2013 . TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
Introduction...... 5
Executive Summary...... 7
What is Good Food BC...... 11
What is a Food System?...... 13
What is a Community Food System Assessment?...... 15
Michigan Good Food Charter: A Call To Action...... 17
Good Food BC Priorities: A Starting Focus, Indicators, and Data To Date ����������� 21
Who Lives and Eats in Battle Creek?...... 25
How Are Food Consumption and Health in Battle Creek Related?...... 27
Where Do Battle Creek Residents Get Their Food?...... 33
What Kinds of Agriculture Surrounds Battle Creek?...... 51
What Food Is Processed in Battle Creek?...... 57
Where Do Battle Creek Institutions Get the Food They Serve?...... 61
Conclusion...... 67
Note:
Additional information regarding the 2013 Battle Creek Community Food Assessment may be found online at the Good Food BC Facebook Group page, or by email request ([email protected]). Information includes the following:
Appendix A Good Food BC Members
Appendix B Food-Related Resources and Institutions
Appendix C 2012 CFA Focus Groups
3 . INTRODUCTION
Battle Creek is a food town and its iconic Cereal City moniker is an ever present reminder of the community’s rich, historic reputation associated with health, wellness and food.
And yet…
Although the Cereal City legacy endures, the Battle Creek food system is broken. Like most communities in America, the city suffers from a range of conditions that threaten everyone. The issues are many, and range from food insecurity and the dwindling number of non-commodity food producers to the rising average age of farmers. There’s also a lack of access in underserved communities for healthy food, as well as its consumption when and where it is available. Still, there is cause for hope. Battle Creek is second to none in terms of the community commitment demonstrated by its residents. This is especially so among those involved in the food movement. The rise in backyard and community gardens is encouraging. So is the incredible support of Battle Creek manufacturers who provide vital resources to the local food bank and other relief agencies. Central to this winning posture is the can-do attitude of those directly involved in the city’s food movement. This Community Food Assessment (CFA) could not have been possible without the time, talent and treasure of a core of individuals and organizations that dedicated themselves to the deep investigation into the food system in Battle Creek. Central to this work is Good Food BC, a grassroots collective of residents and professionals helping to repair the community’s broken food system. Their collective vision: uncover the inner workings of Battle Creek as it relates to all things food, survey its metrics, celebrate its successes and identify and address its challenges. Special thanks to Fair Food Network (FFN) for its support and guidance. Since the beginning, FFN has provided unique servant leadership to the Battle Creek food movement in general and to Good Food BC in particular. The result is a strategic partnership in which FFN supports the community in charting its own destiny even as it helps shepherd evolution of the Battle Creek food system toward a better tomorrow.
5 . Executive Summary Assessing the Landscape This community food assessment (CFA) grew from conversations in 2011 with members of Good Food BC, W.K. Kellogg Foundation, Fair Food Network and the Michigan State University C.S. Mott Group. When the idea took root, Fair Food Network issued a grant to support the effort.
By initiating an assessment of its food system, Battle Creek joins other Michigan communities, including Flint, Saginaw, Lansing, Detroit, and the five-county region in southeast Michigan in examining local food system issues. This work provides a critical foundation of knowledge that can allow Battle Creek to grow its economy through food and agriculture-based initiatives.
What’s a Food System? A food system is all the people, processes and places involved with moving food from the seed a farmer plants to the dinner table, local restaurant, or cafeteria. It encompasses everything from farming, processing and distributing to retailing, preparing and eating. It begins with the initial elements necessary for farm products to grow and extends to recycling and composting food wastes.
Good Food Battle Creek Good Food BC is a group of organizations and individuals working together to promote healthy food choices through education, support of local producers, and creating access to good food for all people. Established in 2010, its shared vision is that all residents have access to and are knowledgeable about affordable, fresh, nutritious food, and healthy lifestyles.
Current activities include conducting monthly networking meetings, facilitating discussions and documentary film events. Recent work: • Hosted the 2013 conference Good Food Matters: Come to the Table to examine food system issues across the community, and activate participants in the food movement. • Initiated a series of 2013 anti-racism workshops that address issues including food access and security for all. • Convened a series of 2012 Community Focus Groups as part of the 2013 Community Food Assessment.
7 Good Food BC Priorities In 2011, Good Food BC chose six of the 25 Michigan Good Food Charter priorities as its initial focus. These priorities were selected as the starting point for impacting the food system in Battle Creek:
1. Expand and increase innovative methods to bring healthy foods to under- served areas as well as strategies to encourage their consumption.
2. Maximize use of current public benefit programs for vulnerable populations, especially children and seniors, and link them with strategies for healthy food access.
3. Provide outreach, training and technical assistance to launch new grocery stores and improve existing stores to better serve underserved people in urban and rural areas.
4. Use policy and planning strategies to increase access to healthy food in underserved areas.
5. Encourage institutions – including schools, hospitals, colleges and universities – to use their collective purchasing power to influence the food supply chain to provide healthier food and more foods grown, raised and processed in Michigan.
6. Establish Michigan as “the place to be” for culturally based good food that is locally grown, processed, prepared and consumed.
Good Food BC Grants: a Funding Snapshot Good Food BC offers small grants to organizations working in support of the food movement. Funding was provided by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation through Fair Food Network. Grantees include:
Food Bank of South Central Michigan Garden in a Bucket: provide access to fresh vegetables in 5-gallon bucket ‘gardens’ for households that may not have access to land or lack the financial means to grow their own food.
Sprout Urban Farms GreenFist: improve fresh food access in the community by recruiting youth (age 17-22) who work on various projects.
Generation e Offer food system entrepreneurship instruction, information about entrepreneurial opportunities, and business development support.
Leila Gardening 365 Create a self-sustaining urban farm model to provide educational opportunities for the general community.
Burmese Community Gardens Capacity building support to erect deer fencing at three garden locations; install a freeze-resistant water source; purchase a commercial mower; support youth through the Free to Be Me Youth Garden.
ABurma cultural center to help Burmese Americans maintainCenter a connection to our rich heritage
8 We offer residents an opportunity to
• learn about support programs • obtain direct services • receive referrals to other resources • provide key linkages to the community
*We also provide language interpretation services
Learn more: [email protected] Listening to Residents: Good Food BC Focus Groups In an effort to acquire on-the-ground understanding of community needs, six focus groups were organized. Five were with residents of Washington Heights, Urbandale, Post Addition, North side, and Southwest neighborhoods. A sixth was conducted with farmers, institutional food providers and others.
The purpose was to learn how residents access healthy food in Battle Creek; shopping practices, cooking and eating habits; food options in their neighborhoods; and how local farmers, institutions and others might help increase their access to healthy food.
Battle Creek Food Sources Focus group work revealed that Battle Creek’s food system includes the variety of ways residents obtain their food. Most get their food from retail outlets such as grocery stores, corner markets, and gas stations that sell food, as well as full service and fast- food restaurants. Increasingly more people are purchasing food from farmers markets, community gardens, and community-support agriculture programs. Emergency food sources, such as food pantries are a critical food source for some residents.
Food Access: Surveying the Landscape Approximately 39 grocery stores, 16 dollar stores, 19 party stores and 15 gas stations sell food in the city of Battle Creek. While Calhoun County has fewer grocery stores per 10,000 residents compared to the State of Michigan, it exceeds the state’s rate for supercenter/club stores and convenience stores. Calhoun County’s rate of convenience stores (with gasoline) exceeds the state rate by 35%.
What’s in Your Belly? How residents spend their food $$ In 2007, Calhoun County residents spent, on average, a total of $1,034 eating out. As seen in the chart below, residents spent 52% of their eating-out dollars in full-service restaurants and 48% in fast food restaurants. While the amount of money spent eating out increased 15.4% between 2002 and 2007, the proportion spent on full-service vs fast-food restaurants remained the same.
Food and Health Challenges Obesity is known to contribute to a variety of disease, including heart disease, diabetes, and general poor health. In Calhoun County, a higher percentage adults are obese (36.1%) compared to being overweight (29.6%).
Food Access in Battle Creek According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), five areas within Battle Creek are considered “food deserts.” A food desert many be defined as a low income area where a substantial number of residents have limited/no access to a supermarket or large grocery store.
While Calhoun County has a higher proportion of grocery stores per population than either Kalamazoo or Jackson counties, it is still lower than that for the State of Michigan.
9 Fresh Foods Opportunities for Low-Income Residents Government food and nutrition assistance programs provide a significant source of food for Battle Creek’s low-income residents. Among them: Supplemental Nutrition Assistance (SNAP), Women, Infants and Children (WIC), Project Fresh and Senior Project Fresh. A key additional resource is the successful Double Up Food Bucks program.
Feeding the Hungry: Battle Creek’s Emergency Food System The Food Bank of South Central Michigan is the single most important source of food for most of their member agencies. It accounts 76% of food served by pantries, 48% for soup kitchens and 43% for shelters. The Food Bank reaches eight counties in South Central Michigan: Barry, Branch, Calhoun, Hillsdale, Jackson, Kalamazoo, Lenawee and St. Joseph Counties. More than 102,600 individuals are helped annually.
Food Processed in Battle Creek Food manufacturing is an important contributor to the economic vitality of Battle Creek and Calhoun County. Of the 12 major metropolitan areas in Michigan, Battle Creek ranks 7th in the number of food manufacturing establishments.
Farming, by the Numbers Michigan has the greatest diversity of agricultural products of any state save California, and Calhoun County farms verify this. What is grown (in harvested acres) around Calhoun County: corn for grain (65,608); wheat for grain (12,605); soybeans for beans (69,339); vegetables (490); land in orchards (58).
Battle Creek residents live in a county that has 1,178 farms encompassing over 227,000 acres of land (49.4% of the county’s 453,760 acres) with an average farm size of 179 acres. Of these 227,000 acres of farm land, 70.4% is harvested cropland, and the average value of crops sold per harvested acre is $214.05.
More than 34% of Calhoun County farms show sales of less than $1,000; 3.2% show sales of $500,000 or more.
Aging Farmers The average age of farmers in Michigan is 56.3 years and in Calhoun County it is 57.5 years. Forty- four percent of Michigan farmers and 46% of Calhoun County farmers indicated that farming was their principal occupation.
Planting Seeds, Sowing Progress Battle Creek has the resources and potential to change the face of its food system. Men and women across the community across all sectors are working diligently to address the needs of all people. A key challenge is understanding the issues and developing a unified front through which these forces may coordinate their efforts.
That’s where Good Food BC comes in. For more than four years it has been helping educate and activate residents and food professionals to address food system issues. The way is clear. The will is there. By harnessing committed people and institutions, Battle Creek is primed to reclaim its historic good food and wellness legacy. Join the movement. 10 GOOD FOOD BATTLE CREEK
In 2010, a group of organizations and individuals in Battle Creek began talking about the challenges and opportunities for increasing access to healthy food for residents of the City of Battle Creek. After several months of conversation facilitated by Fair Food Network with funds from the WK Kellogg Foundation, Vision they decided to form a citywide collaborative- Good Food BC. The vision of Good Food Today, over 15 organizations and scores of individuals are BC is that all residents working together to promote healthy food choices through have access to and are education, support of local producers, and create access knowledgeable about affordable, to good food for all people. Members include educators, fresh, and nutritious food clergy, public health officials, government representatives, and healthy lifestyles. community advocates, social service agencies, universities, private foundations, and residents of Battle Creek.
Their work ranges from supporting urban gardening and farmers markets to food safety and food justice. They also serve as a channel of support to existing work going on in Battle Creek, encouraging others to share with them their events, news and information.
11 In 2011, Fair Food Network, with funds from the WK Kellogg Foundation, supported a community food assessment of Battle Creek. Under the auspices of Michigan State University’s C.S. Mott Group, in May 2011, about 40 residents and representatives from Good Food BC met at the Kellogg Foundation headquarters to engage in a series of planning activities to help define their purpose and identify areas of focus.
A trained facilitator led participants through a series of meetings where they spent time discussing food access gaps and difficulties, and defined what an ideal environment would be in Battle Creek for developing a good food system. They clarified their vision and purpose, and also articulated core values that were of utmost importance to the work of Good Food BC:
Core Values
As Good Food BC, we value ….
Inclusiveness
We actively create equal access to opportunities and education that includes, respects, and honors all members of the community, embracing new voices and ideas.
Empowerment
Good Food Battle Creek empowers individuals and organizations in their work by identifying, supporting and strengthening community leaders and removing barriers to participation and collaboration.
Health and Wellness
We believe informed choices and access to affordable, healthy food are the foundation of health and wellness.
Sustainability
We value a sustainable food system that is fair to all, respects the environment and is economically viable for present and future generations.
Food Safety
Using local resources, residents will gain the knowledge and skills to ensure a safe food system.
12 To date, in addition to this comprehensive community food assessment, Good Food BC has:
• Provided support to community efforts focused on empowering citizens to make improvements in their food system ranging from community garden projects and youth summer employment opportunities.
• Hosted film nights and other educational events where residents have the opportunity to view documentaries about the food system and learn more about food justice.
• Networked and exchanged ideas with others involved in food system/food justice work both locally and nationally.
