food and Nutrition Service, USDA, https://fns-prod.azureedge.net/sites/default/files/media/file/2018SNAPRetailerManagementYearEndSummary.pdf.
[44] USDA Food and Nutrition Service, "Examination of Cash Nutrition Assistance Program Benefits in Puerto Rico," August 2015, https://fns-prod.azureedge.net/sites/default/files/ops/PuertoRico-Cash.pdf.
[45]From 2001 through 2016, 25 percent of the NAP benefit could be drawn as cash, but the 2014 farm bill mandated a gradual phase-out of the cash portion of the benefit by 2021. In 2019, 10 percent of the benefit was redeemable as cash, which fell to 5 percent on October 1, 2019, and by October 1, 2020, the Commonwealth had phased out the cash option. Sec. 19(e)(3) of the Food and Nutrition Act permits the Secretary of Agriculture to approve a plan to maintain a cash benefit for participants or categories of participants if they determine discontinuation could have significant adverse effects.
[46] Stacy Dean, "Program Integrity for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program," CBPP, May 9, 2018, https://www.cbpp.org/food-assistance/program-integrity-for-the-supplemental-nutrition-assistance-program.
[47] For more detail, see Peterson et al.
[48] USDA Food and Nutrition Service, "Puerto Rico Nutrition Assistance Program," https://www.fns.usda.gov/pd/puerto-rico-nutrition-assistance-program.
[49] Nutrition education programs are funded through 100 percent federally funded grants in SNAP, whereas the cost of administering nutrition education in Puerto Rico is considered an administrative cost and is therefore split between the federal government and Puerto Rico.
[50] States receive 100 percent federally funded grants to administer these programs. They can also receive matching funds for additional costs and to provide supportive services to participants in the programs, such as child care or transportation costs.


text:
Crazy Ivy
Hello all.
My garage has ivy growing on top of it. I generally like it and it's lovely to see the bees and then the birds (especially blackbird) benefiting from it when not much else is flowering/fruiting.
However it is now out of control and I need to cut it back a bit. When is the best time to do this? If I do it now will it grow back nicely? Is it too late? I have a feeling that birds nest in it...
Dave Morgan Posts: 3,123
You can cut it back now, but you will have to check for nesting birds as disturbing them is a criminal offence.
There is also the probability of overwintering insect, particularly butterflies. If I were you I'd trim the top now to a manageable level, then in about July when most of the chicks have fledged and before some insects have laid their eggs.
You can't please all the wildlife so some will suffer, but leaving it a bit later will allow the ivy to recover and some food and laying opportunities for insects.0

subset: commoncrawl


text:
TANGO NUEVO CABARET by SERGEI TUMAS
Be prepared to experience sensual performances and magnificent costumes rooted in the barrios of Buenos Aires – this breathtaking tango extravaganza is not to be missed!
Tango Nuevo Cabaret by Sergei Tumas is a tribute to the music of legendary Argentine composer Astor Piazzolla (1921 – 1992), who created the Tango Nuevo genre of music in 1954, incorporating elements of Argentine Tango, Jazz & Classical music. This explosive show will arrive at the historic Alex Theatre on 7 February 2015 and features a cast of renowned tango/jazz musicians and dancers from Argentina and the world. Special guest artists include internationally acclaimed Broadway singer Martin De Leon and none other than seasoned master of bandoneon, Daniel Binelli, who – having toured internationally with Piazzolla's Sextet – is acclaimed as the foremost torchbearer of Astor's music.


text:
Admins can message fans directly through the GameStream while scorekeeping. Whether to let fans know about a rain delay, or simply add commentary to a spectacular play, the Message Fans option allows the scorekeeper to communicate with fans during the course of a game.
How to Message Fans During a Game
1) Tap Menu.
2) Tap Send Message to Fans.
3) Enter desired message and Save.
4) This message will be posted in the game's plays within the GameStream for fans to view.


text:
Pressure Switch N/O & N/C 18bar F, M10x1, 20cm Cable - RE5015
Login to view price.
Volume discount price will be reflected at cart page
The Reacton® Pressure Switches are designed using well known and proven and high vibration resistant diaphragm or piston technology suitable for air, nitrogen and neutral or self-lubricating fluids & gases.
Part Number - RE5015


text: Volume II of a series containing anecdotes and stories, some well-known, others less so, of particular countries. This second volume supplements the first with additional stories of the discovery, colonization, founding, and early years of the United States of America, describing history for children and young adults in an exciting and novel manner. (Summary by Kalynda)


text:
DPRG will hold its 2nd sesson at theLab.ms in Plano on Thursday, April 27th, between 6:30 and 11:00 PM. The event's purpose is to help people complete their club or other robot. However if you have another project, please feel free to come work on it and socialize. Everyone is welcome.
Come Build Robots in Plano, TX!
Posted in Meeting Announcements, News and tagged theLab.ms.


