TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — The Frenchtown Neighborhood Improvement Association hopes to inspire neighbors, especially those living in what are considered food deserts, to advocate for food security with a new initiative called "The Food Advocate" program.
- The 12-week program starts on Oct. 29th and will teach neighbors about nutrition, urban farming, food policy, and more. It is funded by a grant from the USDA awarded in 2022.
- The deadline to sign up for the first cohort of the program is Friday before midnight.
- Watch the video to hear how this could help local neighborhoods that are considered food deserts per USDA standards.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
The Food Advocate Program was created by the Thrive Network and the Frenchtown Neighborhood Improvement Association.
The new training program is teaching Tallahassee neighbors how to take food security into their own hands.
Thrive Network Urban Farming Trainer Erica Bradley tells me the main goal is to empower people to learn about food and their health, which could lead to more food access.
“The main purpose is to build leadership and then advocate for food justice and then create a sustainable food system,” she said.
Bradley sees many of the struggles firsthand.
She delivers fresh food to neighbors in the community through her company called Cultivator’s Collective.
“That's Frenchtown, Griffin Heights, the Bond community, South City, and Providence,” she said.
Many of those neighborhoods are in food deserts or areas where families have limited access to grocery stores and healthy food, and as the government shutdown stretches on, families who rely on federal assistance like SNAP could soon lose access.
“Yeah, I travel quite a bit, and one thing that I realize is that here in Tallahassee, you can't just walk to the grocery store. Usually, it's a 15-minute ride from wherever you are. If it's public transportation, that's an hour,” Bradley said.
The 12-week-long program aims to teach neighbors about health and nutrition, including changes in food policy and gardening.
After that, neighbors will put the skills they learned to action through a 6-month mentorship project.
“Waiting for a paycheck just so you can eat food is something that is starting to become like, okay, you have to make some crucial decisions. So, being an advocate and knowing A, how to grow your own food would be helpful even on a small scale,” Bradley said.
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