Food Security & Nutrition
Food Security- is a strong, sustainable, local and regional food system that ensures access to affordable, nutritious, and culturally appropriate food for all people at all times.
Food Security maximizes self-reliance and social justice.
Food from conventional supermarkets travels an average of 1,500 miles from the farm to your table. When our food sources are far away, we are dependant on trucking, gasoline, large agri-businesses, pesticides, preservatives and other factors to get our food.
Community gardens focus on bringing food sources to our own neighborhoods where we are only depending on ourselves and our neighbors to get fresh vegetables.
When vegetables are locally produced, we can eat them the same day they were picked. That means they are fresh, more nutritious, and taste better.
Community gardens also bring healthy food to low income neighborhoods and food deserts, where typical convenience stores do not offer healthy and affordable options.
Families can reduce the amount of money they spend on food by growing their own.
“A 300 square foot garden plot can yield $350 to supplement food budget” -Wendy Wilbur, Alachua County Cooperative Extension Service
For more information on Food Security see: