#food-deserts — Public Fediverse posts

Well this is a bummer. I get that #FoodStamp fraud prevention is important, but I think the penalty was too harsh. And apparently, the local grocer was unable to bounce back. When I worked for the Reiche School Library, I admired what a gem Fresh Approach was for the neighborhood. Kids and teachers would gather there after school. It was (and still is) a hopping little place. And while I would love to see another local grocery store or a food co-op go into that space, considering the rent increases in #PortlandME because of #gentrification, that probably isn't going to happen.

#FreshApproach market in Portland’s West End will close

Chet and Peggy Knights say they weren’t able to overcome the loss in business after their SNAP license was revoked.

by Peggy Grodinsky, May 13, 2026

" 'With deep regret and broken hearts,” grocers Chet and Peggy Knights announced on social media Wednesday that they are closing Fresh Approach, their longtime West End store.
The Knights have run the classic neighborhood market, located on Brackett Street opposite Reiche Elementary School, for 34 years.
'I’m very sad to hear the news,' said Reiche teacher Kevin Brewster, who was waiting at the lunch counter for his meatball sandwich at noon Wednesday. 'It’s a neighborhood institution.' "

[...]

"The store lost its license to accept Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits in February 2025, after an undercover compliance agent was able to purchase ineligible nonfood items. Their Facebook post acknowledged the wrongdoing, and noted that after 11 months, the Knights were able to renew the license.

"But that long stretch without 'a very big part of our business' took its toll. A neighborhood-sponsored GoFundMe campaign helped the beloved store survive the immediate crisis, but even at the time, the Knights said they were unsure it would be enough to save the store."

https://www.pressherald.com/2026/05/13/fresh-approach-market-in-portlands-west-end-will-close/

Archived version:
https://archive.md/3xduI

#MaineNews #NeighborhoodStores #FoodDeserts #FreshFood #Maine

Walmart, Kroger, and Dollar Store didn't beat local grocers through competition. They bought politicians to rig the rules.

Millions of Americans now live in food deserts. The antitrust law to fix it is still on the books — we just stopped enforcing it in 1980.

Who's ready to dust it off?

#FoodDeserts #CorporateGreed #MonopolyPower

https://jimhightower.substack.com/p/why-should-we-allow-food-monopolies-6b9

🌮 🍒 🥟 🌍 Food security is food justice (and a climate solution)
"Even as food production increases to feed our growing population, the way we produce our food and the quality of that food has diminished the health of people and the planet."
#Food #Solutions #SocialJustice #FoodDeserts
#Racism #Poverty
#Climate #Environment

https://www.climatesolutions.org/article/2025-10/food-security-food-justice-and-climate-solution

What the data says about food stamps in the U.S. – Pew Research Center

Read our research on: Economy & Work, Middle East, and Donald Trump

Home

What the data says about food stamps in the U.S.

By Drew DeSilver

Even before large pieces of the federal government shut down in October 2025, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP – sometimes called the food stamp program – was in for some big changes.

The tax, spending and policy bill passed by Congress earlier this year expanded work requirements for SNAP, tightened eligibility rules, imposed new cost-sharing obligations on states and made other changes to the program. The Congressional Budget Office has estimated that the changes will reduce federal spending on SNAP by $186.7 billion over the next decade.

But the 43-day shutdown created further challenges for the program, which helps nearly 42 million Americans put food on the table. While October benefits were paid in full and on time, November’s payments got caught up in a tangle of lawsuits, conflicting court rulings and short-term, state-level fixes. The law reopening the government funds SNAP through September 2026, the end of the current fiscal year.

Here’s a closer look at the food stamp program, based on data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (whose Food and Nutrition Service administers SNAP), the Census Bureau and other sources.

