By Chris Paul, Towson University
May 15, 2011
Mayoral Spokesman Ryan O'Doherty explains the Baltimore Food Policy Initiative as an aide looks on. Over the past few months, the Mayor's Office has begun to play a larger role in addressing the issue of city hunger. Photo by Chris Paul/Towson University Student
This Saturday afternoon, a small group of Towson students are heading to a nearby farm to serve the local community. They plan to spend the day digging, fertilizing and planting. Interestingly enough, the farm is located downtown.
Urban farming is slowly beginning to take its roots in the city. It is part of an effort to foster healthy eating habits in neighborhoods where the number of fast food chains and liquor stores far outweigh the number grocery stores. The consequence of the imbalance is a lack of fresh fruits and vegetables that is causing health problems across Baltimore.
Over the past seven years, the mortality rate of heart disease is 30 percent higher in Baltimore City than among all Maryland residents. Officials link poor diet and obesity as the leading causes.
“It’s a really big issue in Baltimore,” said Genevieve Birkby, a supervisor at the Baltimore City Department of Health. “What the city has that other places don’t are food deserts.”
A food desert is defined as a one-mile radius where there are no stores that sell produce and other healthy foods. Instead, residents are left with smaller corner shops and have to drive out to the county to purchase groceries—something most people avoid because they do not have transportation. The result is that they are forced to rely on unhealthy eating habits as a way to sustain themselves.
Urban farming is one of 10 recommendations from the Food Policy Task Force to increase demand for and access to healthy food options in the city. Other recommendations include promoting and expanding farmers’ markets, community gardens and a supermarket home delivery system.
Convened in 2009 by the Baltimore City Department of Planning, the Task Force is comprised of representatives from a cross-section of city agencies, organizations, businesses and stakeholders in Baltimore’s food production, distribution and consumption system. The goal of the Task Force is to identify food and health problems in the city and figure out solutions.
However, the major issue of actually bringing in grocery stores has been the most challenging. Ryan O’Doherty, spokesman for Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, says the issue is all about creating an environment that is welcoming to out-of-town businesses.
“We need to have an economic development environment in Baltimore where businesses, particularly grocery stores, can be welcomed and where the city can work with them as a partner,” O’Doherty said. ”The Mayor wants to do what she can as mayor to foster an environment that is more welcoming for them.”
Currently, the only opportunity city residents have to purchase fresh food is through street vendors or to visit one of the Farmers’ Markets. While some residents do visit them, many do not and the city has been pushing to get more to attend.
According to the Mayor’s second annual Sustainability Report, released in mid-April, a new program, called the Baltimore Food Policy Initiative, is working on a pilot program allowing low-income families who are receiving federal nutrition assistance to obtain fresh food from the markets.
According to the most recent census data, Baltimore City has a poverty rate of 19.6 percent and a childhood poverty rate of 27.2 percent. Cathy Demeroto, the Director of Maryland Hunger Solutions, a statewide anti-hunger association and partner in the Initiative, says the goal is to reach out and increase participation among those most in need.
Baltimore City Food Markets, Produce Stands, and Food Deserts
View Larger Map
Yellow Markers=Farmers’ Markets
Green Markers=Produce Stands
Purple=Food Deserts
*For this map, a food desert is defined as a block group that is more than 1/4 mile from a major supermarket and 40 percent or more of the population’s household income is below $25,000 (about 125 percent of the Federal Poverty for a family of four)
Source: Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future, March 2010
There is also an unprecedented number of people who need aid for food. The anti-hunger association reports that one in six Marylanders did not have enough money to buy food needed at some point during the past year. Even so, healthy options are still limited.
“It’s going to be an ongoing challenge and it’s going to be one of the Mayor’s top goals,” said O’Doherty, speaking on the lack of grocery stores in the city.
Meanwhile, the Baltimore is in the midst of gaining momentum with urban farming as officials hope to turn 10 acres of city-owned vacant lots into farmland. While they have not identified the locations of any of the lots, the Baltimore Sun reports that officials have identified as many as 40 acres that could eventually be farmed.
The one issue however with urban farming is the soil. Michael Fedner works at the Baltimore County Department of Environmental Protection and Sustainability and says that some lots may be contaminated.
“The building codes were different back when the buildings were put up. Whenever you grow something in those lots you need to be cautious because of the risk of lead and other metals that could harm the plants,” said Fedner.
A city representative was unable to be reached to comment.
As the students from Towson head downtown this weekend, they will visit an urban farm that has been around a couple years supporting farmers markets and serving families in nutritional poverty. If the ministry’s success is any indication for future change in Baltimore, there is good reason to be excited.
For more information on how Baltimore City is addressing the issue of grocery stores, visit the Baltimore Office of Sustainability’s website at baltimoresustainability.org.
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