Resources: Access to Healthy, Affordable Foods

[HHS and USDA Mid-Atlantic Let's Move! Team]

This is an area for postings of resources associated with access to healthy and affordable foods. 

 

You see a resource you would like to utilize but are interested in identifying folks who are already familiar with it and/or are interested in exploring the topic together? If this sounds like you please post a comment in response to the resource! We encourage members to post comments and interact with other members via this group page! We also encourage members to post opportunities they are aware of within their community. 

 

Please use this page to identify resources as well as share them with colleagues and identify new partners to work with!

 

Please note: Any posts made by the HHS and USDA Mid-Atlantic Let's Move! Team on this topic will always include a primary contact or reference website for the resource discussed. Please to do not email the team inquiring about the post but rather send direct inquires to the identified contact. 

 

Good luck everyone!

HHS and USDA Mid-Atlantic Let's Move! Team

[HHS and USDA Mid-Atlantic Let's Move! Team]

The National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) is pleased to announce the release of the FY 2011 Request for Applications (RFA) for the People's Garden Grant Program (PPGP).  The program is designed to facilitate the creation of produce, recreation, and/or wildlife gardens in urban and rural areas, which will provide opportunities for science-based informal education. This program is a joint initiative supported by USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Food and Nutrition Service, Forest Service, and Natural Resources Conservation Service, in addition to NIFA. Successful applicants will provide micro-subgrant support to smaller local projects. 

 

Are you interested in learning more about this grant oppurtunity? Please find additional information, as well as engage with other attendees and discuss this grant oppurtunity, within the original post located in the Grants and Contests topic page!

 

This can be accessed by clicking on the link above "Back to Let's Move! Mid-Atlantic", then click on the subject "Grants and Contests". Scroll down and click on the subject "People's Garden Grant Program".

[HHS and USDA Mid-Atlantic Let's Move! Team]

Food Environment Altas

 

This is a great resources for identifying food deserts in your area! A food desert is any area in the industrialised world where healthy, affordable food is difficult to obtain. It is prevalent in rural as well as urban areas and is most prevalent in low-socioeconomic minority communities, and is associated with a variety of diet-related health problems.

 

This tool, the food environment atlas, is a resources created on the principle that food environment factors—such as store/restaurant proximity, food prices, food and nutrition assistance programs, and community characteristics—interact to influence food choices and diet quality.

 

The objectives of the Atlas are:

• To assemble statistics on food environment indicators to stimulate research on the determinants of food choices and diet quality

• To provide a spatial overview of a community’s ability to access healthy food and its success in doing so

 

The Food Environment Atlas can be found at http://www.ers.usda.gov/FoodAtlas/ 

[HHS and USDA Mid-Atlantic Let's Move! Team]

Community Garden Guide

 

As part of Let’s Move! Faith and Communities, First Lady Michelle Obama has challenged congregations and neighborhood organizations to plant gardens in their communities. There are many positive benefits to starting a community garden: increasing access to healthy, fresh food; improving soil and water quality; providing exercise for people within a wide range of physical ability; and creating the opportunity to teach about nutrition, agriculture, and ecology. In short, starting a garden can help make real and lasting change in communities.

The following guide provides a wide variety of resources available to help you start a community garden at your organization or congregation.

The Community Garden Guide can be found at http://www.letsmove.gov/sites/letsmove.gov/files/pdfs/LetsMoveCommunityGardenGuide0411.pdf