What’s the challenge with access to food?
More people in our area have a problem getting the food they need than you might think, especially healthy food. For example:
- Large sections of Shawano County are “food deserts,” areas with low household incomes and limited access to food.
- The childhood poverty rates for Shawano County have been consistently higher than the state average, and those rates are climbing.
“While we were placing fresh produce on the Gresham location Share the Bounty table, a young mother and her young children came up to the table and stated that she was so grateful for all the fresh produce because she was able to make more healthy meals for her children. They wouldn’t mind growing their own, but there is nowhere to plant a garden. She stated, “The fresh vegetables taste so much better than the canned ones we’ve been eating.”
The impact of hunger on individuals, families, and the community are devastating. Too often food purchases are cut back to pay for other things like medicine, transportation, utilities, and housing.
The cycle of food insecurity and chronic disease begins when an individual or family can’t afford enough nutritious food. The combination of stress and poor nutrition can also make disease management more difficult. What’s worse, is that the time and money needed to care for these health conditions further strains the household budget, leaving little money for essential nutrition and medical care. This causes the cycle to continue, increasing the risk of worsening existing conditions.
In a state rich in farmland, it’s hard to imagine hunger lives in Wisconsin. Yet, there are nearly half a million Wisconsinites who face hunger, including 171,460 children.
To break it down it’s 1 in 7 people—and 1 in 9 children—do not know where their next meal is coming from. Hunger does not discriminate; it knows no age, race or sex. People facing hunger live in our cities, in our suburbs and in our rural areas. Many have homes, jobs and families.
According to the State of Wisconsin, hunger among seniors is expected to increase by 50% by 2025. Limited incomes force many seniors to choose between paying for medications or health and buying food. That’s an impossible choice at a time when both are essential.
During Summer 2023 the FRESH Project surveyed 811 individuals who received produce from the Shawano Farmers Markets and those who participated in the Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program. We asked:
- where they receive their fresh produce during the off-season;
- how often do they eat fresh produce during the off-season;
- if the produce they received through our programs helped them to have a healthier diet; and
- if they would be willing to continue to purchase from our programs in 2023.
The results were staggering, identifying the need for the projects we provide to our communities:
- 786 stated the produce they received through our programs helped them and their family eat healthier; and
- 794 expressed interest in purchasing fresh produce in 2024 from our local farmers markets and through the CSA program.
We also asked if they would attend the market if we did not offer the $5 Token program:
- 721 responded no;
- 557 said the biggest challenge with purchasing produce was the expense, followed by lack of transportation to a store; and
- 749 individuals indicated that the FRESH Project has helped them eat healthier.
The need and the desire for access to a healthy diet are there. We just need to turn those into action, and that’s where the FRESH Project… and YOU… come in!
