Food and Health: the two go hand in hand. In many areas of the country, food insecurity, poverty and obesity are also terms that go hand in hand. Safeway is in the neighborhood one day and gone the next. This is the reality of urban communities where fast food restaurants dominate the food landscape. Corner grocery stores fill in the gaps for full stop supermarkets, but the pickings are slim to none when it comes to local and organic produce — and the fruits and vegetables are expensive and not exactly fresh. In these neighborhoods, hypertension, diabetes, and heart disease are pervasive and increasing.
Where is the food justice? One place to look is in Beltsville, Md.
The District of Columbia owns over 50 acres of land in Beltsville, which is managed by the University of the District of Columbia(UDC). There, UDC houses an agriculture experiment station used for research, investigation and experiments. Dr. James Allen, a UDC professor, was profiled in a recent Washington Post article on the benefits of pigweed, a leafy vegetable high in Vitamin A.
UDC, a land grant institution, stood to gain almost $10 million dollars from the recent farm bill for use with community outreach and research. While I truly appreciate and understand the need for research and experimentation, I also understand that 12% of households in DC suffer from food insecurity. And yet the majority of the land that DC owns is unused and unproductive.
This relatively unknown and underutilized gem in the coffers of the D.C. government can help decrease the incidence and prevalence of food insecurity in D.C.
Take, for instance, the Food Project in Boston and Ma’o Organic Farms in Hawaii which offer examples of the economic and health benefits of sustainable agriculture. Ma’o Organic Farms grows certified organic produce on 25 acres of land in a community plagued by food insecurity, teen pregnancy, juvenile arrests, cancer and heart disease; a community similar to some of D.C’s wards. The young participants in this program are involved in educational and youth leadership programs in addition to social enterprise. The Food Project engages teens in programs which encourage leadership as well as providing vocational skills through their CSA, farmers’ market and work with hunger relief organizations.
A similar program on D.C. owned farm in Beltsville has to be included in the war on hunger.
We live in an area filled with contradictions and uncertainty. The food secure and the food insecure intersect at hunger relief organizations which provide needed services. Most families, however, would prefer to feed themselves. Living with the uncertainty that food insecurity brings can trigger mental instability. Providing food directly to DC citizens from D.C. land could potentially provide the economic, social and health benefits needed to stem the tide of illness, unemployment, hunger and poverty. The time is now to use this land for food and families.
Fenty Farms anyone?
Vicki Reese is a healthcare professional and the owner of 5 A DAY CSA a company dedicated to providing fresh organic/ locally grown food and supporting farmers. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.
Tags: UDC
