ACCESS TOHEALTHY FOOD

IN SOUTH CAROLINAA Report by the South Carolina Food Access Task Force

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This report was produced by the South Carolina Food Access Task Force and the South Carolina Community Loan Fund with assistance from BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina Foundation, Coastal Conservation League, South Carolina Association of Community Economic Development, South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control, and the University of South Carolina Center for Research in Nutrition and Health Disparities; it was released in fall 2014. Members of the South Carolina Food Access Task Force generously gave their thoughts, edits, data, and other input to provide the content of this report. Nelson Printing, Charleston, SC, provided valuable assistance in the design and production of this report.

Task Force MembersAmy ArmstrongExecutive DirectorSouth Carolina Environmental Law Project

Lowell AtkinsonProgram AssociateSouth Carolina Association for Community Economic Development

Elizabeth BeakFounderCrop-Up

Ann BerginDirector of Health and Public PolicyTrident United Way

Brendan ButtimerExecutive DirectorHub City Farmers Market

Harry CrissyRegional Community and Economic Development AgentBerkeley-Charleston-DorchesterClemson Cooperative Extension Service

Chris DalyChief Operating Offi cerHarvest Hope Food Bank

Carrie DraperDirector of Policy and Community OutreachCenter for Research in Nutrition and Health DisparitiesUniversity of South Carolina

Nathalie DuPreeCookbook Author

Anna Hamilton LewinStrategic Initiatives DirectorSouth Carolina Community Loan Fund

Teresa HillHealthy Eating ConsultantSouth Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control

Germaine JenkinsCEO, Farm & Market ManagerFresh Future Farm

Gloria KellerhalsCo-Chairperson Catawba Food and Farm Coalition

Patrick KingAssistant DirectorSouth Carolina Community Loan Fund

Erika KirbySenior Research Analyst / Grants Manager BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina Foundation

Dave LamieAssociate Professor / Extension EconomistClemson University Institute for Economic and Community Development

Dottie LandrySmall Business Assistant ManagerSouth Carolina Department of Commerce

Michelle MappExecutive DirectorSouth Carolina Community Loan Fund

Jennifer MooreSenior Director, Financial Stability CouncilUnited Way of the Midlands

Lisa MooreEau Claire Community Council

Crystal PiperAssistant ProfessorPublic Health Sciences DepartmentUniversity of North Carolina, Charlotte

Jack ShulerPresidentPalmetto AgriBusiness Council

Patricia SharpeProfessorCollege of Social WorkUniversity of South Carolina

Nikki SeibertSustainable Agriculture Program DirectorLowcountry Local First

Yarley SteedlyGovernment Relations DirectorAmerican Heart Association

Dr. Kendra StewartDirectorJoseph P. Riley Jr. Center for Livable CommunitiesCollege of Charleston

Lisa McGill SweatmanGovernment Relations DirectorSouth Carolina Retail Association

Coleman TannerCommunity CoordinatorEat Smart, Move More SC

Lisa TuranskyFood and Agriculture Program DirectorGrowFood Carolina

Diana VossbrinckSC New and Beginner Farmer ProgramClemson University

Vicki YoungChief Operating Offi cerSouth Carolina Primary Health Care Association

Dear Friends,

Borne out of the SC Food Policy Council and with support from the SC Department of Agriculture, the South Carolina Food Access Task Force was assembled to address the barriers to healthy food access in South Carolina. The Task Force is composed of more than twenty members from the private, nonprofi t, government, and academic sectors with representation from a variety of industries including insurance, health, farming, banking, economic development, retail, and research.

Building upon initial fi ndings of the SC Food Policy Council published in the report, “Growing Food and Opportunities”, the primary goal of the Task Force is to expand the availability of nutritious food by developing and equipping healthy food retail and wholesale markets in underserved communities through the formulation and implementation of key policy recommendations focused on reducing critical barriers to food access. The Task Force has developed fi ve key recommendations for state and local leaders that will enhance the supply of healthy, affordable food in every community.

The recommendations in this document are rooted in a strategy that addresses capital, affordability, supply, planning, and transportation. Recommendations include the creation of a state-funded healthy food fi nancing initiative, increasing farmers market participation, food retail opportunities, and transportation options, among others. With an increased sense of urgency based on some of the most alarming health statistics, our state and local leaders must promote policies and actions that increase healthy food access and consumption, and reduce barriers for retailers and grocers.

