Food Check Out


	White County Farm Bureau, Inc.

American food safe, abundant

Kevin Howell
Reporter, The Herald Journal
(article & photos used with permission)

Lucky shoppers at three Monticello stores Friday were recipients of food coupons ranging from $10 - $50 Friday in commemoration of Food Check-Out Day sponsored by Indiana Farm Bureau Inc., Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance, White County REMC and Howard and Sons Inc.

Food Check-Out Day is a concept developed by the South Carolina Farm Bureau Women's committee in 1997 to highlight the affordability of food in America. It became a national event in 1998.

The idea behind the event is to stress that food in America is safe, abundant, and affordable thanks in large part to the country's farmers and ranchers.

To help commemorate the day, Monticello Mayor Jason Thompson visited Wal-Mart, Kroger and R&M Food Mart to hand out coupons. "A lot of kids don't realize where their food comes from," said Thompson, who noted promoting food production with Food Check Out Day was a good way to increase awareness of agricultural production.


	February 8, 2008

He also said with recent flooding, handing out food coupons was a way to help flood victims in some small way.
"Especially right now this is an important thing because people need food, and I feel it's my duty to help out programs like this," Thompson said.

In addition to $50 coupons provided by Farm Bureau, each store provided additional coupons.Wal-Mart kicked in four $20 coupons, Kroger added five $10 coupons and R&M provided four $10 coupons that were handed out to random shoppers.

Typically held in early February, Food Check Out Day marks the time of year when average Americans have earned enough income to pay for the year's food supply.

White County farmer Jim Hallar was passing out information about the event to shoppers at Kroger. "We do this every year," Hallar said. "It takes 38 days for the average worker to make enough money to pay for their food." Compared to that figure, it takes 52 days to pay for health and medical care, 62 days to pay for housing and household operating expenses, and 77 days to cover federal taxes. Less than 10 percent of disposable income is spent on food in contrast to 14 percent in Japan, 15 percent in France, 26 percent in China and 55 percent in Indonesia. The American farmer has to get the message out to people (that food here is more affordable)," Hallar said.

Like Thompson, White County Farm Bureau Women's Committee Leader Marla Storm said although White County is an agricultural area, some people don't realize where food in the grocery store ultimately originates. "Food Check-Out Day is to make the public aware that it's farmers and ranchers who bring the food in here and it doesn't just grow in the store," said Storm.

Kroger coupon recipients included $50 to Barb Pellegrini, Barb Callan and Alice Hare, $10 coupons to Kirk Sons, Val Banks, Norma Bailey, Traci Acebeds and Theresa Anderson. Recipients at Wal-Mart included $50 coupons to Kathie Labra and Rashawnda Jackson, and $20 coupons to Betty Whitaker, Tina Northern, Marty Belden and Diane Whitaker. R&M Food Mart recipients included $50 to Marjorie Smith and Terry and Yvonne Dalka, and $10 coupons to Cheryl Scherer, Joan Yoakum, Jackie Peschke and Robert Vories.


	© 2006-2008, White County Farm Bureau, Inc. All Rights Reserved.