A (Very Brief) History of SNAP

A (Very Brief) History of SNAP

It won’t surprise you to learn that SNAP (the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) has been top of mind over at The Bite. The abrupt halt in funding for the country’s biggest food assistance program at the start of the month left millions of American families in the lurch. Now that the shutdown is ending, it appears that SNAP is back in business—but the blows keep coming, and we won’t pretend to know what the future holds.

As much as it now seems like an obviously good idea and a cornerstone of American life, food assistance was not always a given. In 1939, when the country was struggling under the Great Depression and widespread unemployment, the federal government began issuing the “food stamps” that now give the modern-day program its colloquial name: Orange stamps, which could be used to pay for any grocery item, could be purchased one for a dollar—and with each of them came a blue stamp, worth 50 cents, and only good for buying what the federal government deemed “surplus foods” (i.e., crops that the government bought directly from farmers at a discounted price).

This program ended in 1943, after the economy had supposedly recovered—but JFK brought it back (with a more generous return rate for participants) as a pilot program in 1961, and LBJ signed it into law in 1964. It wasn’t until 1977 that the purchase requirement was eliminated, so participants got their benefits for free, as they do today.

This month’s interruption to SNAP benefits is, reportedly, the first in all those decades—but it’s certainly not the first time the program has been threatened. Ronald Reagan cut the food stamps budget and narrowed eligibility requirements in the 1980s, and Bill Clinton did the same in 1996, with added restrictions based on immigration status. SNAP and its predecessors have long faced accusations of overspending and welfare fraud from all sides of the political spectrum—but, well, at 1.5% of the annual budget, it seems to us that even an imperfect program that functions to keep people from going hungry is worth the bill.

National participation in SNAP has fluctuated according to the health of the economy. In 2013, enrollment peaked at 47.6 million; that number had fallen to 39.6 million by 2018. Last year, we were back at nearly 42 million. Trump’s proposed budget cuts to SNAP would bump an estimated 3 million people off the program, with new work requirements for veterans, parents of minors, and people aged 55–64. And it’s been argued that there was some kind of method to the madness of the government shutdown, sowing uncertainty to discourage folks from applying for benefits in the first place.

As with all of history, it’s hard to prove a negative—to say what would have happened over the past five decades had food stamps never been introduced. Still, it doesn’t seem like too much of a stretch to guess that a lot more people would have gone hungry—especially during hard times. And with related programs like Double Up Food Bucks, it’s also fair to guess that a lot of low-income people would be eating less healthily, and local farmers making less money.

While SNAP funds are now back on the table, the last forty-three days have shown us how precarious our social safety nets are. So if you’d like to donate or volunteer your time to help ensure your fellow Americans don’t go hungry, we’d recommend doing so at Roadrunner Food Bank, The Food Depot, or ABQ Mutual Aid.

Amuse-Bouche

We’d love to get your feedback on our work, both here at The Bite and at Edible New Mexico. If you take a couple of minutes to complete our survey, you’ll have the chance to win a $50 gift certificate to Los Poblanos, redeemable at any of their properties.

Delicious Things

The Dude’s drink was a White Russian, and we don’t know exactly what the Fig Lebowski has to do with that, but we do know that the cocktail at As Above, So Below Distillery involves a balsamic fig reduction and black pepper as well as their new Elvira-inspired gin. And since we’re talking figs: On a recent weekend in Old Town Albuquerque, we were reminded about the fig balsamic vinegar at Old Town Olive, which, while not quite at the level of Traditional Aceto Balsamico of Monticello, is dark and umami enough that we’ve already finished off the bottle gifted to us not very long ago.

Entrances & Exits

In Santa Fe, Joe’s Dining has changed hands and is now Joe’s Diner & Pizza. New owner Joaquin Garofalo opened JC’s NY Pizza Department in downtown Albuquerque nearly twenty years ago, so it’s natural that his revamp of the place includes adding more pizzas and dropping prices a bit.

Hello Sweet Cream has closed their CHOMP outpost in order to put their energy into their original ice cream shop in Eldorado. (If you missed it, they got a mention in The Bite’s recent coverage of local creameries.)

In what we think is the fourth pizzeria to take over the oven next door to CHOMP’s Bottega del Vino, Bruja’s Pizza has now moved in. While we haven’t tried Derrell Lopez’s pizza yet, we hope this one proves to be a keeper.

According to CHOMP, 2 Floyds Southern Kitchen, helmed by the former operators of Brunch Box Blue in Eldorado, is finally going to open their spot at the food hall on November 18.

Heritage Hotels & Resorts has become New Mexico’s own little hotel and food service empire. Most of their restaurants and cafés are situated inside hotels—or, as in the case of Level 5, on top of hotels. Chef Sean Sinclair is leaving the Level 5 kitchen to spread the gospel of his smashburger. His burger concept, Patty Man, will open at each of Heritage’s three food halls—the Sawmill Market, Park Square Market, and Santa Fe’s forthcoming Heritage Market. His Sawmill concept, Hook It Up Fish & Chips, will also expand to Santa Fe as a standalone pub-style restaurant.

As for Level 5, executive chef Goran Basarov is taking the helm. Born and raised in Macedonia, Basarov made his way to New Mexico via kitchens in Colorado and California.

Chef Marc Quiñones, who left Level 5 to open the kitchen at Ex Novo Downtown, then moved to Oregon, has announced that he’s on the move once again—this time accepting a twelve-week residency at La Fonda on the Plaza in Santa Fe.

Aji Ramen celebrated their grand opening on Veteran’s Day in the space that was home to Budai Gourmet Chinese for fifteen years. The menu is extensive, with ramen, donburi, katsu, fried rice, udon, soba, and an abundance of appetizers. The new owner also owns Yoshi Mame and Santa Fe’s Tokyo Café.

Albuquerque’s ice cream scene got busier this fall with the addition of Cottonwood Creamery & Cookies in Los Ranchos, serving thick, chewy cookies stuffed with ice cream.

Novel Point Coffee, on the campus of FUSION Theatre in downtown Albuquerque, has closed. Word has it that a grilled cheese joint will move in soon.

In southern New Mexico, Matteo’s Mexican Foods has announced that they’re closing all four of their locations—from Las Cruces to Alamogordo to El Paso—due to rising costs and fewer customers who can afford to pay them.

And in Grants, today will be your last chance to shop at Farm to You. But Farm to You’s other locations remain open, and they hope to eventually bring their “all local” grocery concept back to Grants—economy permitting.

Occasions

If you want to nerd out on chardonnay styles while sampling Milagro Vineyards’ new release of their 2023 “old world” chardonnay, you can do that today or tomorrow between noon and 4 p.m., at no charge, at their Corrales tasting room. They’ll also be releasing a library zinfandel.

Summer farmers’ markets have come to an end, but a few pop up during the colder months. Corrales Growers’ Market’s first Winter Market takes place November 23, followed by two more on December 7 and 21.

The Santa Fe Farmers’ Market runs year-round on Saturdays, but the last Tuesday market of the season is December 23.

Distillations

In our latest story, Sophie Putka gets behind the scenes at Afghan Kebab House in downtown Albuquerque.

From the archives: Michele Padberg’s report on “Fall Weather Wine Pairings” remains as compelling as ever. Even if vintages have changed, the varietals she recommends are timeless.

Mission

The Bite satisfies a hunger for provocative, artful, community-minded, and diverse stories about the raw, the cooked, the distilled, and the fermented. We strive for inclusion and a wide range of perspectives in our coverage of the New Mexico food and drink industry, sparking readers to step out of their comfort zones and into the open territory of the region’s culinary landscape.