Under the green tarp apron, an entire section of vendor tables await Saturday patrons. I loved coming to the farmers market with my parents. We wandered through the converted parking lots or visited the storefront market visible from the busy road. If I had to define ‘home,’ the markets held a large quantity of it. As a child, I had lived in at least five states in the U.S. I could count on the pale yellow squash and long okra stems holding my mother’s attention. She examined the squash’s lopsidedness before listing off a series of other fruits and vegetables. Shelled peanuts, chapati flour, and international candies ended up in our cart too. My eyes stitched together a colorful feast of shapes. Wooden and plastic crates hid the folded banquet tables, and soon canvas tote bags would tuck away a rural prettiness.

The livelihood of a food market stresses the importance of from farm to table. Even more, food markets remain crucial in providing access to marginalized neighborhoods. Our cities are changing but we are still grappled on how socioeconomics determines the quality of our lives. Poorer neighborhoods are often swaddled in convenience stores and fast food options. We can depend on the former options to cater to the direct need. However, I am not entirely blaming convenience stores with premium shelf items such as ready-to-go meals or staple items (e.g. orange juice, milk, eggs, and etc). In my research, I came across some excerpts where owners stated their stores were not properly made to hold fresh fruits and vegetables. What would happen if they were?

My initial research focused on food deserts, fewer farmers of color, and the longevity of local food markets. For this post, I’ll delve into an updated response on the roles of farmers markets and the suggestions folks have far as food insecurity.

Photo by Anna Tukhfatullina Food Photographer/Stylist on Pexels.com

Slim Pickings

Although, consumers shop at Whole Foods, Aldi, and home delivery services such as Hello Fresh – there’s still a bulk of Americans who are food insecure. There are multiple parts on where and how people shop. Remember how we discussed some low-income folks may need to supplement their groceries in convenience stores.

Let’s continue – individuals may utilize convenience dollar stores, food banks, grocery outlets, and farmers markets. On the surface, we should note this highlights more than one grocery trip. Questions: Do individuals make the most out of one store and spend more? How does this affect those with limited transportation as well? Although, I am not answering those in this post – I believe these are points to consider in addition. Face it – convenience affects shopping habits. In 2017, Yes! Magazine reported their findings from the U.S. Department of Agriculture: “…at least 500 people or a third of the population live a mile from a supermarket, or large grocery store in urban areas, or more 10 miles in rural parts of the country.”

More so, analysis relays that people’s shopping behaviors may take longer than the introduction of new stores. It’s not a single prong issue. Within Allentown and Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, I would argue that larger farmers markets and grocer retailers are starting to supply the sampled variety – smaller places may specialize in. It’s a tricky situation – I am content that our larger grocers are “diversifying” their products but how will this impact small business owners.

Writers Grace Bello, Amanda Kay Mannshahia, and Ashley Blackwell highlight there’s a disconnection from farm to table also. Separations occur through the following; lack of markets in affected neighborhoods, communities without agency in creating their own markets, and inclusion of nutrition-based education in kindergarten through 12^th grade schools.

Some communities have started their own community co-ops. As I drive twenty minutes to Allentown, I spot the yard signs proudly speckled throughout the area. That’s great, right? However, in route to my favorite farmers market, I notice that the socioeconomics goes from lower middle class to upper middle class. Large driveways, manicured lawns, and privatized schooling greet commuters of all backgrounds who venture to Elias Farmers Market.

Photo by Frans Van Heerden on Pexels.com

Inclusive Market Model

In an ideal model, farmers markets bring people together. Additionally, people are knowledgeable of where their food comes from, and have accessibility to foods culturally-relevant for their communities. In idyllic sense, the goals are to link lower and upper socioeconomic classes together also.

Underrepresented markets serve our country’s diverse population. With the arrival of refugees and immigrants – farmers markets are responsible for hosting a variety of cultures ethnic and/or religious.

Natasha Bowens, a grower and food justice activist, speaks more on this issue. “We have farmers markets opening in predominantly ethnic neighborhoods without farmers of color, bilingual staff, or culturally relevant foods – which does not help increase food access in these neighborhoods. (Sladek, 2016)” A handful of languages relevant to my area include: Arabic, Spanish, and Hindi. Are there languages you notice in your area?

The Neighborhood Fact Sheet

Here a few statistics for consideration:

48 million Americans (30 percent which are children) lived in households facing food insecurity in 2014.
- One-fifth include Latinx households
- One-fourth include African American households
15 million children lose access to daily school lunches provided through school programs, in the summer months.

Localizing the Game Plan

Below, I will discuss a few Best Practices for Creating a Sustainable and Equitable Food System in the United States penned by Ashley Blackwell.

Out of the American tradition, repurposing an existing platform and rebuilding may help. Blackwell indicates that corner stores, often located in lower economic neighborhoods, can become healthier. She references that businesses who offer unhealthy food options have a consumer-demand market. Corner stores infamously may sell essentials such as milk and eggs, but predominantly sell “junk food.”

Blackwell’s proposal addresses possible barriers, which include adequate shelf-space and lack of education in store workers with maintaining shelf produce. For example, skeptics note that items in corner stores have lengthy expiration dates due to excessive food processing. Blackwell asserts that training can equip individuals serving their communities in a revised way.

Secondly, Blackwell highlights citizen concern on the lack of healthy food for children. An initiative championed by the National Farm to School Network allows children exposure to nutrition-based curricula. Also, the network introduces the model that schools serve local foods in the cafeteria. Blackwell shares that “farmers receive a 5 percent increase selling to schools” which benefits the local economy (Blackwell, 2016).

