Saturday is my favorite day of the week. And no, despite being an Ole Miss student, it is not because Saturday is gameday.
Saturday is the day I volunteer at the Memphis Farmers Market in downtown Memphis. I began volunteering in June, and now I’m hooked. Every weekend, I experience the atmosphere of one of the top markets in the country — fresh air, delicious and local produce, live music, local artists, a family of volunteers and a community forming relationships over food.
Farmers markets are often stereotyped as places where the wealthy go to buy overpriced, organic produce, as if mimicking a “hippie” lifestyle. While this description may have been accurate in the past, it is changing.
The Memphis Farmers Market is a perfect example of this transformation. It is one of the markets in the United States that allows patrons to use SNAP benefits to purchase “SNAP-eligible” goods, including produce, meat and dairy. This provides access for those who typically could not afford fresh food.
And this limited access to fresh, healthy food has serious consequences. Approximately 12.5 million children in the U.S. are obese. Obesity disproportionately affects socioeconomaically disadvantaged populations, as one out of every seven low-income children is obese.
It may seem counterintuitive that obesity and poverty are so closely linked. The fact is that food insecurity — the idea that you are not sure where your next meal is coming from — often coexists with obesity.
Frequently, impoverished communities are located in food deserts, or areas that lack access to affordable, healthy food. According to the USDA’s Economic Research Service, 2.3 million Americans live more than a mile from a supermarket and do not have access to a vehicle. Seventy percent of Mississippi food stamp-eligible households must travel at least 30 miles to reach a chain supermarket.
Food deserts disproportionately impact minorities. For example, a report released by PolicyLink and The Food Trust found that zip codes in areas that were predominantly black had only half the number of chain supermarkets as predominantly white zip codes.
Access to a supermarket has a direct impact on health and what type of food a person is buying and consuming. Without supermarkets, citizens are forced to rely on gas stations, fast food outlets and “mom-and-pop” stores, which often only offer heavily processed foods that are high in calories, fat, sodium, sugar and refined carbohydrates.
How can we address this problem?
That’s where farmers markets come in. From 2000 to 2011, the number of farmers markets in the U.S. increased by 150 percent.
Farmers markets can improve a community in so many ways. Project for Public Spaces released a report asserting that markets could be key for encouraging social integration and upward mobility. Markets can spur economic and community development. They can contribute to building positive relationships among people of different races, classes and backgrounds.
Most importantly, they can expand access to fresh, healthy food. As Michelle Obama said, “We can talk all we want about making healthy choices about the food we serve our kids, but the truth is that if parents don’t have anywhere to buy these foods, then all of that is really just talk.”
Yet, out of the 8,000 farmers markets in the U.S., less than half accept SNAP benefits. The USDA recognizes the importance of accessibility to farmers markets in the fight against hunger and obesity and is doing what it can to help. This year, it announced the launch of a $4 million initiative to expand wireless access at farmers markets, thus enabling the markets to accept SNAP benefits. This is a crucial first step toward expanding access to healthy food.
Some people may question my decision to spend my Saturdays volunteering at a market rather than enjoying the Grove, but it has never seemed like a hard choice to make.
Negative stereotypes saturate the media surrounding the city of Memphis. But I see Memphis much differently, especially on Saturdays. I see local musicians sharing their talents with the community. I see young children at the market picking out fresh tomatoes or bright summer squash, rather than filling a shopping cart with prepackaged sweet treats. I see individuals from differing backgrounds not only sharing family recipes and cooking tips, but also sharing life experiences and stories. Every Saturday, I see hope for a city that has seen its struggles but is overcoming them every day in ways both big and small. And I see possibilities for other communities to follow suit.
The Grove is fun, but to be part of a market that can offer hope and positive change for an entire city is an experience that is truly inspiring.
Christine Dickason is a junior public policy leadership major from Collierville, Tenn.
