A recent survey of Allen County gave sobering news.
For many, they lack access to affordable and nutritious food.
The survey’s results were announced Jan. 26 by Allen County GROW Food and Farm Council.
Among the findings:
Nearly half of Allen County’s residents (44 percent) do not have access to healthy food, compared to 29 percent statewide.
Similar numbers, 42 percent, are dissatisfied with the availability of healthy food here, while 45 percent are dissatisfied with the variety of healthy food available.
Over a six-week period, LaClair Consulting Services worked with Allen County Grow to study the current food system within the county, highlighting major challenges and opportunities to increase food access.
Allen County GROW will use these results to identify and prioritize actions, LaClair said.
More than 200 Allen Countians took part in the surveys over the span of six weeks last summer, including at the Allen County Fair, school enrollments, food pantries, area businesses, group meetings. Information also was culled from pertinent government data.
“When you think about health and how much poor health is costing us, there’s probably nothing more important than the access to healthy foods, particularly fresh fruits and vegetables,” said Juanell Garrett, Allen County GROW coordinator. “While I was in the community doing the food survey, I realized how there are communication gaps in our county. I found people that didn’t know about the SNAP Market Match Program at Allen County Farmers’ Market and a mother of a preschooler that didn’t know about the Summer Food Service Program in her town. It’s a shame when there are available resources and genuine need and the two aren’t finding each other.”
Other survey results:
— 17 percent of Allen County residents live in households with incomes below the federal poverty level, compared to 13 percent statewide.
— 60 percent of those surveyed purchased food from the Allen County Farmers’ Market in 2014.
— 84 percent of working adults surveyed said they did not have access to healthy vending food options at work; 56 percent said they would purchase healthy options if available.
— 76 percent indicated they would take into account nutritional information printed in restaurant menus when placing their food orders.
ALLEN County GROW (Growing Rural Opportunities Works) was formed in August 2014 by the Allen County Commission, and was funded through a number of grants Thrive Allen County received by the Kansas Health Foundation’s Healthy Communities Grant — $125,000 over the past four years.
One of Allen County GROW’s missions is to supplement work done by local food pantries in providing more access to healthy, affordable foods.
