Toil wrote: in new haven, many neighborhoods simply don't have access to good quality veggies at reasonable prices, much less enough choice to demand safe and sustainable options.
... I am making flyers in spanish this year, but in general there is no effort to include everyone. If everyone pitches in we can help turn cities into farms.
Absolutely. Access to nutritious food
at all is difficult, if not impossible, for residents of lower-income areas, especially in large cities. People are dying early in this country, and part of the reason is a complete lack of access to nutritious food.
Here are two stories from the Oakland
Tribune from 2010 and a blog entry from 2008 which provides more in-depth background on the situation:
1) from a 14 Feb 2010 article in the Oakland
Tribune on health disparities in neighborhoods within Oakland, esp. with regard to hypertension, at https://www.insidebayarea.com/search/ci_14394321?IADID
"I can say stress is an issue there," Solomon said. "But until I can get people to sit down and say, 'I was really stressed today because I had to go all the way to Emeryville and
take three buses to go grocery shopping,' it's just me saying that."
2) from a 26 Jan 2010 article in the Oakland
Tribune comparing life expectancy in East Oakland to that in Walnut Creek (higher socioeconomic ratings), at https://www.insidebayarea.com/search/ci_13964217?IADID
Public health experts widely agree that poorer neighborhoods  which lack
grocery stores, pharmacies, doctor's offices, post offices and parks  largely explain the wide gap in life spans
3) A *very* recent development, still in its infancy, is the People's Grocery of West Oakland, which hopes to bring fresh produce to the 30,000 residents of West Oakland, who are currently…served…by
over 50 liquor stores, but 0 grocery stores. [
note: the 0 is not a typo
]
This blog entry from 2008 ( https://www.sustainlane.com/us-city-rankings/articles/oakland-ca-the-grocery-gap/LTD1W3WI1TN23RUSJU9K4R2ZR98X ) tells the story:
"Getting a six pack of beer or a bottle of whiskey is no problem for the residents of West Oakland, Ca. Getting a dozen eggs or a quart of milk? that's a different story altogether. Bluntly stated, there are no grocery stores in West Oakland, but there are a total of 57 liquor storesâ€â€for just 30,000 residents.
"Among these residents, the diabetes rate is three times higher than in the rest of Alameda county, hypertension rates are elevated, and mortality rates rival those of nations in the developing world."
The blog gives links to authoritative sources for the People's Grocery. BTW, People's is requesting donations of pots for seedlings; they sell the seedlings as a fund-raiser.
Yes, those who have the option (which is both time- and cash-consuming), definitely should do whatever is possible to support individual farmers, ranchers, and other growers whose practices are sustainable and in keeping with their values.
However, gardeners--at least
gardeners--should also not overlook those people who live amazingly close by who have no choice at all about what to eat: they would be overjoyed just to get a grocery store at all, much less a farmers' market.
...¡Una buena idea, Toil, escribir in español!
Cynthia H.
Sunset Zone 17, USDA Zone 9