• How many Americans use food stamps?
• How has the number of food stamp recipients changed over time?
• Who is eligible for food stamps?
• What work requirements are there for receiving food stamps?
• What do we know about food stamp recipients in the U.S.?
• How much do food stamp recipients get each month?
• Where is food stamp usage highest and lowest?
• What can you buy with food stamps? What can’t you buy?
• Where can people use food stamps? Where do they use them most frequently?
• How much does the federal government spend on food stamps each year?
• How has the cost of the food stamp program changed over time?
• Why are they called “food stamps,” anyway?

How we did this

Pew Research Center conducted this analysis to learn more about the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP), also known as food stamps. The nation’s largest food assistance program, SNAP became entangled in the 43-day budget standoff between congressional Democrats, Republicans and the Trump administration.

Our main data source was the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), the agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture that administers SNAP and other food assistance programs. We supplemented the FNS data with data from the Census Bureau’s Survey of Income and Program Participation, which focuses on the demographic and other characteristics of people and households who receive various forms of federal assistance. We also used the Census Bureau’s population and household estimates in some of our analyses. Finally, we obtained government expenditure data for other federal assistance programs from the Office of Management and Budget.

Our analysis of SNAP participation rates in states and territories used data on SNAP recipients for May 2025 and Census Bureau population estimates for July 2024, the most recent available. For Guam and the Virgin Islands, which the census did not publish estimates of, we used 2024 population estimates from the CIA World Factbook.

How many Americans use food stamps?

The numbers vary from month to month. But in May 2025, the most recent month with available figures, 41.7 million people in 22.4 million households received SNAP benefits. That works out to nearly 1 in every 8 people in the country.

On average, 42.4 million people in 22.7 million households received monthly SNAP benefits through the first eight months of the 2025 fiscal year (October 2024 to May 2025).

SNAP operates in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Guam and the Virgin Islands. A separate program provides nutrition assistance grants to Puerto Rico, American Samoa and the Northern Mariana Islands.

 Editor’s Note: The full online article linked below is long and great. Contains multiple looks at the SNAP and hunger and safety net matter. In addition, based on the report data, I had my AI partners (ChatGPT & Google Gemini) prepare two (2) images to illustrate the data. They are posted below. –DrWeb

Continue/Read Original Article Here: What the data says about food stamps in the U.S. | Pew Research Center

#america #americans #disabled #economics #education #foodDeserts #foodStamps #history #homeless #hungry #pewResearchCenter #poor #safetyNet #snapData #started1964 #trump #unitedStates

Indy farmer is fighting through federal funding upheaval to feed her community fresh food https://www.diningandcooking.com/2266306/indy-farmer-is-fighting-through-federal-funding-upheaval-to-feed-her-community-fresh-food/ #agriculture #AgricultureU0026Forestry #charity #CharityU0026Philanthropy #deserts #Exclude #ExcludeFromPaywallLogicTesting #farming #farms #FarmsU0026Ranches #food #FoodDeserts #Forestry #from #local #LocalNews #logic #Neutral #news #Overall #OverallNeutral #Paywall #Philanthropy #Purdue #PurdueUniversity #Ranches #testing #u0026 #University #urban #UrbanFarming

#ZohranMamdani's proposal for publicly owned #GroceryStores is a good one that's already working successfully in some places. With millions of Americans living in #FoodDeserts, they represent a possible solution. https://civileats.com/2025/08/20/op-ed-public-grocery-stores-already-exist-and-work-well-we-need-more/

Facing funding crisis, coalition urges #Utah community to support #FoodJustice mission

by FRESH LIVING
Fri, August 8th 2025

KUTV — "As #FoodInsecurity surges across Utah, the #FoodJusticeCoalition is stepping up with a mission that goes far beyond simply feeding people.

"Led by Founder and CEO Jeanette Padilla Vega, the nonprofit is addressing hunger at its roots—through equity, cultural relevance, and bold community action. She spoke to Kari Hawker-Diaz about their work.

