CHARLOTTE, N.C. — As farmer's markets sprout to life for the 2021 season, Mecklenburg County Public Health (MCPH) is expanding programs to make fresh fruits and vegetables available to residents who live in food deserts or who might experience food insecurity.
Food security is a household’s ability to access nutritious foods, which contributes to an active and healthy lifestyle.
According to MCPH, nearly 15% of households in Mecklenburg County are considered food insecure. That means they have a reduced quality and variety of diet, may eat less, and that their eating patterns are disrupted due to lack of money and resources.
In 2021, the Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioners placed a priority on addressing food security and allocated resources to scale up programs that provide healthier food in food insecure locations including the Public Health priority areas.
Among the programs is an expansion of “You SNAP, We Match,” with initial funding by Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina. This initiative allows residents to utilize their SNAP/EBT benefits at participating farmers' markets while receiving a dollar-for-dollar match on their purchases of fresh fruits and vegetables.
The initiative also welcomes four new farmer's markets to Mecklenburg County in 2021. Two of the new markets are pop-ups organized by the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Food Policy Council with funding from MCPH to serve their immediate neighborhoods:
- Valerie C. Woodard Center, 3205 Freedom Drive, operating Fridays, 2 – 4 p.m.
- The Plaza Academy for Youth, 1000 Anderson Street, operating Wednesdays, 4 – 7 p.m.
Other new markets are:
- Camp North End, 300 Camp Road, operating Wednesdays, 4 – 8 p.m.
- Urban Farm at Aldersgate, 4101 Somerdale Lane, operating Thursdays, 4:30 – 7:30 p.m.
“Poor diet contributes to poor health,” Mecklenburg County Health Director Gibbie Harris said. “Several issues contribute to this, including access and cost—healthy food costs more and low-income individuals are more likely to be exposed to advertising for unhealthy food, and to retail locations that sell it. Our programs work to address these issues and help ensure equitable access to healthy and nutritious foods.”