text:
Hi, Mekong ICT Camp 2017 Campers!
If you have any idea of social innovation for development and want to develop it as a pilot project prototype, we would like to invite you to submit the idea to get the Mekong ICT Camp seed grant of USD 3,000 for a project (5 awards; one for each country).
What is the Mekong ICT Camp 2017 Seed Grant
Mekong ICT Camp 2017 Seed Grant is a small grant aimed to support pilot project prototypes on Social Innovation for development. The support is USD3,000 per project. This year, the seed grant will be awarded for the 5 best prototypes (one for each country in this region, Lao, Cambodia, Myanmar, Vietnam and Thailand).
The Seed Grant support will be awarded to the selected projects prototype by our Selection Committee at Marketplace at the 5th Mekong ICT Camp 2017.
What we support
The area of project should be on the topic as follows;
– Government transparency
– Environmental and Climate Change
– Resilience and smart city
– Community wifi
– Internet security and privacy
– Online training
– Any technology project to support Social Development
How to apply the grant
– Submit your idea at https://goo.gl/hbbMVD
– Pitch your idea on 4 September 18:00-19:00 during Mekong SI project session and gather a team of 2-4 people from the same country
– Develop your prototype during the camp
– Exhibit your project at Mekong ICT Marketplace for selected 10 teams for final round
– 10 teams will present the project on stage for final judge after the marketplace.
Download our slides for more information!
For questions, please e-mail to firstname.lastname@example.com


text:
Lone Star Silicon Innovations v Nanya Tech. Corp. (Fed. Cir., 2018-1581)
When is a patent agreement an "assignment" as opposed to a mere "license"? A case before the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit ("CAFC") warns that this distinction cannot be determined by "formalities or magic words." [pg. 7] The CAFC found that a patent agreement between Lone Star Silicon Innovations LLC ("Lone Star") and Advanced Micro Devices ("AMD") did not have the intended effect of conveying the right to sue. Although the agreement purported to transfer "all right, title and interest" including the right to sue certain companies for infringement, the CAFC found that "all substantial rights" must be transferred in order for an assignee to claim the right to sue. [pg. 8]
Lone Star first filed suits against Nanya Technology Corporation and its affiliates ("Nanya") in 2016 for allegedly infringing several AMD patents pertaining to the manufacture of integrated circuits. In its decision, the District Court of the Northern District of California (the "District Court") concluded that Lone Star cannot assert the patents because it is not the owner. Additionally, the District Court refused to join AMD as a party to the suit. Only the patentee or someone who acquires "all substantial rights" to a patent is permitted to sue another party for infringement.
On appeal, the CAFC reaffirmed the District Court's decision in part, concluding that Lone Star did not possess sufficient rights to enforce the patents on its own. However, it ruled that the District Court was wrong to prevent Lone Star from adding AMD as a co-plaintiff to the suit.
Can Lone Star Sue Nanya On Its Own?
Lone Star contended that the patent agreement bestows Lone Star with the legal right to sue Nanya for the infringement of the AMD patent. But despite the words "all right, title and interest," the CAFC found that, in effect, the agreement did not grant "all substantial rights" to the patents. [pg. 8] The agreement contains numerous conditions, including clauses that limit who Lone Star can sue for infringement and prevent Lone Star from selling any of its rights without AMD's consent. [pg. 12]
Because these stipulations are "fundamentally inconsistent with a transfer of all substantial rights," the CAFC concluded that the agreement only provided Lone Star with "illusory" rights. [pg. 10] For all intents and purposes, the right to sue for infringement remains with AMD.
Can Lone Star Add AMD as a Co-Plaintiff?
CAFC disagreed with the District Court's decision to prevent AMD from being joined as a co-plaintiff. The District Court ruled that joinder would "reward Lone Star for its litigation gimmick and unfairly prejudice [Nanya]" but the CAFC overruled this decision. [pg. 6] Where a licensee is unable to maintain a suit against a patent infringer, the licensee must be permitted to join the patent owner, "otherwise, the licensee possesses a right without a remedy." [pg. 19] In fact, the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure demand that a necessary party such as AMD must be joined as long as it is feasible. [pg. 19-20]
As long as it can feasibly be joined, AMD must be joined to the suit—voluntarily or involuntarily if need be. [pg. 22] Based on this conclusion, the CAFC sent the case back to the District Court for reconsideration.
This case serves as a caution to parties seeking to buy patent rights from another party. Even if an agreement calls itself an "assignment" or includes a clause that grants "all rights," it may not have that effect. The CAFC warns that it will not be satisfied with mere labels and will instead examine the agreement as a whole to determine whether the right to enforce a patent has been fully transferred. For more information on assigning or licensing patent rights, contact a PCK IP professional.


text:
January 16th, 2018
Thursday, 21 December 2017 is worth marking on your mental calendar. That's the day that the St Philips Christian College network and Australia's largest Christian liberal arts College, Alphacrucis, signed a historic service agreement to revolutionize Christian teacher supply to Christian schools. Each year, 8 pre-service teachers will be selected and supported by the St Phillip's School cluster, and trained in Alphacrucis education degrees in an on-site cadetship -based programme across the 7 schools.
'We have been thinking about this for some years', says St Philips Executive CEO Graeme Irwin, 'but have not really found the right tertiary partner to make it happen until Professor Mark Hutchinson explained what AC were thinking. It turned out that we had been thinking about the same issues from different ends.'
St Philips has grown from its founding in 1982 to include 5 campuses and 7 schools on various sites, most of which were added to a developing St Philips cluster model due to the difficulties they faced as independent schools. This raised the question - what is 'best practice' in cluster models, and what does someone who has found themselves fulfilling an Executive Principal's chair actually do? On a sabbatical in England, Graeme came across the 'academy school' model, instituted in London and other British cities to deal with the problem of failed schools. The policy aimed to improve struggling schools, primarily in deprived areas by placing them within a cluster model overseen by an 'academy trust'. The Trusts were funded to make decisions around quality and delivery rather than the other social agendas which tend to creep into government-led bureaucracies. One of the largest changes they made was in teacher training, government funding enabling Trusts to contract with tertiary providers to provide the sort of teacher education which they thought they needed.
'While those schools have often focused on adaptive values such as entrepreneurialism', said Professor Hutchinson at the signing event, 'the same model is suggestive of solutions to the problems of supply in Christian teacher formation in Australia, and the struggles which Australian national education leaders are having with the huge burn-out rates in federally-funded university teacher training programs.'
The first eight 'cadet teacher trainees' will commence at St Philips in January 2018, followed shortly afterwards by implementations in continuing teacher professional development and research culture development. With a booming population in its drawing areas, and teacher supply in decline, St Philips is showing extraordinary energy and determination in coming up with sustainable solutions to problems that are shared by many types of school across the nation. For Christian schools in particular, this 'cuts the Gordian knot' which has held back increases in Christian teacher supply and quality.
[If you are interested in the Alphacrucis approach to in-school, cadet teacher training models, please contact: Dr. David Hastie, Associate Dean, Education Development, [email protected]]
Leave a Reply.
CFS researchers and staff contribute regularly to the FSB. The aim is to keep you in the loop as to the range of our activities, perhaps suggesting points of common interest.
May 2020