"A first-generation immigrant and systems strategist, Padilla Vega has become a leading voice for food justice across the state. Her trauma-informed, culturally responsive approach has helped the organization serve over 75,000 meals and mobilize thousands of volunteers in just a few years.

"But the meals distributed by the coalition are more than just sustenance. They’re intentionally crafted to be nutrient-dense and culturally appropriate—something Padilla Vega sees as essential in the fight against hunger.

"That human-centered philosophy has made the Food Justice Coalition a trusted ally for marginalized communities across Utah. But now, the organization is facing one of its biggest challenges yet: a critical funding gap.

"Despite the funding crisis, Padilla Vega remains hopeful. She believes in the power of #CollectiveAction—and she’s asking the community to step up once again.

How You Can Help:

- Make a donation to support ongoing meal distribution.
- Volunteer your time with the Food Justice Coalition.
- Spread the word about the organization’s mission and impact.

Source:
https://kutv.com/features/fresh-living/facing-funding-crisis-coalition-urges-utah-community-to-support-food-justice-mission

To learn more, get involved or donate, visit:
https://www.foodjusticecoalition.org/

#FundingCuts #USPol #FoodDeserts #FoodPantries #FoodJustice

#FoodAid groups bought from #LocalFarmers with #USDA grants. Abrupt cuts leave both struggling.

By Meg Oliver, June 30, 2025

"Four days a week, Maile Auterson and one of her employees drive hundreds of miles across Kansas, Missouri and Arkansas to deliver fresh produce to #FoodDeserts.

"Auterson's nonprofit, Springfield #CommunityGardens, helps #UnderservedSchools, #FoodPantries and senior centers. One center in Ava, #Missouri, is the only place for many where they can get a hot meal.

"Springfield Community Gardens is one of many organizations that relied on grants from the United States Department of Agriculture to distribute produce to schools and low-income communities through two pandemic-era federal programs. They provided about $1 billion in funding to schools and food banks to buy food directly from local farms, ranchers and producers.

"But in March, the USDA abruptly canceled the programs, calling the decision a 'return to long-term, fiscally responsible initiatives.'

"Now, Auterson says, 'some of the most vulnerable people' are without adequate access to food, including children and #SeniorCitizens."

Read more:
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/usda-grants-cuts-food-insecurity-farmers/

#USDACuts #USPol #FundingCuts #FoodInsecurity #TrumpSucks #LocalFarms #FoodPantries #HungerGames #SchoolLunches #KillThePoor #TaxBreaksForTheRich

#Georgia [USA] - ‘Without Walls’ Farmers Market makes debut in #GardenCityGA

By Brontë Sorotsky
Published: Jul. 26, 2025

GARDEN CITY, Ga. (WTOC) - "A new initiative to help #LowerIncome families buy #HealthyFood and make smart choices kicked off Saturday in Garden City.

" '#FeedTheHungry' is meeting people where they’re at to make the community as a whole healthier.

"From #okra to #nectarines, a new farmer’s market in Garden City has no shortage of healthy options. The idea for this farmer’s market came from a lack of resources when it comes to fresh foods.

" 'Trying to address #FoodDeserts in this community. And what does a #FoodDesert mean? That means limited access to fresh food,' said Charice Stroud, a volunteer with Feed the Hungry.

"Stroud is working alongside state representative Carl Gilliard to increase that access with the start of the first '#WithoutWalls' #FarmersMarket.

"On Saturday, this new farmer market kicked off with #pickling demonstrations, fresh juice making, farmer’s selling #LocalProduce, and more.

" 'It builds a healthier community, right? That’s our overall goal,' Stroud explained.

"Feed the hungry is partnering with #AgraUnity, a coalition of #BlackFarmers that focuses on supplying the food deserts In #WestChathamCounty.

"Those local farmers will be selling their products, allowing people in the community to access farm to table food at a more affordable price.

" 'We want to empower people. And a part of that is your health, what you’re consuming each and every day. So, you can come in and get some good ideas for what to bring back to your home and your family,' Stroud said.

