CHARLOTTE, N.C. — According to Mecklenburg County officials, nearly 15% of the county's households are considered food insecure.
Food insecurity happens when people have a reduced variety and quality in their diet, which may cause them to have disrupted eating patterns or eat less due to a lack of money or resources.
One of the ways to make a household more food secure is to improve access to healthy foods in their area.
Food insecurity can lead to various health problems, such as Type-2 diabetes, obesity and heart disease.
This is why StarMed, which rose to prominence in the Carolinas during the COVID-19 pandemic, launched its new farm program called food as medicine.
“As we got into these communities, we realized that there’s little or no access to healthy, nutrient-dense food,” Starmount Healthcare Management’s Chief Strategy Officer Mike Vander Baan said when the program launched in December 2022. “We firmly believe this project is another way we can serve the community.”
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When analyzing the food security map in Charlotte, StarMed partnered with Carolina Farm Trust on the initiative to target underserved areas and provide better access to healthy foods. In the fall of 2022, StarMed built an urban farm in west Charlotte north of Freedom Drive and just east of Interstate 85 with the hopes of building a distribution center.
StarMed views that future distribution center as a pharmacy, where patients who need health benefits gained from nutrient-dense vegetables could be "prescribed" them from the urban farm.
“Everything ranging from carrots to cauliflower, we have some beets, a lot of root vegetables in the ground," StarMed founder and president Michael Estramonte said while showing WCNC Charlotte the vegetables they recently planted.
There are also plans for a greenhouse and chicken coop.
Estramonte said this will expand how they help underserved communities.
For patients to qualify, they have to have certain health conditions. The program is also based on income.
“Even if it’s a small dent, it’s a win for everybody," Estamonte said.
If the pilot program is successful, they plan to expand to other areas in Charlotte.
Mecklenburg County has an interactive map online for those who want to know what food access there is in your area, as well as an interactive map showing nearby farmers' markets.
Contact Lexi Wilson at lwilson@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
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