• Developed a communication strategy aimed at encouraging citizens to become active participants in improving the quality and fairness of their food system while getting the word out about Good Food BC’s activities.
13 . WHAT IS A FOOD SYSTEM?
A food system consists of all the people, processes and places involved with moving food from farm to table. Food systems – from farming to processing and distribution, retailing to preparation and eating, and finally to recycling and composting food wastes – exist at global, national, regional and community scales.
Why does our food system matter?
Consider two facts:
• Michigan has the second most diverse agricultural production in the country, yet 59 percent of state residents live in a community that has inadequate access to the food they need for a healthy daily diet.
• In addition, consumer interest in local foods is growing rapidly, and yet mid-sized farms are disappearing at an alarming rate. Many farmers cannot support themselves without off-farm work to supplement their incomes.
The Michigan Good Food Charter, a statewide initiative started in 2010 to explore opportunities to expand the health and economic vitality of Michigan through its food and agriculture system describes the importance of a healthy local food system this way:
Currently, it is often easier to buy food from another continent than from a farmer in or near your community. We need to enact policies and strategies that make it just as easy to get food from a nearby farm as from the global marketplace and assure that all Michiganders have access to food from either source they choose.
The bulk of Michigan’s agricultural production is currently oriented toward commodity production. But the only way to compete in a commodity market is by selling at the lowest price. Michigan farmers are efficient, but they cannot compete effectively against products from places with significantly lower land and labor costs. Today some farmers, processors, distributors and others in the food system seek new, more diverse and more lucrative markets that can simultaneously preserve natural resources, enhance public health and foster vibrant communities.
We believe we can build on these efforts to expand our food and agricultural economy and to realize a better future for Michigan. We already grow, sell and eat good food in Michigan, and we can do even more. If we get this right, Michigan will be the place to be in the 21st century!
By initiating an assessment of its food system, Battle Creek joins other communities in Michigan including Flint, Saginaw, Lansing, Detroit, and the five-county region in southeast Michigan in examining many of the factors noted above. The data in this assessment is a critical part of a foundation of knowledge that will allow Battle Creek to expand its economy through food and agriculture-based initiatives.
15 . WHAT IS A COMMUNITY FOOD ASSESSMENT?
A community food assessment gathers and shares information about the community’s food system – where the community’s food comes from, how it is brought into the community, how it is processed and distributed, where it is sold or shared, and how people access it – in order to develop and/or improve programs and opportunities for increased access and knowledge. A food assessment can also inform policies and practices at the local, state, and national levels.
Community food assessments can focus on a specific neighborhood, a city, a county, several counties, or even an entire state. Regardless of the geographic region, a comprehensive food assessment looks at both assets as well as needs. It is inclusive, valuing the input from a diverse range of community members. In the process, a community food assessment promotes community engagement, leadership opportunities for youth and area businesses, collaboration among diverse participants, community discussions about the way food is connected to the community, and education of the public about food issues.1
The following diagram, building off a framework developed by Mike Hamm, Ph.D., C.S. Mott Professor of Sustainable Agriculture at Michigan State University, shows the scope of what can be covered in a community food system assessment.
• No., type & location of retail food All people are reasonably proximate stores, cooperative & farmers markets to local and/or healthy food sources & • No., type & location of community gardens, CSAs and farms • No., type of location of emergency & supplemental food producers have access to local markets • Education programs for gardeners and farmers sources • Accessibility of food retail & supplemental services via walking public transit or private vehicle • Availability of distribution channels for local growers Sustainable farms and gardens provide Distribution healthy food to local residents A diversity of retailers offer healthy & affordable food maximizing local sources Retailing Producing • Preservation education & resources • Available of incubator kitchens, licensed kitchens & food • Acceptance of EBT at retailers and farmers markets entrepreneurship trainings • Variety of affordability • Processing facilities in the region • Opportunities to purchase from CASs Everyone has sufficient access to healthy, local affordable food Eating Processing Preparing Local processing infrastructure supports household preservation, value-added products & healthy food businesses • Socio-economic & demographic profile of the community • Restaurants, hospitals & schools in the region • Dietary patterns (food intake and/or dollars spent) Restaurants & institutions serve healthy, • Farm to institution purchasing • Household Food Security local food to the extent possible & people • Farm to restaurant purchasing • Prevalence of diet related disease have adequate home facilities for healthy • Healthy restaurant menu items • Nutrition education resources cooking & preservation • In home kitchens facilities & cooking education resources
To the extent possible, each of the diagram’s components is woven throughout this assessment. Several are addressed with some detail in specific sections. Additionally, the focus of this Good Food BC community food assessment is the city of Battle Creek, using data available as of October 2011.
The focus areas of this assessment were determined by Good Food BC based on the key outcomes outlined in the Michigan Good Food Charter (see Section 4) and critical questions developed by Good Food BC members in meetings during the summer of 2011.
1 The ideas of what a food assessment can include were derived in part from the Whatcom County Food Assessment. A snapshot of the Whatcom County food system from 2008 to 2009. March 2011. Retrieved at www.whatcom.wsu.edu/ag/cfa 17 . MICHIGAN GOOD FOOD CHARTER: A CALL TO ACTION
2 The Michigan Good Food Charter , launched in 2010, offers a vision of a healthier, more prosperous, and more equitable Michigan through a focus on Michigan’s food and agriculture system. The goal is to foster the health and wealth of Michigan’s people and communities by expanding our food and agricultural economy through a locally integrated food system.
The Charter is centered on “good food” and the steps we can take as a state to significantly expand the portion of our food and agricultural system that provides good food for everyone in Michigan. Some may recognize this as the “local food” movement, but it is far more. The belief is that Michigan needs a locally integrated food system; one with a dynamic blend of local, regional, national and globally produced good food. The charter outlines a sequence of steps that can be taken over the next decade to move the state in this direction.
Development of the charter started in September 2009, when work groups began examining Michigan’s current situation and developing future opportunities to advance good food in Michigan in five key areas:
a. Food system infrastructure
b. Institutional food purchasing
c. Farm viability and development
d. Youth engagement and opportunity, and
e. Good food access for families and communities.
At the Michigan Good Food Summit in February 2010, each work group presented a draft action agenda and invited discussion from approximately 350 summit participants.
The website www.michiganfood.org has a continually expanding set of archives, tools for providing comments, and links to a listserv for people to remain up-to-date on events around charter development. The charter is now focusing on regional meetings across Michigan where advocates will inform and engage policymakers in advancing polices and practices that support good food in Michigan.
2 The Michigan Good Food Charter, developed in 2010, presents a vision for Michigan’s food and agriculture system to advance its current contribution to the economy, protect our natural resource base, improve our residents’ health and help generations of Michigan youth to thrive. The charter outlines a sequence of steps we can take over the next decade to move us in this direction. A copy of the charter can be found at www.michiganfood.org 19 What is good food?
The Michigan Good Food Charter uses a definition of good food that was developed by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. Good food means food that is healthy, green, fair, and affordable.
Healthy It provides nourishment and enables people to thrive. Green It was produced in a manner that is environmentally sustainable. Fair No one along the production line was exploited during its creation. Affordable All people have access to it.
Why does good food matter?
A food system rooted in local communities and centered on good food offers tremendous potential for creating not only a thriving Michigan economy but also equity and sustainability for everyone in the state.
… Thriving Economy
The Good Food Charter considers a thriving economy to be one where children, families, communities and businesses in both rural and urban areas are prosperous. In this economy, Michigan would:
• Produce a diverse abundance of food that provides jobs with fair wages, supports businesses that fuel our state’s economy and affords all children the opportunity to choose school over the workplace.
• Provide a dynamic mix of local, regional, national and global food sources that offer opportunities for farmers and processors of all sizes.
• Create vibrant places, urban and rural linkages, and regional economic growth through our food system.
20 … Equity
The Charter emphasizes that a local food system provides the opportunity for all communities to have the conditions needed to thrive, so that they can:
Provide consistent access to affordable, healthy, nutrient-rich, fresh foods for all Michigan’s people.
• Improve the health and well-being of all our children by making high quality food available in our state’s homes, schools, childcare centers and institutions.
• Ensure that strong local food economies benefit and empower all communities.
• Ensure that all who contribute to growing, producing, selling and serving good food receive a fair share of its profits.
… Sustainability
Finally, the Charter emphasizes that a local food system protects our cultural, ecological and economic assets over the long term so that we:
• Build a solid base of opportunity and prosperity in food and agriculture for generations to come.
• Strengthen and grow our base of food and farming knowledge by sustaining today’s farmers, supporting new farmers, and inspiring respect for food and agriculture through a culture of healthy eating and cooking
• Protect our biodiversity and natural resources, including our land, water, soil and air, in our farming practices and throughout the food system.
Where do we start?
Establishing a thriving state based on a local, integrated food system cannot be achieved overnight. The Good Food Charter outlines three broad courses of action for the next decade to bring this vision closer to reality.
• Create new economic opportunities by opening new market channels, supporting Michigan food and farm entrepreneurs, and reducing the regulatory hurdles that currently hinder local food and farm businesses from realizing their potential.
• Bring good food to people where they live by making it easier for people to access healthy, fresh or minimally processed Michigan-grown food every day.
• Bring good food into the mainstream by creating a culture that values good food. To move these action steps forward, the Charter adopted a set of 25 priorities (appendix). Some of these priorities are community-based, while some focus more on actions to be taken by businesses or the non-profit community. Some look at land use, while others identify actions that can be taken by legislators or state agencies. Some require research. Some focus on youth, while others look more towards impacting farms and farmers. Still others direct strategies towards institutions. Regardless of their approach, together they offer the opportunity for Michigan to transform itself by 2020 into a thriving economy that re-emphasizes our local and regional food systems and becomes a healthier, more prosperous and more equitable state.
21 . GOOD FOOD BC PRIORITIES: A STARTING FOCUS
Over a series of meetings in the spring and summer of 2011, members of Good Food BC chose six of the Michigan Good Food Charter priorities as their initial focus. These priorities were selected as the starting point for impacting the food system in Battle Creek as members of Good Food BC believe that they hold significant promise for achieving the vision of Good Food BC: that all residents have access to and are knowledgeable about affordable, fresh, and nutritious food and healthy lifestyles.
Figure 2: GOOD FOOD BC PRIORITIES: 2011 – 2014
Expand and increase innovative methods to bring healthy foods to under- 1 served areas as well as strategies to encourage their consumption.
Maximize use of current public benefit programs for vulnerable populations, especially 3 children and seniors, and link them with strategies for healthy food access.
Provide outreach, training and technical assistance to launch new grocery stores and 4 improve existing stores to better serve underserved people in urban and rural areas.
Use policy and planning strategies to increase access 6 to healthy food in underserved areas. Encourage institutions – including schools, hospitals, colleges and universities 8 – to use their collective purchasing power to influence the food supply chain to provide healthier food and more foods grown, raised and processed in Michigan. Establish Michigan as “the place to be” for culturally based good food 10 that is locally grown, processed, prepared and consumed.
How will we assess our progress?
How can Good Food BC assess the extent to which their efforts are having the desired impact? One way is to establish indicators. Indicators are information – data, numbers, percentages, rates - that help determine whether a specific action or a set of actions have had a desired impact.
3 The Calhoun County Report Card for 2010-2011, a report produced by the Coordinating Council of Calhoun County, offers a clear explanation of why indicators are important.
First, they can help describe community conditions. Second, they can be used to educate and inform local and state planning efforts and public policy decisions. Third, indicators can be used to measure progress toward identified community goals. Additionally, indicators help to monitor the impact of investments andpolicy decisions. Using indicators that describe and measure progress, service providers can improve service delivery for all.
3 The Coordinating Council of Calhoun County Community Report Card 2010-2011. Available from www.tcccalhoun.org
23 • In addition, the Report Card offers three key perspectives on what makes a good indicator:
• Indicators need to matter. They need to be relevant and important to the community.
• Indicators need to be measurable, reflecting data that is measurable and accurate.
• Indicators need to mean something. They should create a convincing picture easily explained to the public and policymakers.
The chart below shows the six priorities of Good Food BC and indicators for each priority. These indicators were drawn from those identified in the Michigan Good Food Charter. Other indicators may become available as Good Food BC continues its work and can be easily added. These, however, form a beginning point for assessment and evaluation.
Figure 3: GOOD FOOD BC PRIORITIES AND INDICATORS
PRIORITY # INDICATORS Number of and total sales at the Battle Creek farmers’ markets. Number of community gardens in the city of Battle Creek. Number of community supported agriculture programs (CSA’s) that serve Expand and increase innovative residents in the city of Battle Creek. methods to bring healthy foods to under- 1 Number of innovative food delivery served areas as well as strategies models started and sustained. to encourage their consumption. Types and volume of foods sold through these innovative food delivery models. Number of community kitchens identified or established. Volume of food products donated to food banks and other emergency food providers.
Number of SNAP application kiosks in non- profit organizations and community centers Number and percent of farmer’s markets Maximize use of current public that accept Bridge Cards and WIC Coupons. benefit programs for vulnerable 3 populations, especially children Number of fresh fruit and vegetable types stocked in stores that accept and seniors, and link them with SNAP and WIC benefits. strategies for healthy food access. Number and percent of farmer’s markets that provide incentives for SNAP participants to purchase fresh produce.
