Surviving on $2 per day.

I'm reminded of Larry Flynt's argument that war, not sex, is the ultimate obscenity. It may be time to broaden his definition a tad.

‘$2.00 a Day,’ by Kathryn J. Edin and H. Luke Shaefer ... book review by William Julius Wilson (New York Times)

... There are various strategies that the $2-a-day poor use to survive — from taking advantage of public libraries, food pantries and homeless shelters to collecting aluminum cans and donating plasma for cash. Still, in small Delta towns “the nearest food pantry is often miles away, despite the sky-high poverty.” SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) constitutes the only real safety net program available to the truly destitute — but it cannot be used to pay the rent. “While SNAP may stave off some hardship,” the authors write, “it doesn’t help families exit the trap of extreme destitution like cash might.”

All of the $2-a-day families highlighted by Edin and Shaefer have had to double up with kin and friends at various times because their earnings were insufficient to maintain their own home. Some had to endure verbal, physical and sexual abuse in these dwellings, and the ensuing trauma sometimes precipitated a family’s fall into severe poverty.

This essential book is a call to action, and one hopes it will accomplish what ­Michael Harrington’s “The Other America” achieved in the 1960s — arousing both the nation’s consciousness and conscience about the plight of a growing number of invisible citizens. The rise of such absolute poverty since the passage of welfare reform belies all the categorical talk about opportunity and the American dream.

Of greengrocers, farmers markets, Seeds and Greens ... and urban food.

Like I was saying just the other day.

Applying the Bloomington solution to New Albany's farmers market.

... We'd be moving the center of farmers market gravity a few blocks west, which is good for Westendia. Putting some love into this area might encourage Schmitt Furniture to uncover its windows. Furthermore, there'd be a natural affinity between the farmers market and the forthcoming Seeds and Greens Natural Market and Deli.

You remember the forthcoming Seed and Greens, right?

Seeds and Greens Natural Market and Deli coming to downtown New Albany in Fall, 2014.

 ... Stacey Freibert, owner of Seeds and Greens Natural Market and Deli, says the re-model will begin June 1st and the store expects to open the fall of 2014 in downtown New Albany. Seeds and Greens will sell organic and local produce, natural hormone free dairy products, local meats and free-range eggs.

Not to mention the old Wolfe's grocery building, awaiting adaptive reuse. I'm headed toward a link to NPR (thanks B), but before we go there, a gentle reminder that the words "big-spending locavores" should be lofting more than a few red flags. We have enough problem with inequality as it is, wouldn't you say?

How do we make the connection between localism in food and those of us incapable of being "big-spending"?

Urban Greengrocers Are Back, To Serve Big-Spending Locavores, by Maanvi Singh (NPR)

 ... It's a new version of the old-school neighborhood market, which is popping up in cities across the country. There's Urban Radish and Cookbook in Los Angeles, Farm to Market in Austin, and Milk and Honey Market in Philadelphia — to name just a few.

These aren't your parents' big-box grocery stores. They're closer to the places your grandparents might have shopped — but updated for the modern foodie.