text:
The Bursar's Office provides a complete list of the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center tuition and fees schedule for all programs on their website.
NOTE: these expenses are not included in tuition and fees figures: books,
parking, immunizations, background checks, drug screening or any other
expenses that may be incurred during the time you are enrolled as a
student in the College of Nursing.
Tuition and fees are reviewed annually.
Prospective Students
Graduates of the OU College of Nursing are changing the world of health care throughout Oklahoma and beyond its borders. We invite you to explore our programs and learn how you can take the first step toward a nursing degree at OU.


text:
What our clients say...
Just wanted to thank you for all the support within the last few months. You provided an excellent service in tricky times to drive the case towards closure
It's been a pleasure working with your company. It felt like it all went very smoothly.
I would like to thank you and your company for the help and advice given, you have got me out of a dark place both mentally and in business, I can't thank you…enough!
Overall very pleased with the service received in respect of the Members Voluntary Liquidation for the 2 companies
You are brilliant, many thanks indeed for all your help, much appreciated.
Our MVL was handled in a timely manner and I was kept informed of progress throughout.
Dear Mr. Bell, your firm has just completed the liquidation of the above company.
I would like to record the excellent service given by your staff, and the professional and timely manner in which they conducted the liquidation.
I will certainly use the services of your firm for any future liquidations of my clients and would recommend your firm to others needing such services.
Thanks to the help I received from Clarke Bell, I am able to pay off my debts in a reasonable and realistic manner.
Clarke Bell provided a fast, friendly, professional, efficient and low cost service when we decided it was time to end the life of our company via the MVL route.
The documentation supplied was clear, any questions were answered immediately and there were no hidden costs.
I have absolutely no hesitation in recommending Clarke Bell to any other company director wishing to end the life of their company via the MVL route.
Thank you for all your help with the liquidation matters. You were a joy to deal with.
I just wanted to say how impressed I have been with every aspect of the MVL process.
It has been an absolute pleasure to work with your very professional company.
I will have no hesitation in recommending Clarke Bell Limited to any other potential clients.
Wishing you every success for the future.
I am very impressed with the professional and efficient approach adopted by Clarke Bell.
Our MVL was handled in a timely manner and I was kept informed of progress throughout.
This is an excellent service which is also very good value for money – I am pleased to recommend Clarke Bell without reservation.
We are so grateful to Clarke Bell for their advice, kindness and help which they gave us throughout this process.
Just wanted to thank you for today's meeting and the kindness and compassion you showed us at this difficult time. We didn't expect to be treated with such dignity. Thank you so much.
Thanks for your visit today – you probably don't get thanked a lot, but your very personable nature made the whole day much more bearable for us all, on what would otherwise have been a totally rubbish day!
Many thanks for your support and understanding today which is a difficult and emotional day for us, your discretion and professionalism is very much appreciated.
Thank you for all your help with the liquidation matters. You were a joy to deal with.
They kept me properly informed throughout the whole process with full explanations to my many questions….their patience and empathy meant so much to me. My heartfelt thanks to them all!
The advice and guidance we received from Clarke Bell was invaluable in making the arrangements


text:
Aves de Paso
Browsing by Tag
adventure Asia Australia Camino Camino del Norte Camino de Santiago Culture Europe explore family family travel Family Travel Together Galicia hike Hiking history homeschooling India I Will Survive Journey Kindness North America Peru PHASE 2 PHASE 3 Phase 5 Pilgrimage school of life South America Spain teenager teen blog The way Transylvania travel Travelblog travel with kids UK United Kingdom USA walking wanderlust Way of St. James worldschooling worldtraveler
DAY 18: The Adventures of Lilac Brown and Steve the Rock
Lilac Brown has been my code name for as long as I can remember. I created the identity a little under a decade ago when hiking through a National Park in South Australia. I happened upon a dusty grey gargantuan book designed to hold the comments, experiences or complaints that