24 Figure 3: GOOD FOOD BC PRIORITIES AND INDICATORS (Cont’d)
PRIORITY # INDICATORS Number of grocery stores that have been developed, renovated, or otherwise increased their capacity to sell a variety of healthy food items. Provide outreach, training and Number of corner stores technical assistance to launch new that are transformed into 4 grocery stores and improve existing neighborhood markets. stores to better serve underserved Number of area residents employed by people in urban and rural areas. grocery and corner stores. (CSA’s) Volume of fresh fruits and vegetables sold at grocery stores and corner stores. A food policy council established to lead policy efforts Diversity of participants on the Battle Creek food policy council, including youth. Number of local agencies in Battle Creek or Calhoun County that incorporate food access into planning strategies and decisions. The extent to which the City of Battle Use policy and planning strategies Creek has undertaken a review of their 6 to increase access to healthy zoning laws and other ordinances related food in underserved areas. to land use and urban agriculture. The extent to which the City of Battle Creek zoning allows chickens, goats, bees, hoop houses, and food production. Number of low-to-affordable income housing projects renovated or constructed using state or federal that have some healthy food access mechanism, such as a store, farmer’s market, mobile food vendor, or CSA.
25 Figure 3: GOOD FOOD BC PRIORITIES AND INDICATORS (Cont’d)
PRIORITY # INDICATORS Number of SW Michigan farms and local institutional buyers registered on the Michigan MarketMaker interactive mapping system. The extent to which Bronson Battle Creek Hospital and the Battle Creek VA Medical Center have signed the Healthy Food in Health Care pledge, which focuses on locally sourced and Encourage institutions – including sustainable food, sustainable procurement schools, hospitals, colleges and procedures, and minimizing food waste. universities – to use their collective The extent to which Bronson Battle Creek 8 purchasing power to influence the Hospital and the Battle Creek VA Medical food supply chain to provide healthier Center participate in the Michigan Hospital food, and more foods grown, raised Association’s Healthy Food Hospitals and processed in Michigan. Program, launched in May 2011. The rankings of Kellogg Community College, Miller College and Davenport University on the College Sustainability Report Card. The extent to which Kellogg Community College, Miller College and Davenport University have registered with the Real Food Challenge.
Number of cultural leaders who are engaged in promoting healthy food access. Establish Battle Creek as “the place The extent to which Michigan’s healthy to be” for culturally based good food food system is integrated into promotional 10 that is locally grown, processed, and tourist materials for both the city prepared and consumed. of Battle Creek and Michigan. Number of new sustainable businesses in that increase access to healthy food.
26 WHO LIVES AND EATS IN BATTLE CREEK?
A starting point for any community food system assessment is learning as much as possible about the individuals and families who live and/or work in the community and rely on that community for all or part of their food. As one of the key components of a healthy, green, fair, and affordable community food system is that “everyone has sufficient access to healthy, local, and affordable food,” knowledge about the residents and workers in a community provides a framework for growers, producers, retailers, policy leaders, and community activists to think about the food system and possible ways to strengthen it on behalf of the entire community.
As such, this section of the food assessment provides a look at the socio-economic and demographic profile of the city of Battle Creek. A summary is included below. More detailed demographic data can be found in the charts on the following pages.
Population Starting in 1831 as a market and mill center for prairie farmers, the city of Battle Creek today is home to 52,347 residents (Census 2010), .5% of Michigan’s total population. Like many cities throughout the state, Battle Creek’ population declined in the last ten years. The city lost just under 2% of its population while the state lost .6%.
In the 2010 Census, 68.6% of the population of Battle Creek reported themselves as White not Hispanic, 18.2% as Black and 6.7% as of Hispanic or Latino origin; 13.4% of the population was age 65 or older.
Households In 2010 there were 24,412 households in the City of Battle Creek. The average household size was 2.42 residents per household, lower than the State’s average household size of 2.53. The average family size of 3.05 persons was also lower than the State’s average family size of 3.12 persons.
Economic Status Battle Creek’s median household, median family, and per capita incomes in 2010 were all below that of the State’s. The median household income in Battle Creek was $39,209, compared with the State’s median of $48,700. The median family income in Battle Creek was $47,729, compared with the $60,635 statewide median. Per capita income for Battle Creek was $21,648 compared with the State’s per capita of $25,127.
Poverty 17.1% of Battle Creek families and 20.2% of Battle Creek individuals lived at or below poverty in 2010, higher than the State’s poverty rates of 10.3% of families and 14.5% of individuals.
Education Among Battle Creek adults over age 25, 85.5% have a high school diploma and 18.6% have a Bachelor’s Degree or higher, compared with the State’s rate of 24.5%.4
4 Data from the 2005-2009 American Community Survey, available at www.census.gov/acs and U.S. Census State and County Quick Facts, available at www.quickfacts.census.gov. 27 Comparison of Battle Creek with The Surrounding Communities How does the City of Battle Creek compare with the surrounding communities? The chart on the following page shows selected data for the City of Battle Creek in comparison with Calhoun County, the county in which it is located, plus seven other counties in the south central region of Michigan. These counties were selected for comparison as they are the counties served by the Food Bank of South Central Michigan. Data on these counties are included throughout this report for comparison purposes.
FIGURE: DEMOGRAPHIC DATA OF BATTLE CREEK AND COMPARISON COUNTIES Population (Percent) Median Per % % % BA COUNTY Household Capita Individual Age or TOTAL White* Black Hispanic Income Income Poverty 65+ Higher Barry 59,173 95.5 .4 2.3 51,869 24,493 8.9 14.6 16.6 Branch 45,248 90.9 3.1 4.0 42,133 19,049 16.9 14.7 14.1
Calhoun 136,146 79.8 10.9 4.5 42,568 22,166 16.7 14.8 18.8 Hillsdale 46,688 95.5 .5 1.8 42,989 20,006 15.6 15.7 14.2 Jackson 160,248 85.9 7.9 3.0 46,117 21,947 14.9 14.2 17.5 Kalamazoo 250,331 79.9 10.9 4.0 44,794 25,138 18.4 12.3 33.4 Lenawee 99,892 87.6 2.5 7.6 48,618 22,529 13.7 14.6 19.2 St. Joseph 61295 88.0 2.6 6.6 44,392 20,192 15.1 14.9 14.0
Battle Creek 52,347 68.2 18.2 6.7 38,926 21,128 20.9 13.4 18.4 MICHIGAN 9,883,640 76.6 14.2 4.4 48,432 25,135 14.8 13.8 25.0 * White not Hispanic
28 HOW ARE FOOD ACCESS, FOOD CONSUMPTION AND HEALTH RELATED IN BATTLE CREEK?
In its 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services states that the major causes of morbidity and mortality in the United States are related to poor diet and a sedentary lifestyle. Some specific diseases linked to poor diet and physical inactivity include cardiovascular (heart) disease, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, osteoporosis, and certain cancers. Furthermore, poor diet and physical inactivity, with the result of an energy imbalance (more calories consumed than expended), are the most important factors contributing to the increase in overweight and obesity in this country.
Specific data for the City of Battle Creek was not available, but data for Calhoun County shows that these mortality and morbidity trends in the U.S. are found here as well. Data from 2009, the most current data available, show that heart disease is the leading cause of death in Calhoun County, followed by cancer. Deaths caused by stroke or diabetes rank as the 4th and 5th causes of death.
As shown in the table to the right, while the rate of deaths caused by heart disease in Calhoun County is slightly lower than that of the state, it is higher than the rate for the U.S. Calhoun County also shows higher rates of deaths for nearly every other leading cause than either the State or the U.S.
29 Figure 5: TOP CAUSES OF DEATH CALHOUN COUNTY, THE STATE OF MICHIGAN, AND THE UNITED STATES5 Calhoun County Michigan United States Cause of Death 2009 2009 2008 # Rate # Rate # Rate 1 Heart Disease 302 222.7 23,044 231.1 617,527 203.1 2 Cancer 291 214.6 20174 202.4 566137 186.2 3 Chronic Lower Respiratory Diseases 81 59.7 4,941 49.6 141,075 46.4
4 Stroke 67 49.4 4,415 44.3 133,750 44.0 5 Unintentional Injuries 73 53.8 3,671 36.8 121,207 39.9
6 Diabetes Mellitus 72 53.1 2,689 27.0 70,601 23.2 7 Alzheimer’s Disease 34 25.1 2,552 25.6 82,476 27.1 8 Kidney Disease 30 22.1 1,699 17.0 48,283 15.9
9 Pneumonia/Influenza 31 22.9 1,540 15.4 56,355 18.5 10 Suicide 20 14.7 1,164 11.7 35,933 11.8
The reasons for these disparities are many and complex. A report on the Health Disparities in Calhoun County, prepared 6 in 2010 by the Michigan Department of Community Health, discusses the relationship between income and health.
Wealth is an important determinant of health because it has such a profound effect on other conditions. Wealth provides financial security and access to resources that promote opportunities for better health. The top of the class pyramid lives on average longer and healthier lives. The more time you spend in the upper end of the class spectrum, the greater the benefits.
Children from affluent families are more likely to grow up in a house owned by their parents and live in a neighborhood with healthy food options, safe places to play, good schools, libraries and other services. Children from less affluent families not only lack these advantages, but they are more likely to experience conditions that limit their health: injuries, inadequate or delayed health care, physical inactivity, poor nutrition, insecure or substandard housing, exposure to toxins, high lead levels and violence.
The following chart offers a comparison of death rates and income of Calhoun County and Michigan. While death and obesity rates were not available for the City of Battle Creek, it is likely that the rates would be higher than Calhoun County given the lower median and per capita income and higher percentage of poverty.
Death Rates Median Per Rate of % Poverty Heart Household Capita Stroke Diabetes Overweight/Obesity Disease Battle Creek 38,926 21,128 20.9 n/a n/a n/a n/a Calhoun County 42,568 22,166 16.7 222.1 49.4 53.1 65.7 Michigan 48,432 25,135 14.8 231.1 44.3 27.0 64.5
5 Michigan Department of Community Health, retrieved at http://www.mdch.state.mi.us/pha/osr/chi/Deaths/leadUS/Lhdus.asp?DxId=2&CoName=Calhoun%20Coun- ty%20Health%20Department&CoCode=05
6 Health Disparities in Calhoun County. Michigan Department of Community Health. Retrieved at http://www.battlecreekenquirer.com/assets/pdf/A5152441223.PDF 30 Overweight/Obesity 7 Obesity is known to contribute to a variety of diseases, including heart disease, diabetes, and general poor health.
8 Data from the Calhoun County Report Card 2010-2011 (see table above and below) shows that the percentage of adults in Calhoun County who are overweight or obese (65.7%) is slightly higher than that of the entire State (64.5%). [Note that this data is based on Body Mass Index (BMI), which is defined as weight (in kilograms) divided by height (in meters) squared. Weight and height were self-reported. Not Overweight= BMI<25.0; Overweight = BMI> or equal to 25.0; Obese=BMI> or = to 30.0.]
A higher percentage of adults in Calhoun County are obese (36.1%) compared to being overweight (29.6%). This is the reverse of the entire state, where a higher percentage of the population is overweight (35.6%) vs obese (29.9%).
Figure 6: OVERWEIGHT AND OBESITY IN CALHOUN COUNTY AND MICHIGAN AS PERCENT OF POPULATION (2007-2009 COMBINED DATA) Calhoun County Michigan Not Overweight 34.2 34.4
Overweight 29.6 35.6 Obese 36.1 29.9 TOTAL OVERWEIGHT/OBESITY 65.7 64.5
High rates of overweight and obesity are problems shared by youth in Calhoun County as well. According to data from the Calhoun County Report Card 2010-20119 (see below), 35.5% of young men and 29.8% of young women are either overweight or obese. Hispanic,Black/African American, and American Indian youth have higher rates of overweight/obesity than do Whites. Asian youth have the lowest rates. While approximately 30% of young women are overweight or obese, nearly 60% report being on a diet. Figure 7: OVERWEIGHT/OBESITY AMONG 9TH AND 11TH GRADERS IN CALHOUN COUNTY 2010 Am Male Female Black White Hispanic Asian Indian % Obese 17.3 14.4 18.9 14.5 21.3 16.7 5.0 % Overweight 18.2 15.4 21.9 15.6 20.0 19.4 7.5
TOTAL 35.5 29.8 40.8 30.1 41.3 36.1 12.5 % on Diet 34.8 59.4 43.3 46.2 57.3 51.4 28.9
What is the role of diet in health and disease?
Healthy diets and adequate physical activity are central to maintaining a healthy weight. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that people consume at least five servings of fruits and vegetables per day as part of a healthy diet. Yet most Michigan residents fall far short of this recommendation.
As noted in Figure 8 below, a higher percentage of Calhoun County residents fail to consume the recommended amounts of fruits and vegetables compared to the State as a whole. However, this is not true for Calhoun County youth. Fewer Calhoun County youth fail to meet the recommended standard compared with the State as a whole.
