“You don’t have to eat crap just cause you’re poor”, this quote struck me in reading a profile on Anna Bergman from Seattle. She was on disability and did not have a whole lot of access to healthy food before becoming involved in a local community and urban garden. She talks about that when she gained access to healthy food she began to want to eat healthier and also learn the ins and outs of vegetables, fruits, and all different kinds of plants. I think that her quote should be told to many people in her similar situations. Although access for healthy food can be limited to those living in poverty, there are also so many neat organizations that creatively bring access to people in need. One of these is my organization I have been working for this summer, Bread for the City. It has a rooftop garden that can be accessed by anyone in the community to harvest fresh produce for free any day of the week. It is one of many programs in DC alone that gives access to fresh food to those in need.
Another aspect of access to healthy eating is that you can increase mood and state of mind by just simply getting involoved in your food system. When Anna gained interests in cooking and nutrition it helped her to become informed and inolved in her health and also in her community. The interest sparked a motivation to eat healthier and try new things that helped with her disability that deals with the fluctuations in energy and mood. The food and gardening helped regulate and stimulate the energy and moods.I think that this is a great point to think about. Food itself can have huge effects on your mood and state of mind. Along with this, the agricultural side of the food systems can have positive effects on your mood as well. Being directly involved in farming or even small scale gardening can enhance qualities like patience, mindfulness, and just get someone to become more in touch with themselves by the time spent gardening.
For me personally, becoming connected to the roots of food and having access to gardening and agriculture this summer has been an experience that I will always take with me. The bug bites, scratches, and soaked shoes from rain will always be thought of when biting into an apple or when taking a bite of a kale salad. I was connescted in this process and it is almost humbling knowing that I played a part in giving people access to fresh food. Like Anna said, “when people have access to fresh food, theyre going to eat it”. So being a part of this process will always be something I am thankful to have been a part of because I helped to get these people access to such an important and vital part of life.
I agree with the concept, but in some ways I think this might be an oversimplification of the issues that people face. There are a lot of reasons why someone with low-income might “eat crap” and it’s not just lack of access. The “crap” may be cultural food. If it’s not a food that they’re familiar with or is not part of cultural foods, they may not be willing to experiment with cooking it. It also may be an issue of time or ease. People, even those who aren’t in poverty, might make the choice to eat less healthfully in favor of saving time preparing food. Access is a first step, but access alone isn’t a cure all, and I think that people have a lot of very valid reasons for not eating healthfully, which means that we have to address other factors in healthy eating to shift diets.
Your response to Anna reinforced something I felt throughout this week’s collection of portraits. Namely, that even when broader issues of distribution, equity, and sustainability may feel extremely daunting, a single creative individual can create enormous change at the community level. Such inspirational examples are essential if we are to remain engaged and hopeful citizens.