"The 'Without Walls' Farmers Market will be held every 4th Saturday of the month from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 4704 Augusta Road in Garden City."

Source:
https://www.wtoc.com/2025/07/26/without-walls-farmers-market-makes-debut-garden-city/

#SolarPunkSunday #FarmersMarkets #EatingHealthy #BuyLocal #LocalProduce #FarmToTable

#ChicagoHeights '#ZFarm' helping #UrbanGrowersCollective battle #FoodInsecurity

'We're encouraging everybody to join us to grow 10% of your own food'

By Cheryl Scott and Blanca Rios, Thursday, June 19, 2025

CHICAGO HEIGHTS, Ill. (WLS) -- "Protecting the planet can start with the food you put on the table.

" 'Just thinking about how many miles it took for that tomato to come to your plate and all the energy that is consumed along the way for that tomato, that in the end, doesn't really taste that good,' said Ericka Allen.

"Allen is the CEO of Urban Growers Collective. The Black and women-led nonprofit helps to provide locally-grown food to the South and West sides of the city, through its seven urban farms.

"But #UGC's footprint just got a whole lot bigger after acquiring access to a 42-acre farm in south suburban Chicago Heights. About 30 of those acres are arable land, said Allen.

" 'This is a farm that we're calling Z-farm, formerly the Zeldenrust Farm,' said Allen. 'Now we can spread out here and grow so much more food and also create more food security, with food coming back into the city. So we're not relying on having to ship food from across the country.'

"One seed at a time, UGC will start growing everything from collard greens to pumpkins on just five of Z-farm's acres for the first couple of years. The rest of the land will be covered with black-seeded sunflowers come harvest time.

"And for the first time, they now have access to heated hoop houses.

" 'For us to have a little bit of heat means we can extend those tomatoes all the way through Christmas, all the way into the new year. That means that we can start peas in January,' said Allen.

"UGC is also making sure future generations learn to grow their own food.

" 'We're teaching, basic skills. Transplanting to seeding, to harvesting, and eventually going to sell it to the community,' said Urban Growers Collective Director of Farming Malcolm Evans.

"Evans, a Chicago native, trains interns, staffers, and community members, some who don't have easy access to grocery stores.

" 'A lot of these are #FoodDesert neighborhoods,' said Evans. 'A lot of these communities don't have access to healthy foods and don't have food affordable to them so they have to travel miles away.'

"But UGC is hoping to change that narrative.

" 'We're encouraging everybody to join us to grow 10% of your own food, to purchase 10% of your own food, to make a positive impact on #ClimateChange, and just to have a more secure food shed.'

"Even if that means getting a little extra help from a neighbor.

" 'If somebody's growing a ton of zucchini down the street and they want to give you some zucchini, take that zucchini, make five things out of it. That's #FoodSecurity,' said Allen.

"Aspiring gardeners can stop by the Z-Farm's onsite nursery every weekend to purchase seedlings to grow at home.

"And come harvest time, people can drive up to the curbside farmstand to purchase vegetables."

https://abc7chicago.com/post/chicago-heights-illinois-farm-helping-urban-growers-collective-battle-food-security-lower-carbon-footprint/16647284/

#SolarPunkSunday #UrbanGardening #UrbanFarming #Farmstands #Illinois #GrowYourOwn #BlackOwnedBusiness #WomenOwnedBusiness #Gardeners #GardeningEducation #FoodDeserts #ChicagoIL

(10 Jul) Albuquerque’s Route 66 Motels Are Turning Into Affordable Housing https://s.faithcollapsing.com/gx6sr Archive: ais: https://archive.md/wip/OpCgj ia: https://s.faithcollapsing.com/poyik #affordable-housing #economy #food-deserts #housing #immigration

#Trump’s #megabill may force your local grocery store to close

By Nathaniel Meyersohn
July 28, 2025

Excerpt: "Wright’s Market has been a fixture of Opelika, Alabama, a town of around 30,000 near Auburn University, since the 1970s. The supermarket relies on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (#SNAP) for roughly one-third of sales.