Furthermore, a few organizations embody efforts in supporting refugees, immigrants, and indigenous communities. The Hmong American Farmers Association’s origin includes refugees resettling from Laos and Thailand. Most families fled and/or relocated due to the Vietnam War in the 1970s. The Latino Economic Development Center and Thunder Valley Community Development Corporation have created positive interactions with local farmer’s markets.

Getting Started

Do you need help getting started finding a local farmers market? Natasha Bowen’s website coloroffood.com provides a search engine for those interested in healthier food options. Under the tab ‘CoF Map,’ users can see market locations near them and learn more information on the market’s owners as well.

Perhaps, the awareness of food insecurity will allow investment in our wider circle including communities of color and low-income communities. The dream of a farmers’ market surplus frames an American dream. Yet, crispy green cabbage, glossy cherry tomatoes, and farm-raised meat are not at every dining room table. As I stand behind my mother in the checkout line, I remember the times where we made food stretch for a whole week. The amount of privilege in being able to choose what to eat is a hard thing to ignore.

Additional references

Bello, G. (2013, April 13). Farm-to-Table in Communities of Color. Retrieved from The Atlantic: https://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2013/04/farm-to-table-in-communities-of-color/274864/

Blackwell, A. (2016, May 12). Best Practices for Creating a Sustainable and Equitable Food System in the United States. Retrieved from Center for American Progress: https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/poverty/reports/2016/05/12/137306/best-practices-for-creating-a-sustainable-and-equitable-food-system-in-the-united-states/

Sladek, E. (2016, July 1). Community Groups Tackle Racialized Food System Inequality. Retrieved from Democracy Collaborative: https://democracycollaborative.org/content/community-groups-tackle-racialized-food-system-inequality

Every great educator at some point will ask their students this set of questions: Who’s missing from this narrative? Whose voice have we not heard from?

With my recalibration from grade school and college, I intentionally sought out more women writers – of all genres (poetry, non-fiction, fiction, journalism, etc.). At first glance, I delved into women who mirrored my worldly perspective. I found that the was more to unpack – the varied cultural experiences and generational differences.

I am indebted to Sandra Cisneros, Toni Morrison, Audre Lorde, Phyllis Wheatley, and Amy Tan for their words on how womanhood can be spun using different threads. Their commentary and works gift many any understanding of freedom, personal volition to change, and familial kinship.

I am still scanning shelves separated with green cardstock dividers in the social sciences section of Barnes and Nobles. I am looking for more voices – ones I’ve been reaching out as a child does to a parent – my whole life. Among the writers (who also serve as activists, political commentators, and personal essayists) – I’m searching for the truth as it flexes throughout our time in history. For millennia, I find that the role of a woman writer documents emotions in subtext, history, and language as an anthropologist. However, I would not use the word ’emotion’ as a negative connotation; instead, I would rather use it as an act to annotate the present and the past.

‘Our Women On the Ground: Essays by Arab Women Reporting From The Arab World‘ weighs the magnitude of news reporting and storytelling. Arab women journalists and writers dispel the couching stereotypes about themselves and others in their regions (read: submissive). In this anthology, various writers grant readers an incandescent warmth on how they conducted interviews and what travel arrangements they used.

Although, certain countries may appear as they are coming apart and fraying at the seams due to political upheaval – that isn’t the whole story. From Syria, Beruit, Egypt, and more – the book highlights the loss of writers’ loved ones and the loss of strangers (and how that still leaves emotional distress). It encompasses the importance to share the truth that radiates in the breast cavity of many. One common theme I found was how journalists expressed gratitude for having access to a whole new host of interviewees –women. I am in sheer awe of their defiance and preservation to live as a witness to the world’s movements.

Between intimate friendship rituals like joyriding and conversations in the beauty salon, this book fills in the parts of humanity many cannot glean from a newscast highlight recap. The inclusion of specific details on family life and careers struck me. I remember one particular story on how a young graduate continued to do her community dentistry house calls – despite the bombings nearby.

The courage of average people and the ones of journalists weave in and out of this book. In the foreword, the esteemed reporter Christiane Amanpour states that many of these women are day after day doing the work. They move through the braided strands of danger and resistance to it.

With these words, I am reminded of Roxane Gay’s words in the Introduction of The Best American Short Stories (2018) anthology. She addresses how crucial words become in times of onslaught and oppression. Although, Gay references the impact on how the current American presidency has brought out the worst in America – I believe she recognizes the necessity of escapism that educates. Perhaps, we need to witness truths outside our own community and how our concerns can lend us to become closer on ‘what we can change.’

It’s a touchy tightrope to compare fiction and non-fiction but often times I find that they both complement the other. We are still grappling with pain, what defines our human nature, and whose voices rise to the ocean’s surface. In the 2018 anthology, short stories include themes of immigration centers housing people in grotesque and unethical conditions. It dives into the generational shifts and attitudes that focus on aging. At times, I find that the humanness I am looking for comes closer to me by reading.

I’ve had the pleasure this past week to connect with my coworkers in a way I hadn’t a year ago. With intention, some have relayed to me their cultural traditions, words in their language, and the mobility of their families. With this knowledge, I piece together how much I understand and how much the world influences our steps. I am thankful for their voices and their openness to speak with me.

What books or media changed you? Does it change your interactions with others and how? Please place your comments below :)!

You can purchase the books I mentioned at various major retailers and/or click the links below:

Our Women On The Ground: Essays By Arab Women Reporting From the Arab World (Edited by Zahra Hankir, Foreword by Christiane Amanpour)

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The Best American Short Stories 2018 (Editor Roxane Gay, Editor Heidi Pitlor)

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Category: commentary

The Covenant of Hearing Women’s Voices