Co-author, MDPCovers#28

Innovations in the food system continue to promote healthy communities and economic growth by improving access to locally produced, high quality, nutritious food.  Since the publication of the Maryland Department of Planning’s (MDP) Models and Guidelines report #28, Planning for the Food System, we have heard of many successful projects.  MDP is blogging about what has been accomplished recently by those whose best practices are described in the report: farmers and other entrepreneurs; not-for-profit organizations; governments; and schools, hospitals, and other institutions that work to improve the food system (production, processing, marketing, distribution, consumption, and waste management).

Howard County

The pilot program for curbside pickup of compostable food waste in Howard County was mentioned on pages 97 and 98 of Planning for the Food System. In March 2013, a ¾ acre site at the county’s Alpha Ridge Landfill started accepting compostable material. This state-of-the-art operation “is designed to compost yard trim and food scraps in aerated, covered piles.”  The waste from homes in Ellicott City and Elkridge “is supplemented by material directly hauled by residents and contractors to Alpha Ridge.”  According to the county’s website, “A computer-controlled blower keeps the material saturated with oxygen, which accelerates decomposition and manages moisture levels. The cover system retains heat and high-nutrient materials while managing potential odors.” For more information, see Howard County’s Pilot Composting Facility and Food Scrap Recycling

http://www.howardcountymd.gov/pilotcompost.htm

The Maryland Food System Map

Page 28 of Planning for the Food System displays the 2012 Baltimore City Food Environment map, which shows where food deserts, farmers markets, supermarkets, etc., are located. This map grew out of a partnership between the Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future (CLF) and the Baltimore City Office of Sustainability.

This week, the CLF announced that their Maryland Food System Map received a Special Achievement in GIS Award at the Esri International User Conference in San Diego. (Esri is a publisher of geographic information systems GIS mapping software”)

The interactive map allows the user to see where many aspects of the food system are located in Maryland: food deserts, farmers markets, supermarkets and corner stores, land preservation easements of various types, dairy farms, organic farms, all farms, food processors of various types, etc. Demographic data and health indicators can also be displayed on the map.

Growing Power:  Urban Farming in Milwaukee

MacArthur “Genius Award” winner Will Allen is the founder and CEO of Growing Power, located in Milwaukee.  Growing Power teaches inner-city youths about the rewards, challenges, and science of farming. The greenhouses on a two-acre urban plot grow 40 tons of food a year by using a very intense and integrated food system. The farm also raises fish, bees, and mushrooms, and runs a composting operation. Growing Power’s ambitious plans include construction of a five-story urban farm (see Planning for the Food System, pages 42-44).

A recent email from Growing Power informs us that they have provided and installed 50 tomato gardens in Milwaukee daycare centers. Growing Power also produced the compost in which the tomato plants are growing. The children at the daycare centers water the gardens. When the tomatoes are harvested, the children will learn about tomatoes and why they are good to eat.

Said Mr. Allen, “We want to instill healthy eating habits in these kids when they’re young. If you can get them thinking about it when they’re young, those habits last a lifetime.” The image of the layout of Growing Power’s two-acre home farm, below, was downloaded from the website).

Last September, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation awarded a five-year, $5 million grant to Growing Power, “to develop and grow operations across the nation that will produce fresh, locally-grown food, train new farmers, and provide healthy produce for children and families in low-income neighborhoods and communities of color.

“The ‘community food centers’ are located in Detroit, New Orleans, Taos, N.M. and in the Mississippi delta region of Arkansas and Mississippi.”  For more information, see Growing Power awarded $5 million grant to grow community food projects across U.S. (W.K. Kellogg Foundation)

Layout of Growing Power’s two-acre home farm

Philadelphia’s Healthy Corner Store Initiative

Many of Philadelphia’s residents are poor and obese. Many of the markets close to them are corner stores filled with junk food. Page 81 of Planning for the Food System described the Healthy Corner Store Initiative, a project of The Food Trust, a not-for-profit organization in Philadelphia, to put healthier food in corner stores. The effort benefits both the community and store owners.

“Today, 680 store owners in the Philadelphia region participate in the Healthy Corner Store Initiative. They have agreed to stock at least four healthy new products, such as whole wheat bread, fresh fruits and vegetables, or yogurt, in their stores. They receive free marketing materials, like labels and recipe cards, to help push their new products, and free training on how to select, price, and display their new healthy offerings. The trust also works with youth leaders to engage and educate the community on healthy food choices….

“…Some stores received funding for infrastructural changes, like new shelves and a refrigerator case, investments of just a few thousand dollars that radically transformed their ability to stock fresh foods. These revamped stores, on average, now offer about 44 new, healthy food items, greatly improving community access to fresh foods.”

Because of this and other efforts—including the removal of sugary drinks and fried food from school cafeterias and lessons on healthy eating and exercise—“obesity rates for Philadelphia’s schoolchildren dropped about five percent from 2006 to 2010…” For more information, see Swapping Hot Cheetos for Whole Wheat Bread: A Corner Store Redesign, (Good Is).

The Food Trust