"SNAP is a 'big piece of what we do,' said owner Jimmy Wright, who has worked at the store since he was 12 and bought it almost 30 years ago. 'We see very hardworking people who are using this program to try to feed their families and pay rent.'

" 'SNAP, formerly known as #FoodStamps, is the largest #AntiHunger program in America. Recipients receive, on average, about $6.16 a day, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

"But President Trump’s #OneBigBeautifulBill Act makes the largest cuts to food stamps in the program’s 86-year history, jeopardizing assistance for more than 42 million people. It also imperils the program’s role as an economic anchor for grocery stores and communities, particularly in #rural areas, according to #grocers and economists."

https://www.cnn.com/2025/07/28/business/trump-big-beautiful-bill-snap-grocery?iid=cnn_buildContentRecirc_end_recirc&recs_exp=most-read-article-end&tenant_id=popular.en

#RuralCommunities #FoodDeserts #TrumpHatesThePoor #SNAP #FoodAssistanceCuts #BigUglyBill #BigUglyPresident #USPol

Commentary: #Food Near Me – The Ironic Tragedy of #Rural #FoodDeserts

Food deserts not only affect #cities. Our disappearing #farms mean they affect rural areas with plenty of land to #growfood.

https://goodmenproject.com/featured-content/commentary-food-near-me-the-ironic-tragedy-of-rural-food-deserts/

Chemical exposure from ultra-#ProcessedFoods may contribute to health issues

Shannon Kelleher, May 16, 2025

"Toxic synthetic chemicals that migrate into ultra-processed foods from packaging, processing equipment and other sources may explain why these foods are so bad for our health, according to a new review article.

"In addition to the foods’ poor nutritional value, these chemicals represent an 'underappreciated and understudied' explanation for the link between ultra-processed foods and health problems such as obesity and other chronic diseases, the authors conclude in the article, published Friday in the journal Nature Medicine.

" 'The more (ultra-)processed a foodstuff, the greater its burden of synthetic chemicals generally is,; the authors wrote.

"Ultra-processed foods such as #candies, #HotDogs and #PackagedSoups are industrially made and contain many added ingredients not found in home kitchens, such as #stabilizers and added colors and flavors.

"Thousands of harmful substances including #bisphenols (such as #BPA), #phthalates, #microplastics (tiny plastic particles) and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (#PFAS) can leach into industrially produced foods during production, as well as from containers in which the foods are stored and while heating them up before they are eaten, according to the article. Emerging research suggests that even the 'normal and intended use' of plastic materials that come into contact with foods along their journey to our plates can contaminate these products, the authors wrote.

"Research increasingly shows that some of the same synthetic chemicals found in ultra-processed foods, as well as drinking water and other sources, are prevalent in our bodies. About 98% of the US population has PFAS in their blood, while microplastics and even smaller plastic particles (nanoplastics) accumulate in 'just about every portion of your body…no organ is spared, really,' Dr. Sanjay Rajagopalan, director of the Cardiovascular Research Institute at Case Western Reserve University, said during a May 15 webinar hosted by the group Beyond Plastics. Plastic particles have been found in everything from the placenta to the brain, lungs and heart, he said.

"In a 2024 study, Rajagopalan and colleagues found a link between microplastics in the arteries and risks for heart attacks and strokes.

