Linn Public Health proposes fresh food co-op for low-income families

Telling people to eat healthy is one thing. Putting it into practice is another.

A proposal by Linn County Public Health would address barriers faced by low-income families in accessing nutritious fresh foods. The department is seeking federal funding for a food cooperative that would supply fresh fruits and vegetables to minorities and low-income families in Cedar Rapids.

“This is a way to combat those food deserts that are growing here,” said Jill Roeder, outreach coordinator for Healthy Linn Care Network. “It's one of the ways that we're trying to combat obesity.”

“Food deserts” refers to fast-food restaurants and convenience stores that are plentiful in some neighborhoods, while stores selling fresh fruits and vegetables are not.

Roeder said low-income residents without transportation to grocery stores end up eating whatever fast food or junk food is available.

More than 60 percent of Linn County residents are considered overweight or obese, with related and costly health implications, including diabetes and heart disease.

Roeder said the goal is to initially serve 500 families, who would each contribute $2 per week to the co-op.

The program would be year-round, with produce purchased from wholesalers in winter and early spring. Federal funding would allow the co-op to pay area farmers for produce in season, with churches acting as distribution points.

The churches would be located within walking distance of the families in five areas of the city: Wellington Heights, Time Check, Oakhill Jackson, Truman and Taylor neighborhoods. Walking is another component of the proposal to combat obesity.

The idea is the brainchild of Curtis Dickson, director of Linn County Public Health, who proposed the concept while working as a health director in North Carolina.

He and Linn County Supervisor Linda Langston will seek funding during a trip next month to Washington. The idea could cost nearly $500,000 in its first year. Startup costs include vans to transport produce from farms and renovating a building for a central distribution site.

A teaching kitchen would be incorporated into the site, with experts demonstrating how to use the produce in meals.

The health department is working on the concept with Matthew 25, Iowa Valley RC&D, Cedar Rapids City Market and Local Harvest Food Supply.

Roeder said the goal is to start in 2011 and eventually expand