BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — The Congressional Budget Office estimates cuts to SNAP will impact roughly 2.4 million people. This can be a game-changer for many shoppers.
Khalid Mansour with Blue Fig Farms, a family-owned grocery store off Stockdale Highway, says it means a lot to bring healthier options to Bakersfield.
“Blue Fig Farms started off with my brothers, who wanted to create something different in Bakersfield. We’ve been around in Bakersfield for almost 40 years,” said Mansour. “You have choices, you can with your EBT, you can buy good food or you can buy food that’s not actually good. So at Blue Fig Farms, you can use your EBT to buy good food and eating healthy.”
Charmene Vega, a fourth-generation nutritionist who also goes by “Mama Vega,” says this doesn’t mean you need to sacrifice health.
Vega said, “You can cut [an eggplant] and then you can dice it, and then what you can do is saute it a little bit with some garlic and onion. And how much would that have cost you?”
We roamed the aisles, exploring different options for shoppers who need to save while still having a nutritious meal.
“The EBT is awesome because you can stretch it so much,” said Vega. “I’ve looked at the prices, I’ve been at the other stores even before I came here... the prices here at Blue Fig Farms are definitely cheaper than the other stores. And they have such nutritional things here.”
All while shopping local.
“The more healthier you eat, the healthier life you will have,” said Mansour.
To check if a grocery store takes SNAP, visit the USDA SNAP retailer locator linked here.
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