text:
Leisure Classic Pools
Key advantages of buying a Leisure Pool:
- Leisure Pools Patented Composite Armour
- Patent Pending Full Vinyl Ester Resin Construction
- Lifetime Structural Warranty and a Lifetime Structural Osmosis Warranty on your Swimming Pool
- When you buy a Leisure Pool, you are swimming in quality and style.
- Great pool ideas for your backyard.
- No obligation Free Quote for pool costs.
Our Gallery
Leisure Classic Pools
The Horizon
The Horizon, Leisure Pools' latest addition to its range is like no other composite pool being produced in the world today.
The pool features a stunning infinity-edge causing water to seemingly disappear into the horizon whether it is a beautiful panoramic view or your own landscape creation allowing water, earth and nature to combine. This ingeniously created swimming pool includes patent-pending design and innovation technology, encapsulating the transition from in-ground to out-of-ground.
Optional storage compartments can be added to the pool to conveniently house its filtration equipment. The compartments effectively protect your valuable filtration equipment while allowing it to operate more efficiently due to its proximity to the pool. The compartments double as sun lounges so while the kids are swimming you can be relaxing on the comfortable cushioned lounges.
|Shallow Depth
|Deep Depth
|29′ 7″ *
|15′ 9″
|15′ 9″
The Courtyard
As its name implies The Courtyard Roman is the ideal centerpiece for a stunning courtyard setting. With the Leisure Pools Courtyard Roman as your starting point just imagine the many interesting courtyard scenes that could be created around it.
Here is a pool that not only looks good but can be packed with features. The pool is ideal for a Swim Jet System with the jets being located between the two sets of steps at the shallow end. At the other end in the curved seating area you can install Spa Jets and even Seat Aeration to create that massaging hydrotherapy effect you get in a spa and a table can be fitted into the curved seating area to complete the picture.
The main body of the pool is great for playing games or simply relaxing and cooling off on hot Summer days.
|Shallow Depth
|Deep Depth
|19′ 9″
|11′ 6″
|4′ 2″
|5′ 1″
The Elegance
The Elegance is not only a visually stunning pool, but also one that maximizes the space inside where you swim. The Elegance has a large unobstructed swimming corridor which is perfect for swimming laps. The central step location also incorporates generous seating area where optional spa jets can be installed to create a relaxing spa nook.
The pool has generous depths at both deep and shallow ends and comes in sizes of 32′ 10″, 29′ 7″ and 26′ 3″ lengths to suit almost any size location.
|Shallow Depth
|Deep Depth
|39′ 4″
|14′ 6″
|3′ 10″
|6′ 2″
|14′ 6″
|29′ 7″
|14′ 6″
|4′ 2″
|5′ 9″
|26′ 3″
|14′ 6″
|4′ 3″
|5′ 9″
|12′ 10″
|4′ 4″
|5′ 7″
|19′ 8″
|11′ 6″
|4′ 5″
|5′ 6″
The Roman
The Leisure Pools Roman features broad entry steps at the shallow end and a seating area at the deep end. The seating area at the deep end can also be fitted with optional spa jets and a pool table.
Leisure Pools has maintained a pool width of 3.50m through all sizes in the Roman range. Primarily this has been done to enable the pool to fit into the many situations where pool width is critical. This has been done without compromising the very balanced look that makes this pool so appealing.
|Shallow Depth
|Deep Depth
|28′ 3″
|11′ 6″
|4′ 2″
|5′ 6″
|23′ 1″
|11′ 6″
|4′ 1″
|5′ 1″