7 Retrieved at www.americashealthrankings.org/measure/2010/obesity.aspx 8 The Coordinating Council of Calhoun County Community Report Card 2010-2011. Available from www.tcccalhoun.org 9 Ibid. 31 Figure 8: PERCENT OF RESIDENTS WHO DO NOT CONSUME RECOMMENDED AMOUNTS OF FRESH FRUITS AND VEGETABLES10 Adults High School Students Middle School Students Calhoun County 87.9 68.4 61.1 Michigan 77.4 80.4 n/a
Again, the reasons are complex. But a national study by the U.S. Department of Agriculture showed that people in low-income families consume fewer vegetables, legumes and whole grains than do high-income families.11
Hunger and Food Insecurity
Over the past ten years, the percent of children living at nutritional risk throughout Michigan has continued to rise, from 32% in 1999 to 46% in 2009 (see Figure 8).12 This data is based on the percentage of children receiving free/reduced school lunch; the eligibility for this program is based on household income. During this same time period, the percent of children in Calhoun County living at nutritional risk jumped from 36% to 52%. In 13 fact, in four of the eight counties in South Central Michigan, over 50% of the children were living at nutritional risk.
Figure 8: PERCENT OF CHILDREN LIVING AT NUTRITIONAL RISK 1999 - 200914
1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 Barry 21% 20% 18% 21% 22% 24% 24% 28% 32% 29% 39% Branch 27% 31% 28% 32% 31% 34% 40% 40% 41% 45% 51%
Calhoun 36% 35% 35% 37% 39% 37% 40% 41% 43% 43% 52% Hillsdale 29% 31% 32% 35% 35% 39% 41% 43% 45% 44% 55% Jackson 33% 33% 35% 35% 37% 37% 39% 40% 42% 38% 49% Kalamazoo 31% 32% 33% 31% 35% 35% 36% 37% 40% 39% 45% Lenawee 22% 22% 21% 24% 25% 27% 29% 29% 31% 30% 41% St. Joseph 31% 31% 33% 35% 37% 39% 42% 44% 47% 44% 58% State 32% 32% 36% 32% 33% 33% 36% 37% 38% 37% 46% Average
Why does nutritional risk matter?
The Food Bank of South Central Michigan outlines the implications of food insecurity for children.
A critical component to a healthy life is nutrition. From birth, the intake of vital nutrients is essential to the growth and development of a healthy individual good nutrition, particularly in the first three years of life, is important in establishing and maintaining a good foundation that has implications on a child’s future physical and mental health, academic achievement, and economic productivity. Unfortunately, food insecurity is an obstacle that threatens that critical foundation.15 Children living at nutritional risk are those who are living at the lowest rungs of the socio-economic ladder. As described in
10 The Coordinating Council of Calhoun County Community Report Card 2011-2012. Retrieved at www.tccalhoun.org 11 Diet Quality of Low-Income and Higher Income Americans in 2003-04 as Measured by the Healthy Eating Index- 2005. USDA Nutrition Index 42. December 2008. Retrieved at http://www.cnpp usda.gov/Publications/NutritionInsights/Insight42.pdf 12 Food Bank of South Central Michigan Hunger Facts and Statistics. Retrieved at http://www.foodbankofscm.org/AboutHunger/HungerFactsandStats.aspx. 13 Ibid. 14 Ibid. 15 Food Bank of South Central Michigan. Children and Hunger. Retrieved at http://www.foodbankofscm.org/AboutHunger/ChildrenandHunger.aspx 32 Reaching for a Healthier Life: Facts on Socioeconomic Status and Health in the U.S.,16 children in these families develop health problems at younger ages than their more affluent counterparts. They are more likely to be sick, to recover more slowly, and more likely to be hospitalized. Undernourished children cannot learn as much, as fast, or as well.17
Chronic conditions, injuries, ear infections, asthma, and physical inactivity are most frequent among children whose families are at the bottom of the economic ladder. Further, the impact of family circumstances and childhood may not show up until adulthood. Diseases may emerge only after years of cumulative risk. Hence high blood pressure, excessive weight gain, and insulin resistance – which may go on for a while without producing alarming symptoms – can evolve into heart disease, diabetes, cancer, arthritis, and other conditions that affect life expectancy.18
The lack of adequate nutrition also affects the cognitive and behavioral development of children. The Food Bank of South Central Michigan notes numerous research studies that have found that children living in food insecure low- income households were more likely to experience irritability, fatigue, and difficulty concentrating compared to other children. Food insecurity has been associated with grade repetition, absenteeism, tardiness, anxiety, aggression, poor mathematics scores, psychosocial dysfunction and difficulty with social interaction among 6 to 12 year old children. Food insecurity has also shown to be associated with suicide and depressive disorders among 15 to 16 year old children after controlling for income and other factors. Food insecurity not only has an impact on children’s mental health, but also on their mothers as well. Research has found an association with maternal depression and food insecurity in addition to reported poor child health.19
What support is there for low-income families to have a healthy diet?
A critical source of food support for low-income families is the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program. WIC is a special supplemental nutrition program for women, infants, and children funded by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). WIC services in Battle Creek are provided by the Calhoun County Public Health Department.
WIC provides a range of services, including:
Nutrition Education • WIC participants receive assistance with: Infant and toddler feeding, breastfeeding, prenatal weight gain, anemia or iron deficiency, child growth and development, and other nutrition related health issues.
Breastfeeding Promotion and Support • WIC encourages women to breastfeed because of the many health and other benefits for both baby and mother; • WIC provides mother-to-mother breastfeeding support and counseling in collaboration with the MSU Extension Breastfeeding Initiative (BFI), educational resources, and free breast pumps for mothers returning to work or school. • The Calhoun County Health Department maintains a Facebook page called“WIC Breastfeeding Connections” in support of breastfeeding.
High-Risk Nutrition Counseling • WIC registered dietitians provide individualized nutrition counseling for participants with special medical conditions or nutrition-related health issues. (Additional information on WIC and other programs for low-income residents is included in Section 8.)
16 Reaching for a Healthier Life: Facts on Socioeconomic Status and Health in the U.S. Retrieved at http://www.macses.ucsf.edu/downloads/Reaching_for_a_Healthier_ Life.pdf 17 Facts on Childhood Hunger. Retrieved at http://www.strength.org/childhood_hunger/hunger_facts/ 18 Reaching for a Healthier Life. Retrieved at http://www.macses.ucsf.edu/downloads/Reaching_for_a_Healthier_Life.pdf 19 Food Bank of South Central Michigan. Childhood and Hunger. Retrieved at http://www.foodbankofscm.org/AboutHunger/ChildrenandHunger.aspx 33 . WHERE DO BATTLE CREEK RESIDENTS GET THEIR FOOD?
An assessment of Battle Creek’s food system includes the variety of sources from which residents and workers obtain their food. Most urban residents obtain their food from retail outlets such as grocery stores, corner markets, and gas stations that sell food, as well as full service and fast-food restaurants. More and more, however, people are purchasing food from farmers markets, community gardens, and community-support agriculture programs. Emergency food sources, such as food pantries, are a critical food source for some residents as well.
Examining food sources is important, as key components of a healthy, green, fair, and affordable community food system. In order to ensure adequate and healthy food access, food sources should meet the following criteria: (1) All people are within a reasonable distance to local and/or healthy food sources, and producers have access to local markets, (2) Sustainable farms and gardens provide healthy food to local residents, and (3) A diversity of retailers offer healthy and affordable food maximizing local sources.
As such, this section of the food assessment will look at: • Number, type, and location of retail food stores, cooperatives & farmers markets • Number, type, and location of emergency and supplemental food sources • Number of and location of community gardens, CSAs and farms • Gardening education programs • Acceptance of EBT at farmers markets.
Number of Retail Food Outlets
How many places in Battle Creek are there for residents to shop for food? A search of various internet databases shows 39 grocery stores, 16 dollar stores, 19 party stores and 15 gas stations that sell food in the city of Battle Creek.
Grocery stores are an important contribution to the economic vitality of Battle Creek and Calhoun County. Data from the 2007 Economic Census20 20 (Figure 10 below) show that grocery stores comprised 60% of the establishments, 75% of the total revenue, 85% of the employees, and 81% of total payroll of the food and beverage industry in Calhoun County
Figure 10: FOOD AND BEVERAGE BUSINESSES IN CALHOUN COUNTY: 2007 REVENUE, EMPLOYEES, AND PAYROLL NAIS # of # of Type of Business Total Revenue Total Payroll Code Establishments Employees Food and 445 60 100% $106.4 B 100% 1,002 100% $10.3 M 100% Beverage Stores
4451 Grocery Stores 41 60% $79.9 B 75% 849 85% $8.3 M 81%
20 2007 Economic Census, U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved at http://www.census.gov/econ/census07/ 35 How does the availability of grocery stores and other retail food outlets in Calhoun County compare with neighboring counties and the State of Michigan? While Calhoun County has fewer grocery stores per 10,000 residents compared to the State of Michigan, it exceeds the state’s rate for supercenter/club stores and convenience stores. Calhoun County’s rate of convenience stores (with gas) exceeds the state’s rate by 35%.
Figure 11: RETAIL FOOD OUTLETS AND RESTAURANTS PER CAPITA 200821
Rate per 10,000 Residents Barry Branch Calhoun Hillsdale Jackson Kalamazoo Lenawee St. Joseph MI Grocery 2.20 .87 1.91 1.93 1.84 1.68 1.97 2.73 2.34 Stores Supercenters 0 .43 .22 .21 .18 .20 .20 .32 .18 and club stores Convenience 1.18 .22 1.61 2.14 2.40 1.84 .79 .96 1.52 stores-no gas Convenience 2.88 3.68 4.03 3.0 3.56 2.62 2.96 3.85 2.99 stores- gas Full Service 6.43 5.20 6.01 6.21 5.59 7.24 6.81 6.58 6.80 Restaurants
A door-to-door survey of Washington Heights neighborhood residents on where they purchase food showed the following:
Question: Where do you go to shop for food and how often? Where How Often
Meijer 16 1 per week 9
Wal -Mart 18 Every Weekend 1
Save-a- Lot 13 2 or 3 Times per Week 5
Family Fare 5 Every Month 5
Felpausch 1 1 or 2 Times per Month 5
Sam’s Club 1 2 per Month 3
Aldis 3 Every Other Week 3
Horrocks 3 1 or 2 per Week 1
Main Street Market 1 Regularly 1
21 Data retrieved at www.city-data.com 36 How Do Battle Creek Residents Spend Their Food Dollars?
How much money do Battle Creek residents spend on food; both food that is prepared at home and food consumed outside the home?
Local data is not available, but national data gathered by the Bureau of Labor Statistics for 2009 can lend some insight. Data showed that households in the lowest 20% income bracket spent an average of $3,501 on food. Households in the highest 20% income group (households earning over $93,785) spent over three times that amount - $10,780.22
Across all income groups, consumers spent more on food at home than food away from home. Consumers in the lowest 20% of income spent the highest proportional amount of annual food expenditures on food at home, about 70 percent. Consumers in the highest income group (households earning over $93,785) split their food budget nearly evenly between food at home, 52 percent, and food away from home, 48 percent.23
22 Data retrieved at www.bls.gov/spotlight/2010/food 23 Ibid 37 What about dining out vs eating at home?
In 2007, Calhoun County residents spent, on average, a total of $1,034 eating out.24 As seen in the chart below, residents spent 52% of their eating-out dollars in full-service restaurants and 48% in fast food restaurants. While the amount of money spent eating out increased 15.4% between 2002 and 2007, the proportion spent on full-service vs. fast-food restaurants remained the same.
Figure 12: DOLLARS SPENT EATING OUT BY CALHOUN COUNTY RESIDENTS
$ in 2002 $ in 2007 % Increase Total Spent 896 1,034 15.4% Dollars Spent at Full Service Restaurants 466 (52%) 542 (52%) 16.3% Dollars Spent at Fast Food Restaurants 430 (48%) 492 (48%) 14.4%
Across all income groups, national data shows that consumers spend the largest portion of their weekly expenditures for meals away from home on dinner. Households in the highest income group spent more on dinner than the combined total spent on dinner by the lowest three income groups.25
The Washington Heights survey inquired about eating out vs. cooking at home, and found the following:
Question 2: How often do you cook at home compared to eating out? 1 or 2 Per Week 1 3 Meals per Day at Home 2 4 Times Per Week 1 5 Days Per Week 5 6 Nights, May Eat Out 4 A lot at home, Occasionally Out 2 Cook Every Other Day 1 Eat Out Everyday 1 Eat Out on Sundays 2 Eats in 80%, Eats Out 20% 1 Eats Out 3-4 Days per Week 1 Every Day 15 Mostly Every Day 5
What Kinds of Food Do Residents Purchase?
While specific data on food purchases by Battle Creek residents is not available, a 2006 study of Calhoun County26 showed that residents purchased 57.3 pounds of fruits and vegetables, 71 gallons of soft drinks and 123 pounds of packaged food snacks per year.27
24 Food Environment Atlas. Retrieved at http://maps.ers.usda.gov/FoodAtlas/ 25 Data retrieved at www.bls.gov/spotlight/2010/food 26 For this database, researchers calculated purchase quantities for a total of 26 metropolitan areas and 9 non- metro census divisions in the U.S. as proscribed by the Nielson Homescan data. Data retrieved at http://ers.usda.gov/foodatlas/documentation.htm#definitions 27 Data retrieved at http://maps.ersa.foodatlas. 38 Access to Food Sources
How easy or difficult is it for Battle Creek residents to access retail food sources?
