The F.R.E.S.H. Project - Fresh Project Shawano, Wisconsin

Food - Resources - Education - Sustainability - Health - serving Shawano County, the Stockbridge-Munsee Community, and Ho-Chunk Nation in Wisconsin

Survey

F.R.E.S.H. Project Gathering Information for Farmer Directory

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The F.R.E.S.H. Project is creating a directory of farmers and food producers in Shawano County and the surrounding area that sell directly to consumers. The directory will be made available to the public, so everyone knows where they can get good food locally, but also to ensure a strong local food system by supporting local producers.

“The Farmer and Producer Directory is part of a wider effort by the F.R.E.S.H. Project to create healthier, accessible, and sustainable food systems for everyone,” said Barbara Mendoza, executive director.  “By increasing food security, educating, and engaging the community, the Project is working to make sure all area residents have access to food that’s good for their health, their families, and their community.”

The Project is asking farmers and producers to provide location and contact information, as well as a listing of the products they sell. Farmers and producers may complete the survey by calling the FRESH Project office at (715) 526-5206, or sharing their information through a form found online.

Once completed, the Directory will be available on-line at the Project’s website for free use by everyone. Along with increasing the access to fresh, healthy food, the Project also is looking to provide a benefit to local farmers and producers by increasing the number of people purchasing their produce and products.

“One of the three pillars in our strategic plan is Food Access,” said Jo Ann Schedler, FRESH Project Chairwoman. “I was struck by the results of our 2016 survey where one-third of the respondents did not have enough food in their homes or money to get more. We also have large sections of Shawano County that are ‘food deserts,’ with low household incomes and limited access to healthy food. My hope is for our community to come together to address these issues.”

The farmer and producer directory, along with the other work of the F.R.E.S.H. Project, is made possible through a generous grant from the Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region’s Basic Needs Giving Partnership. For more information about the Directory, or the work of the F.R.E.S.H. Project in general, go to thefreshproject.org, or contact Barbara Mendoza, at 715-526-5206 or barbara@thefreshproject.org.

Food Researchers Hungry for Answers

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*Article by the Shawano Leader.

Survey targets Shawano County eating habits

By: Scott Williams, swilliams@wolfrivermedia.com

Consumer shopping and eating habits in Shawano County are coming under the microscope in a new survey that could help bring healthy food choices closer to home.

The coalition behind a privately funded research project is asking residents countywide to take part in the survey about how they feed themselves and their families.

Civic leaders could employ the survey results later to implement changes aimed at making healthy food more readily available throughout the county, including on Native American reservations.

“I think there’s going to be some things come out of this,” researcher Dan Robinson said.

*Read the entire article online now.

Consumer Survey Fact Sheet

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 Consumer Survey Fact Sheet

*Click to Download PDF of Fact Sheet

The F.R.E.S.H. Project’s Consumer Survey asked residents of Shawano County about where they shop or get their food, what kind of food they eat, how easily they’re able to get food, whether or not they have enough food, how healthy they’re able to eat, and other food-related questions. Survey responses from 745 households in Shawano County were received.
From the survey, about one-third of respondents said that:

  • often or sometimes, the food they bought didn’t last and they didn’t have money to get more;
  • often or sometimes, they couldn’t afford to each nutritious meals;
  • the children in their household ate no fruits or vegetables or had less than a daily serving
  • the adults in their household ate no fruits or vegetables or had less than a daily serving

Those figures are consistent with other estimates, and represent thousands of Shawano County children, adults, and families who are food insecure.
The F.R.E.S.H. Project Food Council has created a strategic plan to address this problem of food insecurity, focusing on:

  • increasing access to good, healthy food
  • educating the public about the problem of food insecurity and what is needed for a healthy, sustainable food system
  • creating support for the F.R.E.S.H. Project and the work of ensuring good food for everyone

If you’d like to get involved, contact the F.R.E.S.H. Project at info@thefreshproject.org or visit the Project’s website at www.thefreshproject.org.