MOUNT VERNON — Results of a countywide food assessment shed additional light on food insecurity in Knox County.
Two years in the making, the assessment looks at the shopping habits and food options for local residents. It also includes income demographics and residents’ ability to buy the food they want.
Tami Ruhl, Creating Healthy Communities coordinator for Knox Public Health, shared the results on Tuesday with members of the Knox County Food Council and other stakeholders involved in combating food insecurity in the county. She defined food security as individuals having enough nutritious food for their overall health and well-being.
She noted that heart disease, high blood pressure, and cholesterol are prevalent in the county.
“We know these conditions are linked to diet, so this is one of the reasons we are looking at food insecurity,” she said.
The process started in 2021 with the Knox County Food Council mapping the local food system, showing how food gets from the farm to the table.
From July through December 2022, food council members conducted two community surveys. One was for the community, the other for local farmers and food producers. Surveys were available online and at food pantries, farmers markets, and other locations.
Seventeen farmers or producers completed the survey; 346 total surveys were completed. The majority were in Mount Vernon’s 43050 zip code, but the county’s other zip codes covered 43% of respondents.
Slightly over 30% of respondents have a household income of less than $25,000, which is below the federal poverty level of $26,500 for a family of four. Nearly half had at least one child in their household; of those with children, 62% had one or two.
Relating to finances, 23% said they do not feel like they usually have enough resources to buy the food they want to eat. When you expand that to the county, Ruhl said that potentially affects 14,400 individuals.
Eight percent said they always or almost always have to choose whether to spend money on food or other necessities such as rent or medical bills; an additional 32% said they sometimes have to choose.
The top four places to access foods are:
•Grocery store
•Convenience store
•Farmers market
•Food pantry
Ruhl said that when you take the number of people who buy their food at a convenience store (124) and apply it to the entire county, it equates to 22,500 people shopping at a convenience store. Gas stations account for 6.7% of respondents.
“It doesn’t sound like much, but again, when you expand that out to the county, that’s a lot of people who get their food at a gas station,” Ruhl said.
Transportation and travel play a role, with 23% saying they have had problems getting the food they need due to transportation. Reasons cited include high gas prices and lack of access to a vehicle. Thirteen listed mobility issues or lack of access to public transit as transportation barriers.
While the majority of individuals said they travel 15 minutes or less one way to get food, 38% said it takes them between 15 and 30 minutes or more to access food.
Regarding food choice, 65% said they wanted more fresh fruits and vegetables. Most have heard the term “locally grown,” and 84% say they buy locally grown food.
“I kind of question that when you look at where they shop,” Ruhl said.
Photovoice
To complement the mapping of the food system and community surveys, the food council participated in Photovoice through OSU Extension.
Photovoice is a program that documents, in photos, “the lived experience of accessing healthy food” in the community. Last fall, photographers took pictures of food displays at food pantries, grocery stores, schools, a pizza shop, and farmers markets.
Those attending Tuesday’s food council luncheon viewed the pictures and noted their reactions:
•There are good things going on related to healthy eating, but there needs to be more awareness.
•Several of the pictures supported the reason why heart disease ranks No. 1 in the county.
•Our health is affected by what society likes or says is okay. It’s important to start healthy-eating education at home.
•From a food pantry’s perspective, clients don’t always have the capability to fix or store fresh produce.
•The cost of eating healthy is an economic issue.
The next step for the Knox County Food Council is to identify current and future projects that help residents eat and access healthy foods.
Current projects include Backpacks for Hope in the schools and expanding the community garden at Arch Park and the Farm to School program at Twin Oak Elementary School.
Future ideas suggested include increasing the number of community gardens, removing the stigma from food pantries, addressing food access transportation issues, and developing a healthier mindset when donating food to food pantries.
Additionally, the food council will take a deeper dive into the survey results, concentrating on responses from those who said they have used a food pantry or participated in SNAP, WIC, Produce Perks or senior farmers market programs.
