How we produce, buy, eat and throw away food in Riley County impacts our economy, our health, our environment and our local culture. On Thursday, September 28th, the Flint Hills Wellness Coalition convened over 55 individuals and organizations to talk about improving our local food system. Attendees learned more about the local food system, the benefits of a food and farm council, and heard from local producers and restaurants owners.
A food system includes all activities that involve the production, processing, distribution and transporting, and consumption of food. In addition, external factors, such as policies, climate and natural resources, funding, cultural traditions, and education may influence a local food system.
Topics discussed at the event included ‘food deserts’, food insecurity rates, and wasted food in Riley County. In 2015, 30,085 Riley County residents lived in a food desert, defined as low income and living more than 1 mile from a grocery store if in an urban area, or more than 10 miles from a store if in a rural area. More than 1 in 6 (18.5%) Riley County households were food insecure which the USDA defines as a state in which “consistent access to adequate food is limited by a lack of money and other resources at times during the year,” while an estimated 21 million pounds of food are wasted annually in Riley County households.
You can get involved by talking with others at work, at your places of leisure and play about food issues, find out their ideas about what’s working already, what’s missing , and their needs. The community is encouraged to complete the food survey which is intended to capture key information from various ages, ethnic backgrounds, socioeconomic status, and geographic locations. The survey aims to capture information from interactions with all sectors of the food system including information about obtaining, consuming and discarding food. Visit www.flinthillswellnness.org to take the survey or get involved!
If you are interested in serving on the Food and Farm Council for Riley County and the City of Manhattan, the Coalition will be taking applications in October and November. The council will work to create a local food system that supports healthy living in our community. Contact jhettinger@rileycountyks.gov for more information on how to apply.
The Food and Farm Stakeholder event was made possible with funding from the American Heart Association and the Kansas Alliance for Wellness.