The concept of “food deserts” has become a catch phrase for the movement to improve the nutritional health of communities. But the ease of this phrase belies complicated problems that create and sustain a lack of access to healthy food in neighborhoods. Food deserts are generally lower income neighborhoods where fresh fruits and vegetables are not available or are prohibitively expensive. In Prince George’s County, Maryland two communities are working together to address the environmental, economic and physical causes of their own food desert.

The approach in District Heights and Capitol Heights is twofold: 1) teaching children the importance of fruits and vegetables while providing experiences growing food and 2) starting a farmers’ market to provide access to fresh fruits and vegetables. A coalition of local leaders including the public health department, local business leaders and the parks & recreation department are working together to achieve these goals. Their campaign, “Healthy Heights,” has enlisted the owners of some markets to be part of the solution. 

The coalition teamed up with an elementary school principal to plant a school garden with fruits, vegetables and herbs. The kids tend the garden and participate in nutrition activities to learn about the food they are growing.

This initiative has hit some roadblocks, but the coalition continues their commitment to implementing a market. Originally in a mall parking lot, the market was asked to move. This reduced their visibility and sales dropped. Farmers were required to have liability insurance, which many of the farmers did not want to purchase. Farmers also were not certified to accept WIC and food stamps, but about 1,400 people in the market’s target neighborhoods rely on those programs. For people to be able to buy fruits and vegetables at the market, they must be able to use their food subsidies to do so.

Some solutions came from unexpected sources. The new farmers’ market location under consideration is a prime location at the corner of two busy roads, but the corner was overgrown with bushes and brush. The local news station got on board and had goats brought to the corner to eat away the brush to support the resurgence of the farmers’ market. The coalition has applied for a grant enabling vendors to accept food stamps and WIC.

Despite the details and the roadblocks to the market, the county’s collaborative has already expanded to include representatives from public works, social services, the planning department, the City Council and the University of Maryland extension. Getting the partners to the table together has been helpful, and the networking aspect is gaining momentum. As progress and motivation ebbs and flows, the original coalition keeps their focus on the impact of their work and on motivating their partners to look for creative solutions to local problems.