According to the USDA,28 five areas within Battle Creek are considered to be “food deserts.”A food desert is a low-income census tract where a substantial number of residents have low access to a supermarket or large grocery store. The chart below shows these areas and some of their characteristics.
• Low income is defined as any census tract where (1) the poverty rate for that tract is at least 20 percent, or (2) for tracts not located within a metropolitan area, the median family income for the tract does not exceed 80 percent of statewide median family income; or, for tracts located within a metropolitan area, the median family income for the tract does not exceed 80 percent of the greater of statewide median family income or the metropolitan area median family income.
• Low access to a healthy food retail outlet is defined as more than 1 mile from a supermarket or large grocery store in urban areas, and more than 10 miles from a supermarket or large grocery store in rural areas. The distance to supermarkets and large grocery stores is measured by the distance between the geographic center of the 1-km square grid that contains estimates of the population (number of people and other subgroup characteristics) and the nearest supermarket or large grocery store. Once the distance to the nearest supermarket or large grocery store is calculated for each grid cell, the estimated number of people or housing units more than one mile from a supermarket or large grocery store in urban tracts (or 10 miles for rural census tracts) is aggregated to the census tract level. If the aggregate number of people in the census tract with low access is at least 500 or the percentage of people in the census tract with low access is at least 33 percent, then the census tract is considered a food desert. 28 Data retrieved at www.ers.usda.gov/data/fooddesert/documentation.html 39 Figure 13: FOOD DESERT AREAS WITHIN BATTLE CREEK29 FIPS Code* FIPS Code FIPS Code FIPS Code FIPS Code 0100 0300 1300 0700 2100 Number of Residents 4,487 2,197 4,326 3,602 1,524
Number of Residents with Low Access 1,670 841 4,161 780 966
Percentage of Residents with Low Access 37.2% 38.3% 96.2% 21.7% 63.4%
% of Children with Low Access 11.1% 12.7% 22.6% 6% 15.4%
% of People Age 65+ with low access 3.7% 5.5% 14.8% 1.7% 8.9%
% of Housing Units without a 3.4% 10.6% 5.8% 2.9% 6.1% Vehicle with Low Access * Full code is 2602500
In 2008, the Michigan Legislature passed P.A. 231 to help provide financing for grocery store development using commercial property tax incentives to encourage new or expanded qualified retail food establishments in underserved areas. The Michigan Department of Agriculture estimates that the potential exists for a minimum of 20 new supermarkets to be built in these underserved areas in the next two to three years.30 As of this writing, no stores in Michigan have been developed under P.A. 231.
How many food retail outlets is enough to ensure access?
One way to look at that question is to calculate the number of retail food outlets per resident. Specific city-level data was not readily available, but county-level data in the chart below compares Calhoun County and its neighboring Kalamazoo and Jackson counties with the State of Michigan. While Calhoun County has a higher proportion of grocery stores per pop- ulation than either Kalamazoo or Jackson counties, it is still lower than the State of Michigan.31
Figure 14: RATIO OF FOOD OUTLETS PER POPULATION (2007) Number per 10,000 Population Calhoun Calhoun Kalamazoo Jackson County County County County Michigan Grocery Stores 26 1.91 1.68 1.84 2.34 Supercenters and Club Stores 3 .22 .20 .18 .18 Convenience Stores (no gas) 22 1.61 1.84 2.40 1.52 Convenience Stores (gas) 55 4.03 2.62 3.56 2.99 Percent of Residents Living in Poverty (2009) 17.4% 19.6% 14.3% 16.1%
29 Data retrieved at http://www.ers.usda.gov/data/fooddesert/fooddesert.html 30 Craig, R.G. (2009) Economic Impact of New or Expanded Retail Food Store Developments by Using PA 231 and Other Tools to Promote Healthy and Afford able Food Options in Michigan. Agriculture Development Division, Michigan Department of Agriculture. Retrieved at http://www.michigan.gov/ dcuments/mda/Economic_Impact_MiDeptAg_290186_7.pdf. 31 Data retrieved at http://maps.ersa.foodatlas. www.city-data.com and www.quickfacts.census.gov. 40 The availability of grocery stores in a community has an impact on health. Closing the Grocery Gap in Underserved Communities: The Creation of the Pennsylvania Fresh Food Financing Initiative (2008)32 noted that a growing body of evidence supports the idea that efforts to increase access to affordable, nutritious food can improve health status:
Some research suggests that the presence of supermarkets in a community is associated with a lower prevalence of obesity whereas the opposite is true with the presence of convenience stores. One study found that the availability of healthful products was associated with an increased consumption of those products by individuals living near supermarkets. Other research has found that African Americans’ fruit and vegetable consumption increased by 32 percent for each additional supermarket in the neighborhood (White American’s consumption increased by 11 percent, perhaps because Whites had greater access to personal transportation and thus were less dependent on local markets). Studies suggest an association between eating more fruits and vegetables and lower body mass index in both adults and children, as well as decreased risk of major chronic diseases. Data from longitudinal studies demonstrate that childhood obesity is linked to a broad range of adverse health outcomes in adulthood for both men and women.
Ability to Purchase Fresh Produce, Dairy, Grains, and Meats Directly from Farmers
How easy or difficult is it for Battle Creek residents to access retail food sources? The Battle Creek area is home to a number of community-based initiatives that allow residents to purchase locally grown foods directly from area farmers. These initiatives include farmers markets and Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) programs. The following are brief descriptions of these initiatives, which were compiled using the Michigan MarketMaker website, interviews with community residents and community leaders, information from members of Good Food BC, and internet searches.33
FARMERS MARKETS There has been a farmer’s market in downtown Battle Creek since the late 1800’s. Presently, the Battle Creek Farmers’ Market Association hosts markets at three locations. In Greater Calhoun County, there are also markets in Springfield, Albion, and Marshall.
COMMUNITY SUPPORTED AGRICULTURE PROGRAMS Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is an alternative to the conventional system of food production and distribution. In the conventional food system, food travels an average of 1,500 miles from the field to the table, and producers and consumers rarely interact.34 In contrast, a CSA is a local institution. It is a joint venture between growers and consumers. Growers agree to grow fresh food for members. Members, in turn, purchase a share of the food before the growing season begins in order to pay the grower’s salary and cover pre- season expenses.
Food shares are distributed once a week at the farm or at distribution points within the community. (CSAs that focus on meat and poultry may do monthly rather than weekly distribution.) The price of shares varies based on the volume, but is usually based on the amount needed to feed a family of four and can range from $250 - $900 per growing season, with the growing season in Michigan generally being 16-22 weeks.
Through their direct relationship with the farm, CSA members become familiar with the processes involved in growing food and the rhythm of the growing season. Members experience the risks (e.g. a poor growing season) but also the rewards (e.g. a bumper crop).
32 Closing the Grocery Gap in Underserved Communities: The Creation of the Pennsylvania Fresh Food Financing Initiative (2008). Tracey Giang, Allison Karpyn, Hannah - Burton Laurison, Amy Hillier, and R. Duane Perry. Retrieved at http://www.community-wealth.org/_pdfs/articles-publications/state-local-new/article-gi- ang-et-al.pdf. 33 Data retrieved at www.localharvest.org, https://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/local_food/search.php and www.eatwellguide.org 34 Community Based Food & Farming: Sustaining Biological & Cultural Diversity. Retrieved at http://www.safs.msu.edu/culturaldiv/csa.htm 41 Opportunities for Low-Income Residents to Purchase Fresh Foods
Government food and nutrition assistance programs provide a significant source of food for Battle Creek’s low-income residents:
SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (SNAP) The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as food stamps, provides benefits to low-income people that can be used to buy food at authorized retailers.
SNAP is the largest governmental nutrition assistance programs nationally, as well as in Battle Creek. According to the Food Bank of South Central Michigan35 over 10,000 households in Calhoun County received SNAP benefits in 2007; the second highest number of households among the eight counties in south central Michigan.36
SNAP recipients spend their benefits (provided on an electronic card that is used like an ATM card) to buy eligible food in authorized retail food stores. A 2009 study37 predicted that half of all U.S. children before age 20, will live in households that receive food stamps, reflecting that the period of childhood is, for a lot of children, a time of economic turmoil and risk. It is an even higher risk for Black children; 90% of Black children compared to 37% of White children are expected to receive food stamps before age 20.
WOMEN, INFANTS AND CHILDREN (WIC) PROGRAM The Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program is a special supplemental nutrition program for women, infants, and children funded by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service. WIC services in Battle Creek are provided by the Calhoun County Public Health Department.
WIC provides food, nutrition education, breastfeeding support and promotion, nutrition counseling, and health care referrals to women who are pregnant, breastfeeding, or who recently had a baby; infants from birth to one year of age; children up to their fifth birthday; and Michigan residents meeting specific income and health guidelines.
Iron-fortified infant formula is available for babies who are not fully breastfed for the first year of life. Infants may also receive infant cereal and baby food in jars during the first year, and special formula for infants with specific medical conditions.
Pregnant and postpartum women and children under 5 years of age may receive foods such as milk, cheese, eggs, cereals, peanut butter or dried beans /peas, fresh fruits and vegetables, and a variety of whole grains. Women who exclusively breastfeed their babies may also receive extra food, including carrots and canned fish. Soy milk, special formulas or nutritional supplements may also be available to participating women and children who have certain medical conditions or dietary restrictions.
PROJECT FRESH WIC’s Project FRESH (Farmer’s Market Nutrition Program [FMNP]) provides eligible WIC participants with coupons to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables at farmers’ markets. WIC participants receive these nutrition benefits in addition to their WIC food package and nutrition education. The Project FRESH program enhances farmers’
35 Data retrieved at www.foodbankofscm.org 36 Data retrieved at www.quickfacts.census.gov 37 Sabo, Liz. Half of U.S. kids will receive food stamps. USA Today. 11/2/2009. Retrieved at http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2009-11-02-food-stamps_N.htm 42 earnings and supports attendance at farmers’ markets. This program partners with the Michigan State University Extension, local farmers, and farmer’s markets to promote healthy eating and fruit and vegetable consumption.
SENIOR PROJECT FRESH The Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program (FMNP), known as Senior Project FRESH, provides qualified older adults with coupons to purchase unprocessed Michigan-grown produce from authorized farmers markets and roadside stands in Michigan.
DOUBLE UP FOOD BUCKS In addition to government-funded programs, Michigan residents receiving SNAP benefits can participate in the Double Up Food Bucks program. This program matches SNAP benefits dollar-for-dollar up to $20 for the purchase of Michigan-grown fruits and vegetables at participating farmers markets.
Fair Food Network started Double Up Food Bucks in 2009 as a pilot project in five Detroit farmers markets. In 2010 it expanded to include markets in Ann Arbor, Battle Creek and the Toledo area. Double Up Food Bucks is currently in over 100 markets statewide, and has helped increase the number of Michigan farmers markets that accept SNAP benefits.
What is the emergency food system in Battle Creek?38
The Food Bank of South Central Michigan (SCM) is the leading emergency food provider in Battle Creek, managing several activities geared towards its mission of getting food to households in need in eight South Central Michigan counties: Barry, Branch, Calhoun, Hillsdale, Jackson, Kalamazoo, Lenawee and St. Joseph Counties. More than 102,600 individuals receive assistance from the Food Bank annually.39
In 2010, the Food Bank received food and in-kind donations valuing $12,323,738. This included 1,616,161 pounds of food donated through their partnership with Feeding America, plus 936,535 pounds of food donated by the Food Bank Council of Michigan via the Michigan Agricultural Surplus System. Battle Creek’s three major cereal manufacturers and major food providers also responded to hunger in Battle Creek, with food donations of 434,377 pounds of product from Kellogg Company, 172,699 from Post Foods, 120,672 pounds from Ralston Foods, and 801,660 pounds from Wal-Mart.
In total, the Food Bank distributed 9.2 million pounds of food. This was 12% above the amount distributed in 2009. In Calhoun County alone, they distributed 2,060,474 pounds of food. Figure 19 below shows food distribution across all eight counties.
