According to the Hartford Health Survey of 2006, 17% of Hartford residents have diabetes, 12% have heart disease, and 30% have hypertension, which
correlate with unhealthy diet and sedentary lifestyle. Many factors limit residents’ access to healthy food and recreation. Many residents don’t have
cars and cannot access the produce at Stop & Shop, the only large grocery store in the city. Given that so many people are living below or just over
the poverty level, affordable and healthy food is often out of reach.
Local food systems provide important jobs, increase biodiversity, create pollinator habitats, establish safe green space for recreation, keep money
in the community, honor agricultural traditions, and offer nutritious wholesome foods that keep people healthy.
This summer we expanded the local food options available in Hartford by building two community gardens on Zion St and Broad St and two school
gardens at the Annie Fisher Montessori School and Burns Elementary School. Through these gardens, we engaged hundreds of community members in local
food production and healthy eating. We are using these exciting project opportunities to train 25 young people (75% of whom are from Hartford) in
urban agriculture and community organizing. When participants left our program, they had all the skills they needed to become agents of change in
our food system, including community organizing, media, gardening, cooking, nutrition, resource generation, leadership, and much more!