New SNAP Signs & Tax Break Extensions

New SNAP Signs & Tax Break Extensions plus Food Forethought. I'm Greg Martin with today's Northwest Report. A new sign will soon be displayed in stores participating in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or SNAP, formerly known as Food Stamps. FNS Under Sec. Kevin Concannon says the new signs say they "Welcome SNAP Benefits." CONCANNON: I think that is such positive and needed statement. We want all retailers to prominently post this signage and for those retailers who are already participating in the SNAP program, any by the way there are just about 200-thousand store across the United States that participate in SNAP, we encourage these stores to order and prominently post one of these new signs as well. The chairmen of the House and Senate tax-writing committees presented a compromise package of tax cuts and benefit extensions Thursday. The bill is the product of many negotiations that changed a 31-billion dollar package of tax-cut extensions passed by the House in December into one that could approach 200-billion dollars and include many things - including assistance for disaster-stricken farmers. The main part of the bill would extend dozens of tax breaks that expired at the end of 2009 through this year - which would include incentives for biodiesel production. A vote on the measure could occur as early as tomorrow. Now with today's Food Forethought, here's Lacy Gray. I suppose in some strange parallel universe excluding potatoes from a healthy diet regime would make sense. In reality though potatoes should be considered very much a part of a healthy diet, supplying both vitamin C and potassium. Plus, they have always been and still remain affordable. So why would the USDA choose to exclude them from their popular Women, Infants and Children food aid program? That's a question that has been posed by numerous concerned individuals. These individuals, who have written to the USDA voicing their concern and support for the potato, include health professionals, dietitians, and WIC program managers themselves. The USDA has only recently included fresh fruits and vegetables into their WIC program. The USDA'S reason for omitting the potato from the program is based on their belief that most people already eat enough potatoes. Hmm, perhaps the USDA should be reminded that they are providing food for people in need who have extremely tight or non existing food budgets. Wouldn't the potato then be an obvious and affordable source of nutrition for the women and children in the WIC program? Thanks Lacy. That's today's Northwest Report. I'm Greg Martin on the Ag Information Network.