Madison is fortunate to have a little over ten farmers markets throughout the city. Whether you live on the East Side, the South Side or the West Side, there is a local market where one can purchase locally grown fresh produce. Recently, the food coalitions and other food advocacy groups along with the City of Madison leadership, created a special incentive program for consumers who are on the State’s Foodshare program encouraging them to purchase fresh produce from local farmers markets. While this program is a huge step in opening the doors of healthy food access to low income shoppers, food pantries, which serve thousands of families throughout Dane County often do not have access to locally sourced fresh produce. Local pantries struggle to obtain, store and distribute fresh produce.
There is a positive side to all of this. The Community Action Coalition has a vast capability to store sizeable amounts of fresh produce in a huge walk-in cooler. Additionally, they have the capacity to store tons of frozen items in a large walk-in freezer and they have ample dry storage as well. While they own several delivery trucks to transport food to food pantries, these vehicles are solely used to transport USDA subsidized food. They do not have the additional resources to transport fresh produce on a consistent basis from local growers to food pantries throughout Dane County.
Likewise, Second Harvest has a respectable fleet of trucks that can deliver fresh produce to their partner agencies. The problem is that not all food pantries are partner agencies with Second Harvest. Also, a very small percentage of the fresh produce that is available through Second Harvest actually is locally sourced.
Madison and Dane County need to create a sustainable transportation infrastructure that can support the distribution of locally sourced fresh produce to food pantries throughout Dane County. Madison has 31 food pantries, but there are at least 15 food pantries in the outlying areas of Madison, such as Stoughton, Waunakee, Oregon and Sun Prairie, to name a few. These food pantries struggle to maintain the more traditional food pantry offerings, let alone have the capacity to distribute fresh foods during Wisconsin’s growing season. The difficulty is often in finding volunteers who have the time, the vehicles and the resources to deliver fresh produce on a regular basis. Equally challenging is the issue of storing the produce until pantry hours. Most food pantries in Madison and Dane County lack coolers and freezers capable of storing produce properly and for long periods of time.
Recently I participated in a breakfast meeting at St. Mary’s Hospital hosted by Dr. Frank Byrnes, President of the hospital. Dr. Byrnes talked to a varied sampling of business professionals throughout the community about preventative models and how important the need for low income individuals who suffer from chronic disease to have access to fresh fruits and vegetables. St. Mary’s also contributed funding to the City of Madison to provide incentives for low income individuals to purchase from local farmers markets. The City of Madison will match each dollar spent using Foodshare benefits. St. Mary’s contributed funds to support this innovative solution and according to the CAC, the program is showing some promise. But, we have a long way to go.
Dr. Frank Bryne gave a very positive presentation about how the “Affordable Care Act” is going to help level the healthcare landscape. Also, he talked about how most chronic disease treated at the hospital is preventable. Diabetes, heart disease and other chronic diseases could be treated and even prevented by healthy lifestyle choices, like eating healthier and routine physical activity. Low income families who use food pantries often suffer from chronic disease or have at least one family member who suffers from chronic disease, like diabetes or high blood pressure that can lead to other related health problems, like heart attack and stroke. Having fresh produce available through local food pantries would be beneficial in helping alleviate either the symptoms of disease or preventing disease, especially in youth and pregnant women.
It is not all gloom and doom, there are many food pantries that are finding the resources and stocking their coolers and freezers with fresh produce. Yet, this is not consistent throughout Madison and Dane County. The solutions are varied, some are simple and others a little more complicated. Food Pantry gardens located near food pantries is one solution. Bringing the gardens to the food pantries solves one part of the problem. But, it does not solve the problem of how to move fresh produce from farmers, private gardens, backyard fruit trees and other sources to be stored and distributed to those who need it most. And, there is the problem of preserving that food as well.
In the coming weeks and months, I will write about all the exciting programs in Madison and Dane County that are taking up this challenge by finding creative ways to grow, harvest, deliver, store and process locally sourced fresh fruits and vegetables so that they can be distributed to low income individuals and families in Madison and throughout Dane County.