text:
Readers like you keep news free for everyone.
More than 5,000 readers have already pitched in to keep free access to The Journal.
For the price of one cup of coffee each week you can help keep paywalls away.
Readers like you keep news free for everyone.
More than 5,000 readers have already pitched in to keep free access to The Journal.
For the price of one cup of coffee each week you can help keep paywalls away.
Warning: This piece contains very strong language.
LOOK AWAY NOW if curse words bother you.
Feck is a popular minced oath in Ireland, occupying ground between the ultra-mild expletive flip and the often taboo (but also popular) fuck. It's strongly associated with Irish speech, and serves a broad range of linguistic purposes that I'll address briefly in this post.
The most familiar modern use of feck is as a euphemistic substitute for fuck, as in the phrases Feck!, Feck off!, feck it, feck-all, fecker, feck(ed) up, fair fecks (kudos), (for) feck('s) sake, fecked (exhausted, ruined, in a bad situation), and the intensifier feckin' or fecking, which often collocates with hell, eejit, gobshite or some such insult.
Here are a few literary examples:
I'm so feckin' hungry I could eat that feckin' horse. (Amanda Whittington, Ladies' Day)
Feck off Greeley or I'll call the Guards and have you deported. (Peter Murphy, Lagan Love)
Oh thank Christ the fecker's over. A pile of fecking shite. (Martin McDonagh, The Cripple of Inishmaan)
Ah Johnnypateen, will you feck off home for yourself? (same)
I went on clinging to the wall until old Fanning appeared at his front window and made feck-off gestures of great savagery. (Hugh Leonard, Out After Dark)
Feck and fuck do not overlap entirely. Feck is family-friendly, even according to advertising standards authorities (though not always). As expletives go, it has a playful, unserious feel. People who are genuinely furious – as opposed to merely annoyed – or who want to be properly abusive, tend not to use feck: it just isn't forceful enough.
There are significant differences between feck and fuck aside from their relative strengths as curses. For one thing, feck doesn't have sexual uses or connotations. To feck something in Hiberno-English generally means to steal it (see below) or to throw it, often impatiently or casually: she fecked the orange peel out the car window.
Decked out in all his Dublin gear he stomped up the street suffering what may have been his first real taste of what defeat can do [to] a passionate soul. Off came the scarf and he fecked it into a garden. [via]
The word got a boost from its recurrent use in the 1990s TV comedy Father Ted, in which Father Jack shouts "Feck off!" regularly enough to make it a catchphrase. Here's Pauline McLynn, playing Mrs Doyle, mouthing off to Dermot Morgan's eponymous priest about the "fierce" language in a novel she read:
Searching Twitter for feck, fecker, fecked and so on shows how actively and naturally the word is used. Its tonal range is likewise impressive:fecker, for instance, can suggest affection or admiration as well as indicating dismissal or derision, while feck off meaning "depart" needn't have negative implications: Will we feck off home at this stage?
Feck appears quite frequently in Irish newspapers, sometimes in reported speech:
"I haven't an effin' clue what he's talking about," the councillor whispers to the journalists. "But, feck it, it sounds absolutely brilliant!" (Lorna Siggins, Irish Times)
When we attack all out, with no feck-acting, football becomes a great game again. (Billy Keane, Irish Independent)
Feck also functions as a noun, dating from at least the 15th century. Apparently it comes from a Scottish variant of effect, so it's a good example of aphesis (also aphaeresis): the loss of an initial sound in a word. Here are the three senses included in the OED:
1. The greater or better part; a great quantity [Robert Burns: "I hae been a devil the feck o' my life"; Robert Louis Stevenson: "He had a feck o' books wi' him"].
2. The purpose, the intended result; the point (of a statement, etc.).
3. Efficacy, efficiency, value. Feckful: efficient
(Feckless derives from the last of these. Fek is Esperanto for shit, but this is coincidental and incidental.)
In English As We Speak It In Ireland, P. W. Joyce says feck (or fack) is a spade, "from the very old Irish word fec," while Bernard Share's Slanguage says feck can mean "sight, spectacle" (from Irish feic "see", same pronunciation) and is the name of a card game and an implement used in the game of pitch and toss. Terence Dolan also reports on this.
Feck as a verb once meant "keep a look out", maybe from Irish feic. And then there is the Irish slang feck "steal, take", which the Chambers Dictionary of Slang says may originate in Old English feccan "to fetch, gain, take", or German fegen "to plunder". We see this usage in James Joyce's A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man:
Because they had fecked cash out of the rector's room.
So where does the curse, the not-quite-rude word, come from? It's commonly assumed to stem from its coarser cousin fuck, the simple vowel change undercutting its power and making it more suitable for public expression. But Julian Walker, an educator at the British Library, offers a more roundabout route:
"In faith" becomes the improbable "in faith's kin" shortened to "i'fackins", which gradually shrinks to "fac" and "feck"…
The Irish writer Pádraig Ó Méalóid cites a couple of sources that point to the same etymological path, so he also doesn't subscribe to the "euphemistic deformation theory" that feck as a euphemism came about by mimesis of fuck: "What we have instead is a euphemistic meaning layered on top of a much older existing expression".
Feck me, but feck evidently has a feck-load of meanings, uses, and origins. More are welcome, as are your opinions and reports on how you say or hear or feel about the word.
This post originally appeared on Sentence First. Stan Carey is a freelance writer and editor based in Galway. He writes about language at Sentence first and can be found on Twitter at @StanCarey.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site


text:
Friday, March 14, 2014
Four Ways to Wear Green: St. Patrick's Day Style
Tomorrow we're going to hit up a little breakfast party and then see where the day takes us. I'm not that into St. Patrick's Day anymore, the past two years I've been home by 5 or 6pm. What I'm really looking forward to right now is our little trip to Key West next week - I guess we'll get to see how they celebrate!
Do you celebrate St. Patrick's Day? Have any fun plans for this weekend? I'd love to hear!
Linking up:
8 comments :
I'm heading to my hometown to celebrate with my entire town/home friends.And I'm looking forward to seeing my parents and cat as well :) Happy St Pattys Day!ReplyDelete
These are such cute ideas! I really love the last one. The skirt is so adorable on you!ReplyDelete
The cardigan and riding boots is my fav. Simple and green. :-)ReplyDelete
I have definitely done the all-out wear all the green with crazy accessories in the past. Now I don't really celebrate it at all. Just to go out for dinner to celebrate a friend's birthday which is on the holiday.ReplyDelete
Green is definitely your color! I have an Irish pub walking distance from my apartment...so that's where I'll be this year! HahaReplyDelete
Super cute looks. I bucked the whole crazy outfit thing last year and wore a lace top with a mint cardigan. Does that mean we're old or just well-dressed? (I'm obviously picking the second one.) This year I just couldn't do the downtown St. Patty's day thing. My friends always pick Butch Maguire's which is easily the most overcrowded bar in the city. So maybe this is the part that makes me old...ReplyDelete
- natashauflMarch 15, 2014 at 1:48 PM
Lovin' your last look. That dress is gorgeous!ReplyDelete
xo, tasha
twenty-something blog
Number 4 is my fav!ReplyDelete


text:
WASHINGTON -- The White House was locked down for around 45 minutes this afternoon after a man carrying a gun near the complex was shot by Secret Service agents, a senior administration official said.
Just after 3 p.m., an adult male carrying a gun approached a Secret Service checkpoint on the outer perimeter of the White House grounds, near 17th and E Street Northwest.
The man ignored commands from Secret Service officers to drop his weapon, and began brandishing his firearm, the official said.
A Secret Service agent then fired a single shot at the suspect, wounding him, according to the official. He was then taken into custody and Secret Service personnel administered first aid.
The suspect was transported to a local hospital, where he is being treated.
The president was not in the White House at the time of the incident and the lockdown was lifted just after 4 p.m. Vice President Biden was reported to be "within the complex" at the White House, but is "secure," according to a spokesperson.
Snipers took to the White House roof with guns drawn as people were cleared off the streets. Some people were heard screaming on Pennsylvania Avenue.


