Farmers markets getting money to take food stamps

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — The federal government is spending $4 million to help hook up farmers and low-income customers.

Currently, fewer than a quarter of the nation’s roughly 7,100 farmers markets are set up to use the Electronic Benefit Transfer system, or food stamps. But Kathleen Merrigan, deputy secretary of agriculture, said she hopes these grants will bring another 4,000 of those outlets on line with the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

“SNAP participation at farmers’ markets helps provide fresh fruit and vegetables to families and expands the customer base for local farmers — a win-win for agriculture and local communities,” she said in a statement.

The money is to equip these locations with wireless “point of sale” equipment to be used with the food program’s debit cards. Grants range from $5,404 for Delaware, which has 11 markets, to $426,945 for California, with 687.

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Mitt Romney's Economic Plan: It Didn't Work Then, It Won't Work Now

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VA’s Business Conference and Hiring Fair: Putting Vets Back to Work

The National Veteran Small Business Conference is fast approaching, along with the associated Veteran Hiring Fair and VA Open House. From June 26-29, thousands of Veterans will gather in Detroit’s Cobo Center for the three VA-hosted events below.

The National Veteran Small Business Conference
As the premier event, the National Veteran Small Business Conference will help Veteran-owned businesses maximize opportunities in the federal marketplace. Veteran entrepreneurs will connect with Federal procurement decision makers from across Government, and over 200 training sessions will focus on things like business requirements and acquisition forecasting. More info | Register
 

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Americans Sees Biggest Home Equity Jump In 60 Years: Mortgages

Home equity in the first quarter rose to $6.7 trillion, the highest level since 2008, as homeowners taking advantage of record-low borrowing costs to refinance their loans brought cash to the table to pay down principal. The 7.3 percent gain was the biggest jump in more than 60 years, according to an analysis by Bloomberg of Federal Reserve data.

It’s the strongest sign yet that Americans’ home-loan debt burden is beginning to ease after the record borrowing that created, and ultimately popped, the housing bubble, leaving almost a quarter of homeowners with mortgages owing more than their properties were worth, said Richard DeKaser, deputy chief economist at Parthenon Group LLC in Boston. Half the mortgages refinanced in the fourth quarter reduced loan size, a record, according to Freddie Mac, the government-owned mortgage buyer.

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