38 Unless otherwise noted, all data in this section comes from the Food Bank of South Central Michigan 2010 Annual report and their website htt p://www.foodban- kofscm.org 39 Data from Food Bank of South Central Michigan facebook page http://www.facebook.com/pages/Food-Bank-of- South-Central-Michigan/159228594925?sk=info 43 Figure 19: FOOD DISTRIBUTION BY FOOD BANK OF SOUTH CENTRAL MICHIGAN (2010) County Pounds Distributed Population % in Poverty Barry 881,320 59,173 8.9 Branch 468,946 45,248 16.9 Calhoun 2,060,474 136,146 16.7 Hillsdale 416,980 46,688 15.6 Jackson 1,237,667 160,248 14.9 Kalamazoo 1,734,533 250,331 18.4 Lenawee 596,651 99,892 13.7 St. Joseph 640,291 61,295 15.1
Total Lbs. 8,036,862 Network Sharing 1,215,749 Total Lbs. Distributed 9,252,611
DISTRIBUTION SITES The Food Bank of SCM is the single most important source of food for most of their member agencies, accounting for 76% of the food used by pantries, 48% of soup kitchens’ food and 43% of shelters food. In addition to distribution sites, the FBSCM operates several programs designed to help residents have access to fresh, healthy foods:
44 FRESH FOOD INITIATIVE
The Fresh Food Initiative (FFI) is a program of the Food Bank of SCM that brings fresh produce, dairy products and other grocery items directly to households in low-income neighborhoods. Typically, there are 3,000 to 5,000 lbs. of fresh food brought into such neighborhoods from the Food Bank during each FFI drop-off. During a typical 15-week period– from mid-June through September – more than one million pounds of fresh produce and dairy products are delivered to 23 sites in Albion, Battle Creek, Coldwater, Delton, Freeport, Hastings, Jackson, Kalamazoo, Middleville, Nashville, Orangeville, Sturgis, and Union City.
In 2011, there were six distribution sites in Battle Creek. The chart below shows these sites, total distributed, and numbers served.
Figure 20: FBSCM DISTRIBUTION: BATTLE CREEK
Site Total Pounds Distributed Number Served Per Distribution
First Salem Baptist Church 53,701 340 St. Joseph Catholic Church 45,811 302 Seventh Day Adventist Church 67,578 480 Second Missionary Baptist Church 58,382 429 Bedford Manor 38,761 50 Trinity Lutheran Church 87,659 484
TOTAL 351,892 2,085
45 KIDS’ AFTER-SCHOOL PACK
The Kids’ After-School Pack program targets children from low-income families who are at risk of going hungry over the weekend. Once each week during the school year, kids are given special backpacks filled with non- perishable food. A typical backpack,depending upon Food Bank inventory, contains items a protein,fruit juice, and usually an additional beverage, crackers, Nutri Grain bars, single serve cookies, single serve chips, individual boxes of cereal, pudding cups, and packets of instant oatmeal.
A backpack can weigh 5 to 7 lbs., depending upon what’s in it. The cost of the food included in a typical Kids’ After-School Pack averages $3.50/pack, not including the cost of the cloth backpacks.
Normally the packs are given out on Thursday or Friday. That way the children can take the food home for use over the weekend and return the packs to school, so the pack is ready for use the next week.
FARM TO FOODBANK PROGRAM Three farms in Calhoun County are part of a Farm to Foodbank initiative. Launched in 2010 with a grant from Wal-Mart, the Food Bank partnered with Howard Huffman Farms near Homer to help ensure a steady supply of fresh produce for the Food Bank’s Fresh Food initiative. In 2011, two more farms joined the project: Phoenix Farms in St. Joseph County and Bosserd Farm in Marshall.
Below are descriptions of two of Battle Creek’s soup kitchens: God’s Kitchen, and the Neighborhood Food Pantries Ministries.
God’s Kitchen
God’s Kitchen is a nonprofit community soup kitchen established to feed the poor in metropolitan Battle Creek. After a decade of planning and delays, God’s Kitchen served its first meal 0n October 11, 2011. It is the only soup kitchen in Battle Creek that offers supper five nights/week.
Housed in the basement of First Baptist Church, the soup kitchen is a partnership between First Baptist and First Congregational Church. They serve over 300 meals per night, Monday through Thursday.
46 Neighborhood Food Pantry Ministries
The Neighborhood Food Pantry Ministries is comprised of five food pantries in Battle Creek: The North East Neighborhood Food Pantry housed at Maple United Methodist Church; Franklin Center Food Pantry at First United Methodist Church; Lakeview Food Pantry at Lakeview Baptist Church; Mt. Zion Food Pantry at Mt. Zion A.M.E. Church; and Urbandale Food Pantry at Overflow Church.
Founded in 1992, most of the food distributed by the pantries is obtained through the Food Bank of South Central Michigan. The remainder is either donated or purchased on the open market. 100% of all donations - food, money, grants - go directly where it is needed the most, to the community.
The five pantries are equipped to provide emergency food once every thirty days to each household. Items given to families include food, basic toiletries, laundry powder, and baby items.
The staff and workers are all volunteers; space and utilities are provided by the churches at no cost to the pantries. There are no income requirements and everyone who comes through the door receives help.
Gardens
The emerging trend of eating locally grown foods combined with Michigan’s economic slump has sparked an interest in gardening among Battle Creek residents.
Fremont TomatoHeads
The Fremont TomatoHeads, founded in 2010, is a group of volunteers who have a passion for growing fresh, organic, urban food. Presently they have two gardens: the Fremont Garden, and the Harvard Street Garden.
47 Sprout Urban Farms
Sprout Urban Farms is a community network of neighborhood and backyard gardens in Battle Creek sharing resources and educational opportunities with a focus on food access for all residents. Members collectively and individually transform vacant land into beautiful production centers through partnerships with various organizations in Calhoun County, and donate surplus food through various distribution projects. In addition to gardens, Sprout Urban Farms offers several programs to support community gardeners and increase access to fresh produce for low-income residents:
Tool Library Sprout Urban Farms’ tool library allows members to borrow tools and equipment free of charge. Members have access to nearly 200 tools in 20 different categories.
Project GRUB Project GRUB (Gardens Raised in Urban Backyards) grew out of the lack of fresh produce available in low-income areas of Battle Creek. Under Project GRUB, gardeners donate a portion of their harvest to local stores, thereby increasing residents’ access to healthy food. In 2010, one garden donated 1,400 pounds of fresh food. Another donated 35 bushels.
48 GreenFist Interns GreenFist is an internship program designed to introduce young adults to vegetable gardening and the associated entrepreneurial opportunities available through urban gardening. Interns range in age from 16 to 23 years old. Some of their recent accomplishments include:
• Planted miniature gardens in buckets for Food Bank FFI families.
• Designed and installed a garden signs across the city
• Installed rain barrels
• Sell produce at area farmers markets and Sprouts bike delivery program
49 Fresh on Wheels Fresh on Wheels is a mobile market partnership between Sprout Urban Farms and the Battle Creek Community Foundation. A trailer packed with Michigan-grown fruits and vegetables is taken to high traffic areas in food deserts across Battle Creek.
Bright Star Farms In 2012 Sprout established Bright Star Farm on a 2-acre lot in the Washington Heights neighborhood. The farm is used for education, to train and support entrepreneurs, and feed the community. It is also a community gathering place, hosting harvest festivals and other community events.
Leila Arboretum The Leila Arboretum dates back to 1922 when Leila Post Montgomery, widow of cereal magnate C.W. Post, donated 72 acres of land to the city of Battle Creek that had formerly been the site of the Battle Creek Country Club. She envisioned a center for culture amid the beauty of nature. The arboretum is owned and partially maintained by the City of Battle Creek as part of its parks system. Under contract, the Leila Arboretum Society, a nonprofit organization, manages and maintains more than 3,000 trees, shrubs, perennials, and annuals, many of which are living memorials or tributes to special people. Leila is also home to the Urbandale Community Garden, the Leila Children’s Garden, and the Leila 365 Gardening program.
Burmese Community Gardens The Burma Center is a cultural center to help Burmese Americans maintain a connection to their heritage. The Burma Center offers residents an opportunity to learn about programs and resources, obtain direct services, and provides a direct linkage to the community. Central to the Burma Center’s programs and activities, are the community gardens available for Burmese residents to grow and share culturally appropriate produce, and train young people through their Free to Be Me youth garden program. Free to Be Me serves as a creative outlet to introduce the Circle of Courage – mastery, generosity, independence, and belonging. Participants range in age from 8 - 18 years old and sell the produce grown at this garden at the Springfield Farmer’s Market, and will take some produce home to share with family and friends.
50 Gardening and Nutrition Education Programs
How are Battle Creek residents learning about growing and preparing healthy food? Below is a beginning list of the various community programs underway in the city of Battle Creek to engage and educate residents, including youth.
Figure 22: GARDENING AND NUTRITION EDUCATION PROGRAMS
PROGRAM SPONSOR DESCRIPTION GreenFist Interns Sprout Urban Farms An internship program that introduces youth to gardening and associated entrepreneurial skills. The group is comprised of 12 youth ages 16-23 years.
Gardening 365 Leila Arboretum Offers gardening classes and courses that fulfill the annual education requirements for the Master Garden Volunteer program. Nutrition Advocacy Calhoun County The project aims to motivate Calhoun County residents to improve the Project Health nutritional value of their meals. Department
Education MSU Extension MSU Extension offers a variety of educational opportunities for Calhoun Programs County residents to learn about and engage in healthy lifestyles. Some of these include: Eating Right is Basic: How to stretch your food dollars while keeping your family healthy. Classes are free to low-income residents Dining with Diabetes: A four-session course designed for people who have or who are at risk of diabetes, as well as their family members. Michigan Diabetes Prevention Course: A five-week course on healthy eating, physical activity and lifestyle changes for persons who are pre-diabetic or who are at risk for Type 2 diabetes.
Culinary Calhoun Area The Culinary Arts/Hospitality Program, under the Calhoun Area Arts/Hospitality Career Center Technology Center (CATC), is a two-year program that incorporates the National Restaurant Association’s “ProStart” curriculum. CATC students can explore potential career paths in the food service industry with emphasis on technical skills, customer relations, restaurant organization, and the ServeSafe sanitation program. Students complete career exploration and study projects in the hospitality industry, which includes lodging and travel/tourism. Students who successfully complete the program receive a nationally recognized certificate. Wellness Events Maranatha Get Your House in Order Health & Wellness Victory Weekend offers free Original Church of cooking demonstrations, lunch and learns, health God presentations and workouts led by the Detox D.I.V.A. (Divinely Inspired Visionary and Athlete) Ms. Koya Webb.
Community Trinity Lutheran Creating Change is an organization located in the Post-Franklin Programs Church neighborhood dedicated to using an action-based community organizing approach to empower residents and create neighborhoods of choice. Training and National ServeSafe offers training and certification in food handling, alcohol and Certification Restaurant food service, management, and workplace safety. The NRA also offers Association ProStart, a two-year program for high school students to explore potential career paths in the food service industry.
Community Calhoun Area Their Culinary Arts/Hospitality Program is a two-year program that Programs Career Center incorporates the National Restaurant Association’s ProStart curriculum.
51 How well known are these initiatives? The Washington Heights survey inquired whether residents have heard of these or other activities to promote fresh fruits and vegetables, and found the following:
Question: Have you heard of any activities in the area to promote fresh fruits and vegetables? Community Gardens 14
Fresh on Wheels 10
Farmers Market – EBT/Bridge Cards 24
Double Up Food Bucks 10
Project Fresh or WIC 16
Family Health Center 16
Food Bank 21
52 WHAT KINDS OF AGRICULTURE SURROUNDS BATTLE CREEK?
When French explorers first visited Michigan in the early 1600’s, there were approximately 15,000 Native Americans living in the state. Although agriculture was limited by the dense forests that covered the state, Native Americans cultivated a wide range of crops including corn, beans, and squash. They tapped the state’s many maple trees for syrup, collected honey from bee hives, and took advantage of the area’s wild apples, berries, nuts, and wild rice.
Over the years, as the state became populated due to fur trading, copper mining and iron ore production, agriculture grew. Farmers from New York and New England moved to Michigan in the 1820’s and 1830’s, many to the Battle Creek area, and are credited for the growth of the agricultural industry.
One of the most important crops for decades was wheat, and it is still important today. In 2011 Michigan farmers harvested 680,000 acres of wheat, which at an average of 75 bushels per acre, resulted in 51 million bushels.40
Early settlers observed that the area along Lake Michigan, including the Battle Creek area, was the right combination of climate and soil for fruit production, particularly apples and peaches. Sugar beets and mint were also cultivated. Dutch immigrants capitalized on the Kalamazoo area’s marshes and swamps to grow celery.
Battle Creek’s Role in Agriculture41 Battle Creek’s role in agriculture began long before the city became known as the Cereal City. From its very beginning, Battle Creek was growing rapidly as a grain, flour and saw mill center for area farmers.
John Nichols, a blacksmith, was one of many Battle Creek residents who saw the potential in the agriculture industry. During the mid-1800’s, threshing machines used a type of wooden-slatted apron to separate grain from the straw and chaff. Nichols and his business partner, David Shepard, decided that this type of threshing machine was never going to be a success.
40 Michigan Farmer. Michigan Small Grain Production Report Shows Record Wheat Production. October 3, 2011. Retrieved at http://michiganfarmer.com/story.aspx/ michigan-small-grain-production-report-shows-record-wheat- production-9-53629) 41 http://www.centerforhistory.org/learn-history/oliver-history/the-oliver-corporation. Also, History of Calhoun County by Washington Gardner. Retrieved at http://books. google.com/books?id=IRviAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA356&lpg=PA356&dq=history+threshers+Michigan&sourc e=bl&ots=pcVX4GhnO&sig=UmGc_GCbRtYu6CifVnurSK- pNxCw&hl=en&ei=ztihTqKuCpOIsAKes6G3BQ&sa=X&oi=bo ok_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CCUQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=thresher&f=false 53 Around 1848, Nichols and Shepard opened up a foundry and machine shop on what is now North State Street. Over the years, they experimented with ways to separate grain from the plant, and in 1857 – two years before the village of Battle Creek was incorporated as a town – they developed their first vibrator thresher.