text:
Jio Prime Registration. Activation Steps
Finally the time as came where Jio has started to charge its users via various offers. Today we will see how to activate Jio Prime membership, Jio prime registration steps. Make sure you follow the steps as given below.
There are two ways by which you can activate your Jio Prime offer. First via website or second via 'My Jio' App.
How to activate Jio Prime Offer via jio.com Website? Live Activation
- Go to Quick Pay>Recharge section of jio.com or click Here to open.
- Scroll Down and enter your Jio Number/ Mobile Number/ Email ID.
- You'll see 3 options. 1. Jio Prime 2. Booster and 3. EXTRAs
If you can't see Jio Prime option then kindly try again after some time since right now, Jio is facing lot of traffic hence they might have disabled it temporary.
- Click 'Membership Plan' an click 'Recharge'
- Then you'll see the payment page. You can pay via any option. Debit Card, Credit Card, Jio Money or Net banking. If you select Jio Money then you'll have to login into your Jio account which needs username and password hence I prefer Net Banking.
- Enter your details and proceed with the payment.
- Then Boom! You will see the payment confirmation page if your transaction is successful and you become the member of Jio Prime.
How to activate Jio Prime Offer via 'My Jio' App? Live Activation
- Open 'My Jio' App. Make sure you have latest'My Jio' App. Download the latest version from Play Store. Click here to get it.
- Click Upper Left Corner and click 'Jio Prime'.
- Then you'll see two options. 'Get Jio Prime' or 'Gift Jio Prime'. You can choose any one of those.
- In 'Jio Prime' tab, you'll see 'Jio Prime Membership Plan'. Click '99'.
- Proceed with the payment.
- After activating, click 'done'.
- Yay! Your Jio Prime Offer is activated now. After successful payment, you'll see your number in Yellow colour and see 'Jio Prime Member' written in 'My Jio App'
- You've successfully completed the 'Jio Prime Registration' process and activated the offer. Means you are enrolled into Jio Prime.


text:
Log In to be able to add this product to your Wish List.
LENGTH: 11,619 words
Sexy nurse Micah Florentine is not Dr. Linus Montgomery's type. Micah just wants to have fun, and Linus is serious. When Micah suggests they'd make excellent BFFs, Linus is willing to indulge him, since Linus is interested in a fellow doctor anyway.Yet as impossible as it seems, their friendship works. Soon Linus finds himself interested in Micah as more than just a friend.Can he convince the flirty nurse to give romance a chance? Or is it impossible for Micah to become his?EXCERPT:Note: may contain sexually explicit scenes of a homoerotic nature.


text:
Oh happy day! Heath Ceramics has partnered with House Industries to bring us not one but two fantastic new house numbers options: Neutra and Eames. It's getting to be that time of year when it's time tackle outdoor projects, so if boosting your home's curb appeal is up there, maybe these are the numbers for you!
Looking for more modern house number options? Check out our gigundus modern house numbers post featuring over 15 more modern options for an enviable exterior.


text:
'Hand washing can be a game changer to prevent common respiratory viruses,' says Erie County Health Commissioner Gale Burstein
By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant
The best way to reduce your risk of catching a cold or influenza doesn't cost a thing and is something you already know how to do: hand washing.
"It can make a huge difference," said physician Gale Burstein, commissioner of the Erie County Department of Health in Buffalo. "Most people become ill through first exposure of viruses and bacteria from their hands. Washing their hands is a great way to prevent contact with bacteria or viruses in the area."
Unfortunately, people don't do it as often as they should, according to Burstein. Viruses aren't just spread when a sick person sneezes. She said that many viruses survive on surfaces such as tables, door knobs and utensils for more than 24 hours. In places where many people touch these surfaces, they're likely crawling with bacteria that can make others sick.
"Hand washing can be a game changer to prevent common respiratory viruses," Burstein said. "Wash as often as possible, especially before eating and drinking because you'll know you'll come in contact with your face and possibly infect yourself."
Since most people pick up a cold or case of the flu by transferring the germs from their hands to their eyes, nose or mouth, it's important to avoid touching the face while in public.
Burstein suggests washing the hands after coming home and before coming in contact with a vulnerable person such as a baby or elderly person.
She said that proper hand washing means using warm water and soap, vigorous rubbing and scrubbing the fronts and backs of the hands, between the fingers and under the fingernails. It should take about 20 seconds.
She covers the handle with a dry paper towel or her jacket or shirt to avoid contaminating her hands by touching the handle.
Oxana Khinkis, a registered nurse who works as infection preventionist at VA Medical Center in Buffalo, said hand sanitizer can also help prevent spread of communicable illnesses.
"An alcohol-based hand sanitizer is the preferred method for cleaning your hands when they are not visibly dirty because it is more effective at killing potentially deadly germs on hands than soap, requires less time, is more accessible than hand washing sinks, produces reduced bacterial counts on hands and improves skin condition with less irritation and dryness than soap and water," Khinkis said.
She recommends products with 60 to 95 percent alcohol as most effective.
But she added that hand sanitizer is "not appropriate for use when hands are visibly dirty or contaminated with proteinaceous materials."
So if you're cutting up chicken, lather up and wash afterwards.
Living in a germ-free bubble isn't advisable — or possible. Balancing cleanliness with sensibility, such as avoiding people known to be sick and staying home when sick, can help reduce the spread of illness.
In addition, managing stress, eating a balanced diet and exercising all help support overall health, including a healthy immune system, which can also help the body fight off colds and flu.


