During the growing season, my local farmer's market has fantastic prices on fruits and vegetables. I could walk in there once a week with $20 in hand and walk out with a week's worth of produce for my family of four. Each booth also carried the familiar yellow sign that indicated they accepted the state vouchers that are handed out to those on government assistance. It's all very feel good -- even the poor can eat nutritiously, right? It seemed that way to me, until I realized that the farmer's market is only open Thursdays, from 12-4. Those hours that make it nearly impossible for any working person without a decent lunch break to try and shop, and since the market isn't near the city's center, they'd also need reliable transportation to get there.

According to this article from HealthDay, the cost and availability of fruits and vegetables -- especially in rural areas -- are putting them farther out of reach for many Americans. To meet the ADA's guidelines of 5 to 9 servings of fruit and vegetables a day, a family of four would have to spend 40-70% of their food budget on produce. And that's if they can find a store that carries produce in their area.

Nutritional experts say that a higher allocation of food stamps and more farmer's markets in poor and rural areas would help families in need choose better quality foods. What do you think?

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