“Just eat fresh food” used to be the way that a lot of us did things; because we were growing it in our backyards. For many people in areas of food deserts, growing their own food is probably going to be the only way that they can have affordable access to fresh vegetables & possibly fruits. I really think small urban farms, and encouraging backyard gardening could be the key to giving all Americans access to fresh food and access to additional exercise as well. I can’t speak for all areas of the map, but I know that in my home state, WV, there is a high level of obesity in addition to low access to supermarkets.
I don’t know. Are there grants available for people to start gardens? What if federal or state assistance money could go to help people get seeds, soil, or gardening tools? How can we empower more people in areas with little access to food? Any ideas?
Notably, this assumes that people in the affected areas have things like backyards or sizable patios with sufficient sunlight, and time to grow enough food to feed them.
My parents are both very into gardening. Growing up, my parents kept a huge vegetable patch every summer. But we lived in the country with a couple of acres of land, and my mother was a teacher, so she had plenty of time in the summer to tend to the garden. Even so, we still relied on the supermarket for vegetables, fruit, and other food products in the summer, and in the winter, because both worked full time, there was no time to keep up the gardening.
While I think urban farming and backyard gardens are a fantastic idea and absolutely could be useful in supplementing diets with fresh, delicious produce, it can’t be the only solution we rely on, because for many people, it’s just not a possibility.