text:
Sweetwater Local Foods Market
Saturday, September 5th, 9:00am to 1:00pm
Mercy Health Partners/Hackley Health at the Lakes
On Harvey St. ½ mile S of Lakes Mall-exit US31 at Pontaluna Rd
We are a Bridge Card & Project Fresh Market
This Week's Vendors
Fruitful Acres of Manistee
Certified Organic White Flesh Peaches! Excellent fresh eating or buy some to freeze for later. Also: large tomatoes for slicing or canning.
Earthscape/Full Circle Farm of Hesperia
BEEF SALE! BUY 2 ROASTS AND GET 10% OFF! Soup Bones $1 per lb. Buy 4 pkgs Ground Beef Patties $20. Other cuts available: Rib Eye Steak, New York Strip, oxtail, tenderloin, Rib Steaks, Sirloin steak, Chuck and Arm Roasts, Rolled Rump Roast, TBones, Porterhouse, liver, heart, stew meat, Swiss steak, Short Ribs, ground beef bulk and patties. This is a mix of all grass-fed beef and some beef with our usual few months of grain to tenderize the meat. Please send me your advance orders and I'll be sure to save beef for you.
VEGGIES THIS WEEK: Kandy Korn Sweet Corn! Leeks! Cucumbers in quantity with dill for canning! Also: Celery, eggplant, sweet peppers & fingerling potatoes, Kennebec Potatoes – the best for homemade french fries, Green Beans, Broccoli, Red Norland Potatoes, Lettuce Mix, Chard and Kale, summer squashes, and whatever else we find ready to pick on Friday! Fresh herbs: parsley, basil, oregano, rosemary, chives, dill.
Sale! Organic Olive Oil! Bring in your quart jar and fill it with Catalan Spanish oil for $35. I will also have Moutere Grove from New Zealand ~ 250 ml $20; 500 ml $30 and bottled Catalan 250 ml $16; 500 ml $24, a new Greek oil and Mansur from Argentina.
HIGHER GROUNDS COFFEE! I'll be bringing a new assortment of 1# bags.
CHECK OUT OUR BLOG! http://www.earthscapefarm.blogspot.com
Olson Farm of Shelby
Tomatoes, Ailsa Craig white & Copra red onions, red potatoes, green beans and this spring's batch of Taste of Spring Maple Syrup.
Grassfields Farm of Coopersville
Certfied Organic raw milk cheeses in the Dutch process tradition.
New! We proud to announce an addition to our cheese line-up. It's called Polkton Corners, and is a delicious, unpressed Gouda. Also: Gouda, Leyden, Gouda Spice (garlic & onion), Edam, Lamont Cheddar.
Earthly Kneads of Muskegon
Lots of goodies at the market this weekend! We're open at the shop from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., too. If you would like to order ahead, please call the shop – 231.728.6383. Make sure you speak with a live person and NOT the voicemail system. Be sure to specify where you'd like to pick up your order (shop or market).
Bread – Specials this week: Stuffing Bread (OK, so it's not Thanksgiving. If you ask me, anytime is a good time for stuffing!) – onions, carrots, celery, mushrooms, garlic, and fresh herbs, all conveniently packaged in one loaf of bread; Cheddar & Chard Bread; Cheesy Shiitake Pockets. All the veggies are from either Earthscape/Full Circle Farm, Frasure Farms, or Funny Farm. We will also have our regular Saturday schedule of bread (visit www.earthlykneads.com for details) minus the beer and cheesy breads (had to make room for the specials!).
Special Sweets – Coffee-Cakes made with the beautiful, organic white peaches from market!
Scones – Honey Lemon & Fig; Apple Cinnamon; Dark Chocolate Chip
Muffins – Peach-filled Streusel Muffins; Blueberry. Both are made with organic, michigan fruit!
Cookies – Dark Chocolate Chip; Snickerdoodles (Cinnamon-Sugar); Double Chocolate Espresso Oatmeal (all oats, no wheat); Cranberry Orange Oatmeal (all oats, no wheat)
Granola – Several varieties this week, plus Gorp and Muesli
Extras – Fresh Shiitake Mushrooms, Dried Shiitake Mushrooms, and Organically-Grown Heirloom Garlic (these bulbs are HUGE!) from Frasure Farms. We'll also have an assortment of Food for Thought and Naturally Nutty with us.
Creswick Farms of Ravenna
Healthy Snacks for Kids Sale continues! Creswick Meat Snack Sticks. Buy 4 for $4.00 each, get 1 pack free!
Handcrafted Sausages and Specialty Meats
Pork Sausages: Red Hot Brats, Jalapeno Brats, Garlic Kielbasa, Breakfast Links & Bulk, Chorizo.
Chicken Sausages: Apple Chicken Links, Chicken with Spinach & Feta Cheese Links.
Lamb Sausages: Moroccan Lamb link sausage!
Fresh-Aire Pastured Pork.
New item! Pork Tenderloin!
Country Style Ribs! Tender, very meaty. We did these in the crock pot for 4 hours then grilled with our secret sauce – yum!
Also: Ham steaks. Pork Chops. Apple Smoked Nitrite-Free Bacon, Soup Seasoning Bacon Ends.
Grass-fed Beef
Fire up the Grill – We've got STEAKS! Back this week: Flank Steak (think Fajitas & London Broils), T-Bones, Ribeye & Sirloin Steak. Filet Mignon. Also: Chuck Roast. Gourmet Burgers, grass-fed beef & hickory smoked bacon 3-1/3lb patties per pkg. Ground Beef in 1 lb pkg. Ground Beef Patties 3-1/3lb patties per pkg.