It was such an innovation in thresher building that it met with aggressive opposition from others. But it was a big hit, and the company became one of the largest thresher industries in the country. Around 1900 the company introduced their famous Red River Special line of threshers which, along with their line of combines,was manufactured for several years. Advertisement for 1917 Red River Special threshing machine, geared for use with a horse Overview of Farming in Calhoun County Today42 Today, Battle Creek residents live in a county that has 1,178 farms encompassing over 227,000 acres of land (49.4% of the county’s 453,760 acres) with an average farm size of 179 acres.
Of these 227,000 acres of farm land, 70.4% is harvested cropland, and the average value of crops sold per harvested acre is $214.05.43 Total value of products sold in 2007 was over $89 million, and Calhoun County farms received $3.17 million in government payments of different kinds.
How does this compare with the state as a whole? Figure 23 below shows that while the average size of Calhoun County farms exceeds that of Michigan farms, the average sale per Calhoun County farm is just 74% of the average Michigan farm sale. The average government payment per farm in Calhoun County exceeds the State average.
Figure 23: 2007 COMPARISON OF FARMS IN CALHOUN COUNTY AND MICHIGAN
Michigan Calhoun County % of State Totals Number of Farms 56,014 1,178 2.1% Land in Farms 10,031,807 acres 227,994 acres 2.3% Average Size of Farm 179 acres 194 acres 1.1% Market Value of Products Sold $5,753,219,000 $89,816,000 1.6% Average Sale Per Farm $102,710 $76,245 74% Total Government Payments $118,871,000 $3,170,000 2.7% Average Per Farm Payments $5,115 $5,428 1.1% Average Net Cash Income per Farm $23,368 $14,466
What proportion of farms capture the majority of farm sales? Figure 24 below shows 34.3% of Calhoun County farms show sales of less than $1,000; 3.2% show sales of $500,000 or more.
42 Unless otherwise noted, data from this section is from http://www.agcensus.usda.gov/Publications/2007/Online_Highlights 43 Data retrieved from http://www.city-data.com/county/Calhoun_County-MI.html 54 Figure 24: VALUE OF FARM SALES IN CALHOUN COUNTY AND MICHIGAN
Value of Sales Calhoun County % Michigan % Less than $1,000 404 34.3 18,648 33.3 $1,000 to $2,499 127 10.8 5,502 9.8 $2,500 to $4,999 101 8.6 5,229 9.3 $5,000 to $9,999 105 8.9 5,292 9.4 $10,000 to $19,999 102 8.7 4,715 8.4 $20,000 to $24,999 27 2.3 1,379 2.5 $25,000 to $39,999 45 3.8 2,791 5.0 $40,000 to $49,000 26 2.2 1,150 2.1 $50,000 to $99,999 87 7.4 3,342 6.0 $100,000 to $249,999 83 7.0 3,492 6.2 $250,000 to $499,999 33 2.8 2,054 3.7 $500,000 or more 38 3.2 2,420 4.3
TOTAL 1,178 100.0 56,014 100.0
The trend in farming in Calhoun County mirrors several state-wide trends. During the five year period from 2002 to 2007: • Number of Farms: The number of farms in Calhoun County increased by 3%, whereas across the state the number of farms increased by 5%. • Farm Size: The average size of farms in Calhoun County and in Michigan decreased by 6%. • Amount of Farm Land: The amount of farmland also decreased in both Michigan and Calhoun County. In Michigan, farmland decreased by 1% but in Calhoun County the amount of farmland decreased by 5%.
Figure 25: CHANGES IN FARM LAND IN CALHOUN COUNTY AND MICHIGAN 2002-2007
Calhoun County Michigan 2002 2007 % Change 2002 2007 % Change Number of Farms 1,147 1,178 3% 53,315 56,014 5% Acres of Land in Farms 239,913 227,994 -5% 10,142,958 10,031,807 -1% Average Size of Farm (acres) 209 194 -7% 190 179 -6%
This loss of farm land is also occurring around the country. Farmland in the United States shrunk by 8.4% between 1949 and 2002.44 Over the 25-year period from 1982 through 2007, Michigan experienced a 19.5% decline in total cropland.
The Farm Viability and Development work group of the Michigan Good Food Charter offers some thoughts on these declines.45
Many farms contribute significantly to our state’s economy, but too many of our farmers are losing money or finding it necessary to support themselves through off- farm work. Though consumers are increasingly interested in food from Michigan,many farmers are approaching retirement without an obvious next generation of farmers coming behind them. Few young people are pursuing farming careers.
44 Farm Viability and Development: Michigan Good Food Work Group Report Series. Report No. 4 of 5. June 2011. 45 Ibid. 55 This is true in Calhoun County. The average age of farmers in Michigan is 56.3 years and in Calhoun County it is 57.5 years. Forty-four percent of Michigan farmers and 46% of Calhoun County farmers indicated that farming was their principal occupation.
There is also the concern about expanded residential development. While Michigan has been in a recession and housing starts have been at an all-time low, many prime areas for fruit and vegetable production are also desirable areas for residential development. If farms are not profitable, more land will transition out of agricultural use to “higher value” residential and commercial use. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, though the State of Michigan as a whole and Calhoun County in particular lost population, the three counties around Calhoun County (Branch, Kalamazoo, and Jackson) gained population, possibly putting pressure on Calhoun County farmland.46
What is grown in Calhoun County? Michigan has the greatest diversity of agricultural products of any state save California, and Calhoun County farms verify this. Figure 26 shows what is grown in all harvested acres in Calhoun County.
Figure 26: PRODUCTS GROWN IN CALHOUN COUNTY47
Product Grown Harvested Acres Corn for grain 65,608 All wheat for grain 12,605 Soybeans for beans 69,339 Vegetables 490 Land in orchards 58
Calhoun County’s top sales rankings in the state are for the sale of hogs and pigs (8th); grains, oilseeds, dry beans and dry peas (17th); and nursery plants, greenhouse plants, and sod (18th). Figure 27 below shows the county’s ranking across USDA commodity group categories.48
Figure 27: STATE RANKING OF COMMODITY GROUP SALES
Item State Ranking (Among 83 Counties) Hogs and pigs 8 Grains, oilseeds, dry beans, dry peas 17 Nursery, greenhouse, horticulture, and sod 18 Cattle and calves 20 Horses, ponies, mules, burros, and donkeys 23 Cut Christmas trees and short rotation woody crops 24 Poultry and eggs 27 Milk and other dairy products from cows 28 Sheep, goats and their products 29
46 Ibid. 47 Data retrieved at http://www.city-data.com/county/Calhoun_County-MI.html 48 Data retrieved at http://www.agcensus.usda.gov/Publications/2007/Online_Highlights/County_Profiles/Michigan/index.asp
56 Figure 27: STATE RANKING OF COMMODITY GROUP SALES (Cont’d)
Item State Ranking (Among 83 Counties) Vegetables, melons, potatoes and sweet potatoes 39 Aquaculture 41 Fruits, tree nuts, and berries 46 Other crops and hay 46 Other animals and other animal products 56
Among all the crops grown in Calhoun County, five crops accounted for 67% of all crops grown in Calhoun County; nearly half (49%) of that was corn for grain. Horses and pigs accounted for 61% of all livestock raised.49
Figure 28: TOP CROPS AND LIVESTOCK IN CALHOUN COUNTY (2007)50
PERCENT STATE RANK TOP CROP ITEMS (ACRES) TOTAL OF TOTAL (AMONG 83 COUNTIES)
Corn for grain 75,444 49% 13
Soybeans for beans 52,696 34% 13
Forage - land used for all hay and haylage, grass silage, 13,965 9% and greenchop 35
Wheat for grain 8,733 6% 18
Corn for silage 3,947 3% 25
TOTAL 154,785 100%
TOP LIVESTOCK INVENTORY (TOTAL)
Hogs and pigs 38,579 61% 9
Cattle and calves 14,819 23% 25
Layers 5,528 9% 8
Sheep and lambs 2,261 4% 9
Horses and ponies 1,876 3% 23
TOTAL 63,063 100%
49 Ibid. 50 Michigan Market Maker www.mimarketmaker is an electronic data base that allows a search of farmers, food wholesalers, distributors, and manufacturers by location 57 . WHAT FOODS ARE PROCESSED IN BATTLE CREEK?
One of the six components of a healthy, green, fair, and affordable community food system is that the local processing infrastructure supports household preservation, value- added products & healthy food businesses, and Battle Creek has a long, rich history in this area.51 This section will examine this history, as well as the availability of incubator kitchens and food entrepreneurship support in the Battle Creek area.
The Seventh Day Adventist Church, a major influence in Battle Creek until the early twentieth century, adhered to revolutionary dietary and health principles based on the teachings of Ellen White. These principles were put into practice by Dr. John Harvey Kellogg, the director of the world- renowned Battle Creek Sanitarium.
One of the first to realize that “you are what you eat,” Dr. Kellogg incorporated radical dietary reforms into the San’s treatment program. He advocated a lighter, vegetarian diet with no artificial stimulants as a cure for the prevalent ‘dyspepsia,’ or chronic indigestion. Among several new products developed for this regime was Granose, a ready-to- eat breakfast food made of flaked, baked wheat kernels, an alternative to the traditional meat-based breakfast that wealthy patients at the Sanitarium were used to: ham, eggs, sausages, fried potatoes, hot biscuits, hotcakes, and coffee.
In 1891, a chronically ill middle-aged business failure named C. W. Post came to the Sanitarium as a patient. While he was there he became fascinated by the marketing potential of the new health foods. In 1895, the year that saw the debut of the motion picture projector, the wireless telegraph, and the x-ray, Post made the first batch of what he named Postum, a grain- based coffee substitute, in a little white barn in Battle Creek.
When he left the hospital, Post opened his own spa, LaVita Inn, serving his Postum. A few years later he developed Grape-Nuts cereal, an all-natural cereal that enhances health and vitality. He followed the success of Grape- Nuts with a corn flakes product which he called Elijah’s Manna, renamed Post Toasties in 1908. Post Raisin Bran was introduced in 1942.
51 Narrative adapted from the City of Battle Creek website www.battlecreekmi.gov/Living/History.htm 59 In the first decade of the twentieth century Battle Creek was home to a “cereal boom.” There were more than 80 cereal companies in some stage of existence, manufacturing products made from corn, wheat, rice or oats and flavored with everything from apples to celery.
During this time, W. K. Kellogg was working diligently for his older brother at the Sanitarium. But in 1906 he decided he was ready to form his own cereal business -- the Kellogg Toasted Corn Flake Company. He discarded the health food concept and focused on heavy advertising and commercial taste appeal.
An experimental full-page ad in the The Ladies Home Journal in 1906 sent corn flake sales skyrocketing to nearly three thousand cases a day. By 1915 the company was investing one million dollars a year in product promotion. Kellogg devised a trade character—the “Sweetheart of the Corn,” exemplar of the wholesome American girl— who smiled from every box of corn flakes.
Most of the cereal companies disappeared by 1910, but Battle Creek remained the cereal capital of the world as Kellogg, Ralston and Post products became staples on breakfast tables around the world.52
Food manufacturing continues to be an important contributor to the economic vitality of Battle Creek and Calhoun County. Census data from 200753 show that there were a total of 14 food manufacturing establishments in Calhoun County in 2007. These are establishments that transform livestock and agricultural goods into products for intermediate or final consumption. Manufactured food products are typically sold to wholesalers or retailers for distribution to consumers, but companies that sell bakery and candy products made on the premises not for immediate consumption are included.54 Collectively, in 2007, these businesses did $1.24 billion in business and employed 1,499 employees who drew a collective payroll of just under $100.4 million.
Figure 30 below shows that of the 12 major metropolitan areas in Michigan, Battle Creek ranks 7th in the number of food manufacturing establishments.55 The Battle Creek area with 4.5% of food manufacturing establishments combined with the Kalamazoo-Portage area to the west (42.0%), Grand Rapids-Wyoming area to the north-west (8.5%), and Lansing- East Lansing to the north-east (5.2%), encompasses 60.2% of all food manufacturing establishments in the State.
