Doubling Up on Local Foods

By Andrea Clinton

Though much of the food Americans consume is grown and shipped from around the world, locally-grown and sourced food is growing in popularity and demand. According to data published by the USDA, in 2008, 5 billion dollars were spent on local foods, and as of last year, this number more than doubled to 11.7 billion dollars spent annually.[1] In a statement released by Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, there has been a 75% increase in farmer’s markets across the nation since 2009.[2]

While it is certain that farmer’s markets have risen in popularity on their own, it is also as a result of efforts by the USDA, other federal and regional agencies, as well as individual communities. In the past few years, several programs have sprung up with the aim of making local foods accessible to lower-income or underserved communities, both in urban and rural settings.

A notable example of this is the national Local Foods, Local Places initiative, which “provides technical support and expertise to help communities interested in integrating local food systems into their economic development plans.”[3] This program aims to revitalize and enhance communities by investing in their local food economies. Launched in December 2014, this program has helped 26 communities across the United States improve their local food offerings, by aiding in the establishment of farmer’s markets, urban farms, and gardens, as well as in offering workshops that teach locals how to best take advantage of these new food sources. Each community has the ability to develop projects that suit their particular needs and fill gaps in their existing food systems. For example, in Itta Bena, Mississippi, the program helped the community establish a cooperatively-owned grocery store to help develop a stronger local food network.[4] This has not only resulted in greater accessibility to local food for families, it has also led to profitable job creation.[5]

The benefits of local food can be seen in Chicago as well – recently, the Experimental Station in Woodlawn, which houses the 61^st street farmer’s market, received a $250,000 grant. This is as a part of the $8.1 million dollars being invested in the USDA’s Double Up Food Bucks initiative, which hopes to increase access to local foods for low-income households in 23 states.[6] This is accomplished by allowing SNAP benefits (food stamps) to be redeemed with double their value if used to buy foods at a participating farmer’s market. This program has already seen high levels of success, particularly in reaching low-income immigrant populations, who often deal with food insecurity.[7] The grant that the Experimental Station received will help implement the Double Up Food Bucks program in 14 more farmer’s markets in Illinois, bringing the total to 50 farmer’s markets.[8]

By providing easily accessible (and affordable) sources of fresh, local food to low income communities, continuing these initiatives could have a serious impact on long term food security. Encouraging locally sourced food also lowers transportation needs, and thus, fossil fuel emissions. Visit your local farmer’s market and see these benefits for yourself!

Click here for more information on the 61^st Street Farmer’s Market – just blocks from campus!