The Food Stamp Program is the U.S. government's primary program to prevent the rural poor from going hungry. Food stamp allotments are set each year based on the cost of the "Thrifty Food Plan" (TFP), a minimally adequate diet defined by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), which sets costs by examining average food prices in urban supermarkets. This nationwide study examines rural markets to determine the actual cost and availability of TFP foods for persistently poor rural America. In 1989, a team of 2 surveyors traveled to 33 persistently poor rural U.S. counties, pricing 77 TFP foods in 133 food stores, including 51 supermarkets and 82 small to medium food stores. The study finds few competitively priced supermarkets located in rural areas, making the rural poor dependent upon limited, more expensive food sources. It also found unstocked shelves and a lack of nutritionally important foods. As a result of these conditions, the price of a rural TFP marketbasket exceeded food-stamp allotments. In 1989, the average cost for a week's worth of TFP groceries for a four-person household in poor rural America was 36% higher than USDA's 1989 maximum weekly food stamp benefit allotment of $75 for that household. The document recommends that food-stamp allotments be raised, that they be revised more often, and that the government re-evaluate the methodology used to establish food-stamp benefits. The document also recommends steps to support low-interest loans and cooperative wholesale buying for small and medium food stores in economically depressed rural areas. (TES)