Pastured Poultry
New item! Smoked Chicken Halves! Also: Boneless/skinless chicken breast, chicken wings, leg quarters, whole chicken & ground chicken in 1# pkg.
Also: At this point we are only taking pre-orders for eggs. See below.
Pre-Orders: Email Chris Bedford at firstname.lastname@example.com by Monday before the market and he will have it ready for you to pick up on Saturday. For a complete list of products, please see the website: www.CreswickFarms.com .
Happy Hill Farm of Hart
New! Fresh ducks and fresh turkey pieces.
Sale! Our 2008 chicken turkey & duck is on sale now – 50% off while it lasts!
Hoophouse & Veggie Garden! Leeks, Sweet corn, Cabbage, Multi-colored carrots. Cucumbers for pickling & slicing. Green, purple, & yellow, dragon & rattlesnake pole beans. Collards, kohlrabi, beets, green onions & big onions, mixed greens. Squash: green, yellow & 8 ball zuccini. Yellow scallop squash. Broccoli. Yukon Gold, Kennebec & Red Lasota potatoes. Herbs: Fresh & dried parsley, cilantro, basil, rosemary & sorrel.
Turkey Sausage. Breakfast, Italian, Brat & Chorizo. Breakfast & Italian in links/andor bulk. Turkeys were fed certified organic feed.
Ducks. Young and tender. The drakes weigh about 6 lbs.; the hens are just over 3 lbs.
Pastured turkey: Fed certified organic grain. We will have frozen packaged thighs, drumsticks, breast roast, sliced breast, and tenderloin.
Pastured chicken: Two options: Frozen chicken fed certified organic grains or chicken fed our own 2nd year transition corn. We have all cuts—whole, cut up, bone-in and boneless skinless breast, drumsticks, thighs, leg quarters and wings, soup stock, feet, liver, hearts and gizzards. All of our meats are raised on pasture with daily moves, and are processed on farm: no stressful transporting.
Stewing Hens. Hens retired from laying eggs make the best chicken soup in the world! Simmer these gals for several hours and you have genuine old-fashioned chicken! Or roast on high in the crockpot with no water for 8-12 hours for scrumptious roasted chicken!
Rabbit. Whole, frozen. Raised by David Filbrun on the farm.
Happy Hill will have Abundant Harvest Bakery goods at their booth, including
Granola Breakfast Cookies and several gluten-free offerings.
Free-Range Eggs: Large. Also, goose eggs.
Ag and Health Alive of Marne
For any Fertrell fall garden supplies please call 616-677-6178 and Paul will bring it to market.
Also: Chicken & Duck Eggs, Honey, maple syrup, garden books, bagged wool.
Nantucket Bread Co. Freshly baked loaves of Whole Wheat Raisin Bread as well as regular Whole Wheat, baked with organic flour.
Brittanies Thyme of Cedar Springs
Now Certified Organic!
Nancy returns this week with a special Sampler Pack to start the fall – 3 vials (1 each of Organic Facial Steam (a blend of peppermint, lavender and calendula), French Green Clay with White Tea facial mask and Organic Almond Oatmeal Facial Scrub for exfoliating. The trio is priced at $14/now on special for $10. The perfect opportunity to try our facial spa products for yourself or give as a gift.
New item this week! We are bringing an assortment of natural and organic loose and bagged teas from Soul Infusions here in Cedar Springs. Many individual varieties to choose from as well as assessories. Perfect to warm up with or just relax by.
Last but not least: Big Sweetwater Hugs & Thanks goes out to new members Jeff Plyler, Nancy McCumber & Wendy Swartz!
If you would like to become a Friend of the Market for a suggested donation of $10.00, which entitles you to a free cup of coffee at every market you attend for a full year, please see me at the market this Saturday! We will also have Higher Grounds Coffee by the Cup for a suggested donation of $1.00. Please note: Higher Grounds Coffee 1# bags for sale at Earthscape booth.
Sweetwater is now on Facebook! http://www.facebook.com/pages/Muskegon-MI/Sweetwater-Local-Foods-Market/111077177535
Hurry! Cast your vote in the Local Harvest "Great Farmer's Markets"
Contest ending September 17th!
Well, with less than two weeks left we would really like to get to 100 votes – and that means we need 5 people to step up! Thanks to the 95 of you who have voted so far and also for your wonderful heart-warming comments – now c'mon the rest of you, help us out! Sponsored by Local Harvest, the Grand Prize is $5000 – that will buy a lot of Pop-Up tents! Also, there are prizes for the person who recruits the most friends to vote for the market! Here's the link:
Thanks for all you do as a consumer and advocate of a healthy local food system!
See you at the Market!
Diana Jancek
Market Manager