52 Information from http://www.battlecreekmi.gov/Living/History.htm and http://conservapedia.com/Breakfast_cereals 53 http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/GQRTable?_bm=y&-geo_id=05000US26025&-ds_name=EC0700A1&-lang=en 54 http://www.miec.engin.umich.edu/?q=industries 55 http://www.bls.gov/spotlight/2010/food/data.htm 60 Figure 30: FOOD MANUFACTURING ESTABLISHMENTS IN MICHIGAN 2009
Food Manufacturing Metropolitan Area Number Percent Ranking Kalamazoo-Portage 169 42.0 1 South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI 48 11.9 2 Grand Rapids-Wyoming 34 8.5 3 Ann Arbor 21 5.2 4 Lansing-East Lansing 21 5.2 4 Muskegon-Norton Shores 21 5.2 4 Battle Creek 18 4.5 5 Detroit-Warren-Livonia 17 4.2 6 Flint 14 3.5 7 Niles-Benton Harbor 13 3.2 8 Monroe 8 2.0 9 Jackson 7 1.7 10 Saginaw-Saginaw Township 6 1.5 11 Holland-Grand Haven 5 1.2 12
TOTAL 402 100
These food manufacturers played an important role in Battle Creek’s economic growth over the past decade. Deep Inside the Lost Decade: Decline, Transformation and Resilience in Michigan’s Regions,56 a September 2011 report produced by Bridge, an online magazine published by The Center for Michigan, noted that Battle Creek and Kalamazoo led 12 other metro areas in economic growth. Further, they were the only places in the state to boost output by at least 1 percent between 2001 and 2009, the last year for which data was available. Battle Creek’s growth came about because of growth in food manufacturing and health care, plus the large contingent of Japanese auto suppliers, which generally fared better than their American counterparts over the past decade.57 58
Battle Creek is also home to the Global Food Protection Institute (GFPI), a global food protection resource development and collaboration network whose mission is to facilitate the exchange of information, generate new ideas, and accelerate technologies that will enhance the safety of the global food supply.
To achieve this mission, GFPI established the International Food Protection Training Institute (IFPTI). IFPTI is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving food safety by providing career-spanning, standards-based training for food protection professionals. Its 26-member advisory council includes organizations such as the Association of American Feed Control Officials, Association of Food and Drug Officials, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Cornell University, the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists, Grocery Manufacturers Association, Michigan State University, National Association of County and City Health Officials, the U.S. Department ofAgriculture, W.K. Kellogg Foundation, and Western Michigan University.
IFPTI offers a range of courses both in Battle Creek and around the country focused on food safety and food protection. Since July 2009, IFPTI has delivered training to over 1,800 state and local food protection professionals from 47 states in areas such as food inspection techniques, importation and transportation of food, team approach to food borne outbreak response, and the evolving science of food protection.
56 Deep Inside the Lost Decade: Decline, Transformation and Resilience in Michigan’s Regions. September 2011. Produced by Bridge, an online magazine published by The Center for Michigan. 57 http://bridgemi.com/2011/08/kalamazoo-rides-real-estate-to-decade-of-growth/ 58 http://national.citysearch. http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/GQRTable?_bm=y&-geo_id=05000US26025&- ds_name=EC0700A1&-_lang=encom/listings/battle- creek-mi-metro/food_manufacturers and 61 . WHERE DO BATTLE CREEK INSTITUTIONS GET THE FOOD THEY SERVE?
Most everyone in the U.S. today is touched by institutions and their food purchasing decisions.59 62 Children participate in school breakfast and/or lunch programs; young adults nourish themselves in college and university dining halls; friends and family members are cared for at hospitals and health care facilities. These food sources form an important component of a healthy, green, fair, and affordable food system, one where restaurants and institutions serve healthy, local food to the extent possible and people have adequate home facilities for healthy cooking and preservation. As such, this section of the assessment will look at the extent to which schools, hospitals, and other institutions in the community are utilizing strategies, such as purchasing locally-grown foods, to ensure they are increasing access to healthy food for Battle Creek residents and workers.
Several Michigan institutions have launched programs providing local food that have benefited not just their customers but the food suppliers as well, creating new markets for products grown, raised, and processed in Michigan.
The following information focuses on three major institutional groups in Battle Creek: K-12 schools, hospitals, and colleges.
K-12 SCHOOLS In the 2010-2011 school year, there were a total of 46 schools in Battle Creek that were educating over 14,300 children and youth. These schools are distributed across four school districts within Battle Creek: Pennfield School District, Harper Creek Community Schools. Lakeview School District, and Battle Creek Public Schools.60 • The Battle Creek Public School district has an enrollment of approximately 6,410 students and encompasses the west and north corner of Battle Creek. • The Pennfield School district has an enrollment of approximately 1,885 students and encompasses the north and east areas of Battle Creek. • The Harper Creek Community School district has an enrollment of approximately 2,600 students and encompasses the east and south areas of Battle Creek • The Lakeview School district has an enrollment of approximately 3,485 students and encompasses the southern wedge of Battle Creek, with Battle Creek Public Schools to its west and north, and Harper Creek Community Schools to its east.
59 Institutional Food Purchasing: Michigan Good Food Work Group Report Series. Report No 3 of 5. November 2010. 60 Data retrieved at www.localschoodirectory.com and www.city-data.comn/school/Battle-Creek-Michigan.html 63 Outdoor Education Center61 For many decades, third and fourth grade students of the Battle Creek Public Schools participated in the Farm Garden Program at the Outdoor Education Center on Clear Lake, 12 miles north of Battle Creek. The Farm Garden program was an established part of the district’s elementary science curriculum, a 26-week program that began in the classroom in March of the 3rd grade and continued through October of 4th grade focusing on the life cycle of plants. It was the oldest continually operating school program of its kind in the nation. The program was originally developed in 1942 at a farm site on Riverside Drive south of Battle Creek. The program was moved to the Outdoor Education Center in 1967.
In 2012 the Battle Creek Public Schools suspended the program due to budget constraints so the program is no longer offered to students. In spring of 2013 there was a public meeting held to discuss the future of the Outdoor Education Center on Clear Lake, as many community members and parents want the center to continue to provide this unique educational opportunity to Battle Creek students.
Farm to School and Other Initiatives Farm to School62 is a national effort to connect schools (K-12) and local farms with the objectives of serving healthy meals in school cafeterias, improving student nutrition, providing agriculture, health and nutrition education opportunities, and supporting local and regional farmers. The first program started in California in 1996 and, over the years, has spread to 48 states, with 2,352 farm to school programs operating across 9,807 schools.
The first farm to school program in Michigan began in 2004 in theTraverse City Area Public Schools. Other districts that have farm to school programs include Benzie Area Schools, Detroit Public Schools, Elk Rapids Schools, Genesee Intermediate School Districts, Gladwin Community Schools, Grand Rapids Public Schools, Manistee Area Schools, Springport Public Schools, and Traverse City Public Schools.
While no schools within Battle Creek are currently implementing a farm to school program, several initiatives are underway to integrate local, fresh foods into the school meal programs. Most notably, 6th and 7th grade students from Northwestern Middle School have starts planted at Sprout greenhouse at Leila Arboretum which are planted in the school garden.
HOSPITALS The healthcare sector represents an area of great potential growth in improving the quality of food it serves to its three main customers: patients, visitors, and staff. Bronson Battle Creek, formerly the Battle Creek Health System, is one of the signers of the Healthy Food in Health Care pledge. This pledge, an initiative that started in 2005, outlines goals for hospitals to improve the quality of their food. It includes areas of locally sourced and sustainable food, sustainable procurement procedures, and minimizing food waste.
The following is an excerpt from the Healthy Food in Health Care pledge:
As a responsible provider of healthcare services, we are committed to the health of our patients, our staff and the local and global community. We are aware that food production and distribution methods can have adverse impacts on public environmental health. As a result, we recognize that for the consumers who eat it, the workers who produce it and the ecosystems that sustain us, healthy food must be defined not only by nutritional quality, but equally by a food system that is economically viable,environmentally sustainable, and supportive of human dignity and justice. We are committed to the goal of providing local, nutritious and sustainable food. 61 Information on the Outdoor Education Center was retrieved from www.clearlakecamp.org 62 Data from Michigan Farm to School http://www.mifarmtoschool.msu.edu/assets/files/Farm%20to%20School%20overview%20and%20School%20Food%20Bud- gets.pdf 64 Specifically, we are committed to the following healthy food in healthcare measures for our institution. We pledge to:
• Increase our offering of fruit and vegetables, nutritionally dense and minimally processed, unrefined foods, and reduce unhealthy (trans and saturated) fats and sweetened foods. • Implement a stepwise program to identify and adopt sustainable food procurement. • Begin where fewer barriers exist and immediate steps can be taken, such as the adoption of rBGH-free milk, fair trade coffee, or selections of organic and/or local fresh produce in the cafeteria. • Work with local farmers, community-based organizations and food suppliers to increase the availability of fresh, locally produced food. • Encourage our vendors and/or food management companies to supply us with food that is produced in systems that, among other attributes, eliminate the use of toxic pesticides, prohibit the use of hormones and non-therapeutic antibiotics, support farmer and farm worker health and welfare, and use ecologically protective and restorative agriculture. • Communicate to our Group Purchasing Organizations our interest in foods whose source and production practices (i.e., protect biodiversity, antibiotic and hormone use, local, pesticide use, etc.) are identified, so that we may have informed consent and choice about the foods we purchase. • Develop a program to promote and source from producers and processors which uphold the dignity of family, farmers, workers and their communities and support sustainable and humane agriculture systems. • Educate and communicate within our system and with our patients and community about our nutritious, socially just and ecologically sustainable healthy food practices and procedures. • Minimize and beneficially reuse food waste and support the use of food packaging and products that are ecologically protective. • Report annually on implementation of this pledge.63
Bronson Battle Creek also successfully and voluntarily eliminated industrial trans fats from its food service programs. Their actions were part of a statewide initiative to improve patient and community health. The goal for Michigan hospitals was to remove industrial trans fats from hospital vending machines, cafeterias, and patient nutrition programs by January 1, 2010; BCHS eliminated those items before January 2009.
The Michigan Green Health Care Committee, part of the Michigan Health and Hospital Association, has launched the A-Z Environmental Purchasing Campaign that sets up a framework for purchasing and marketing Michigan food products, starting at the beginning of the alphabet.
63 Institutional Food Purchasing: Michigan Good Food Work Group Report Series. Report No 3 of 5. November 2010. 65 Their first initiative – “A” for apples – was launched at seven sites around the state. Data shows positive outcomes. Michigan apple shippers moved nearly 990,000 cases of fresh-packed apples in September2009, the most movement since 1999.64
COLLEGES College and university dining halls are some of the latest places where local food is making its way from the farm to the table. Local products that have been successfully integrated into college menus range from fresh fruits and vegetables to eggs, dairy products, and value-added products such as applesauce, jams, and salad dressings.
Michigan colleges and universities differ in how they define “local.” For example, Michigan State University defines “local” as within a 250-mile radius of the campus. Hope College defines it as any product produced or grown in Michigan. While the definitions may vary, the advantage of them all is that local food purchasing programs are keeping dollars circulating within local communities and/or within Michigan.65
Local sourcing strategies vary as well. Some simply encourage their cafeterias to purchase Michigan products wherever possible. Others set concrete and measurable goals, such as increasing local purchasing by 10 percent annually. Still others re-arrange their menus to incorporate local products and they become in season.66
64 www.mha.org/mha/documents/mghc/mghc_2009recap_020310.pdf 65 Institutional Food Purchasing: Michigan Good Food Work Group Report Series. Report No 3 of 5. November 2010. 66 Ibid. 66 Conclusion: What’s Next
The goal of this community food assessment was to formally document both the challenges and opportunities for creating an equitable and robust local food economy in Battle Creek. Through the commitment of Good Food BC members who have had tremendous impact on the region since the collaborative formed almost four years ago, residents, activists, and civic leaders are talking about food justice and the impact of increased fresh produce availability on public health and the local economy. Additionally:
• Almost 90 residents, activists and community leaders have traveled both locally and nationally to conferences, workshops, and site visits to build their capacity and network with community food leaders from around the country; • The Good Food BC small grants program funded by the WK Kellogg Foundation and managed by Fair Food Network, has awarded over $300,000 in grants to support community gardens, communications, youth and adult education programs, and workforce and entrepreneurship training. Collectively this funding helped get the word out about GFBC’s vision and activities, and started important dialogue amongst various community members. • An important progression of the work has been a community dialogue and training on racism and equity in the food system. Diverse community members including law enforcement, educators, government and civic leaders, as well as residents have made a commitment to exploring food justice together, and developing local teams focused on dismantling structural racism in the food system. • GFBC member activities were the subject of numerous newspaper articles and radio and local television appearances, which shows that local media is both interested in, and eager to explore community food activity. • Good Food BC hosted its first community food system conference in March of 2013 titled, “Good Food Matters: Come to the Table.” The conference was attended by approximately 100 residents and 16 food vendors and offered workshops on nutrition, food access and justice, and cooking demonstrations.
Next steps for Good Food BC includes a deeper dive into the information provided in this report, to develop strategies on programs and activities, as well as how to assist in guiding local food system investments. The way is clearer. The will is there. By harnessing committed people and institutions, Battle Creek is primed to reclaim its historic good food and wellness legacy.
Battle Creek has the resources and potential to meet the challenges of its broken food system. Men and women across all sectors of the community are working diligently to address the needs of all people. A key facet is understanding the issues; another is strategically leveraging a unified front through which these forces may align, coordinate and implement their efforts.
That’s where Good Food BC comes in. For more than three years it has been helping educate and activate residents and food professionals to address food system issues. The way is clear. The will is there. By harnessing committed people and institutions, Battle Creek is primed to reclaim its historic good food and wellness legacy.
We invite you to join the food movement. Learn more at [email protected]. Find us on Facebook.
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