The problem is not lack of fresh food. The problem is the fair distribution of healthy foods to the people who need it most and creating a sustainable infrastructure that can support the transportation needs of farmers, families and food pantries. I am hopeful this community can solve this dilemma.
There is a positive side to all of this. The Community Action Coalition has a vast capability to store sizeable amounts of fresh produce in a huge walk-in cooler. Additionally, they have the capacity to store tons of frozen items in a large walk-in freezer and they have ample dry storage as well. While they own several delivery trucks to transport food to food pantries, these vehicles are solely used to transport USDA subsidized food. They do not have the additional resources to transport fresh produce on a consistent basis from local growers to food pantries throughout Dane County.
Likewise, Second Harvest has a respectable fleet of trucks that can deliver fresh produce to their partner agencies. The problem is that not all food pantries are partner agencies with Second Harvest. Also, a very small percentage of the fresh produce that is available through Second Harvest actually is locally sourced.
Madison and Dane County need to create a sustainable transportation infrastructure that can support the distribution of locally sourced fresh produce to food pantries throughout Dane County. Madison has 31 food pantries, but there are at least 15 food pantries in the outlying areas of Madison, such as Stoughton, Waunakee, Oregon and Sun Prairie, to name a few. These food pantries struggle to maintain the more traditional food pantry offerings, let alone have the capacity to distribute fresh foods during Wisconsin’s growing season. The difficulty is often in finding volunteers who have the time, the vehicles and the resources to deliver fresh produce on a regular basis. Equally challenging is the issue of storing the produce until pantry hours. Most food pantries in Madison and Dane County lack coolers and freezers capable of storing produce properly and for long periods of time.
Recently I participated in a breakfast meeting at St. Mary’s Hospital hosted by Dr. Frank Byrnes, President of the hospital. Dr. Byrnes talked to a varied sampling of business professionals throughout the community about preventative models and how important the need for low income individuals who suffer from chronic disease to have access to fresh fruits and vegetables. St. Mary’s also contributed funding to the City of Madison to provide incentives for low income individuals to purchase from local farmers markets. The City of Madison will match each dollar spent using Foodshare benefits. St. Mary’s contributed funds to support this innovative solution and according to the CAC, the program is showing some promise. But, we have a long way to go.
Dr. Frank Bryne gave a very positive presentation about how the “Affordable Care Act” is going to help level the healthcare landscape. Also, he talked about how most chronic disease treated at the hospital is preventable. Diabetes, heart disease and other chronic diseases could be treated and even prevented by healthy lifestyle choices, like eating healthier and routine physical activity. Low income families who use food pantries often suffer from chronic disease or have at least one family member who suffers from chronic disease, like diabetes or high blood pressure that can lead to other related health problems, like heart attack and stroke. Having fresh produce available through local food pantries would be beneficial in helping alleviate either the symptoms of disease or preventing disease, especially in youth and pregnant women.
It is not all gloom and doom, there are many food pantries that are finding the resources and stocking their coolers and freezers with fresh produce. Yet, this is not consistent throughout Madison and Dane County. The solutions are varied, some are simple and others a little more complicated. Food Pantry gardens located near food pantries is one solution. Bringing the gardens to the food pantries solves one part of the problem. But, it does not solve the problem of how to move fresh produce from farmers, private gardens, backyard fruit trees and other sources to be stored and distributed to those who need it most. And, there is the problem of preserving that food as well.
In the coming weeks and months, I will write about all the exciting programs in Madison and Dane County that are taking up this challenge by finding creative ways to grow, harvest, deliver, store and process locally sourced fresh fruits and vegetables so that they can be distributed to low income individuals and families in Madison and throughout Dane County.
The problem is not lack of fresh food. The problem is the fair distribution of healthy foods to the people who need it most and creating a sustainable infrastructure that can support the transportation needs of farmers, families and food pantries. I am hopeful this community can solve this dilemma.