" 'The particles looked quite nasty,' he said. 'They were jagged particles with sharp edges, very similar to cholesterol.' "

Read more:
https://www.thenewlede.org/2025/05/chemical-exposure-from-ultra-processed-foods-may-contribute-to-health-issues/

#ProcessedFood #PlasticFoodContainers #PlasticWrap #Preservatives #FoodSafety #ToxicChemicals #FoodIsLife #FoodDeserts #GrowYourOwn #CommunityGardens #EatFresh #DowChemical

A proposed Texas law that would end the use of SNAP benefits, or food stamps, for buying "junk food" passed the Texas Senate last week and is now being considered by the House.

https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/arts-culture/food/2025/04/07/518029/houston-area-lawmakers-bill-banning-junk-food-purchases-with-snap-benefits-passes-texas-senate/

#Food #Galveston #HealthScience #Local #News #Politics #Texas #2025TexasLegislature #FoodDeserts #JunkFood #SenMayesMiddleton #SNAPBenefits #TexasSenate

Cherokee Nation launches Hawiya food distribution program to combat food insecurity https://www.diningandcooking.com/1866553/cherokee-nation-launches-hawiya-food-distribution-program-to-combat-food-insecurity/ #CherokeeNation #CommunityOutreach #food #FoodDeserts #FoodInsecurity #HawiyaFoodSovereigntyProgram #MeatDistribution #NutritionalAccess #TribalSupport

Want to fix food deserts and lower food prices? Enforce antitrust law, activist says • New Hampshire Bulletin https://www.diningandcooking.com/1789006/want-to-fix-food-deserts-and-lower-food-prices-enforce-antitrust-law-activist-says-new-hampshire-bulletin/ #AntitrustLaws #competition #food #FoodDeserts #FoodPrices #inflation

The answer to the Guardian's question is exactly what you'd expect. The details are even more discouraging.

#food #DollarStores #FoodDeserts #HealthyEating

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/dec/18/climate-diet-food-plan

The intersection of #FoodDeserts, #health, and #climate impacts:

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/dec/18/climate-diet-food-plan?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other

@AJStein_de

Some Sauces er Sources:

#WalMart Box stores 2011
https://www.businessinsider.com/walmart-biggest-supermarket-2011-2#wal-mart-started-as-a-small-store-in-arkansas-that-didnt-sell-groceries-1

A Historical Era of Food Deserts: Changes in the Correlates of Urban Supermarket Location, 1970–1990 (2015)
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/2329496515604639

August 2023
https://www.propublica.org/article/food-desert-grocery-store-cairo-illinois

#fooddeserts #supermarkets #blamecapitalism

#FoodDeserts are not an inevitable consequence of #poverty or low population density; they materialized for a reason. Prior to the 1980s, small towns & poor neighborhoods in the US had #grocery stores... (1/2) https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2024/12/food-deserts-robinson-patman/680765/ #markets #competition #antitrust

Via Stacy Mitchell, a piece on the proliferation of food deserts, their history and what it would take to eliminate them forever:

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2024/12/food-deserts-robinson-patman/680765/?gift=QFVDFKVE3HQ31cU_KmT1dE6iUvq0qv3pUv2sTwMbqdQ

#FoodDeserts #RobinsonPatmanAct #EconomicJustice

Some excellent reporting on food deserts in the Atlantic today.

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2024/12/food-deserts-robinson-patman/680765/

#FoodDeserts #RobinsonPatman #stacymitchell #BlackMastodon

This is a terrific piece tht traces how the #Reagan admin created policy tht increased #food prices, reduced #grocery store competition, killed 1000s of grocery store #jobs.

This Reagan #deregulation allowed corps to engage in unfair price fixing tht disadvantaged smaller grocers leading to reemergence of #FoodDeserts in the 80s to now.

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2024/12/food-deserts-robinson-patman/680765/

#poverty #racism #greed #antitrust #food #BlackMastodon #BlackTwitter

Climate & Food Deserts & Political Choices
https://medium.com/@silkester/climate-food-deserts-political-choices-3321a91a8f5e

#politics #trump #foodDeserts #Crimate #PoliticalChoices #Health #Environment #UndustrilizedFarming #Pesticides #Furtilizer #deserfication #monocultures #ChunkFood #foodindustry