Every South Carolinian deserves access to fresh and healthy food. On behalf of the South Carolina Food Access Task Force, we are pleased to present to you our recommendations for developing a robust healthy food economy in South Carolina. Together, utilizing these recommendations as the foundation, we can work towards an equitable food system for our state.

Sincerely, South Carolina Food Access Task Force Steering Committee

WHY FOOD ACCESS MATTERS IN SOUTH CAROLINAPromotes Additional Spending in the Local Market: Research shows agricultural business development designed to serve local communities has the potential to bolster the state’s economy and increase healthy food access concurrently. A study by the University of Minnesota Extension Service revealed that small farms with gross incomes of $100,000 made almost 95% of total expenditures within their local communities. Large farms spent less than 20% locally.1 Presently, large-scale farming provides relatively few rural jobs because public policy and technology have favored the replacement of human labor with chemicals and machinery. However, with more sustainable farming practices, product diversifi cation and opportunities for a guaranteed market, rural residents can begin to profi t from their land. With opportunities for local processing and adding value to raw materials, farmers will enjoy higher earnings on their products. Increased farmer earnings will lead to an increased quality of life in our rural communities. And healthier food will become more accessible.

Spurs Community Development: The USDA reports 1,003,861 low-income individuals statewide live in food deserts, areas more than one mile from a grocery store that have limited access to other outlets such as corner stores, farmers markets, food hubs, and mobile markets.2 These communities exist in every region of the state, from the Pee Dee to the Lowcountry, to the Upstate, resulting in untapped economic development opportunities across South Carolina. Residents of food deserts in the state spend approximately $311 million annually on groceries outside of their local community, commonly referred to as grocery store leakage.

Lowers the Risk for Diet Related Disease: Research has shown that adults living in neighborhoods with a grocery store have lower obesity rates compared to those living in neighborhoods without a grocery store.4,5 Further, adults and youth who have healthy food options within a mile of their homes are less likely to become obese or overweight.6,7 South Carolina is the 7th most obese state in the country and lags behind the rest of the nation in overall health measures. According to America’s Health Rankings 2013, published by the American Health Foundation, South Carolina ranked 43rd on standard public health measures, including the prevalence of obesity, heart disease and diabetes.8 The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control reports the state spends an estimated $1.2 billion on obesity-related health care. If South Carolina could halt the increase in prevalence of obesity at today’s levels, it would save South Carolinians a total of $3 billion by 2018.9

The recommendations set forth within this report challenge state and local leaders to make access to healthy food a top priority by addressing fi ve core issues at the heart of the problem: capital, affordability, supply, planning, and transportation.

Lowell AtkinsonSC Association of Community Economic Development

Elizabeth BeakCrop Up

Chris DalyHarvest Hope Food Bank

Carrie DraperUniversity of South Carolina

Anna Hamilton LewinSouth Carolina Community Loan Fund

Erika KirbyBlueCross BlueShield ofSouth Carolina Foundation

Dave LamieClemson University Extension

Jack ShulerPalmetto Agribusiness Council

Lisa TuranskyGrowFood Carolina

Untapped, local markets could

support approximately 529,000

square feet of grocery retail – directly

translating into jobs, transportation

cost savings, citizen engagement,

economic development, increased

tax revenue, and most importantly,

improved access to healthy food.3

SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONSIn an effort to expand the availability of healthy food in our state, the South Carolina Food

Access Task Force recommends policies to support the following areas:

1 CAPITAL: Develop a healthy food fi nancing initiativeto provide capital to support the establishment, renovation,

or expansion of different food projects, including food hubs,

farm businesses, mobile markets, small food stores, and

full-service grocery stores that make available affordable,

local, and healthy food.

2 AFFORDABILITY: Ensure SNAP recipients are able to

utilize farmers markets to purchase fresh, affordable South

Carolina grown produce by expanding and sustaining the SNAP Healthy Bucks program.

3 SUPPLY: Support existing and create new economic development programs that expand the supply of

fresh, nutritious food in underserved communities and

food deserts throughout the state. These programs should

increase both the demand for and the supply of locally-

sourced produce and meats so as to promote healthy

lifestyles and eating habits for individuals and families

within these communities.

4 PLANNING: Encourage local governments to

integrate planning and zoning regulations into comprehensive plans that promote healthy food

production, processing, distribution, and access.

5 TRANSPORTATION: Encourage partnerships to

develop affordable transportation services for communities without convenient access to a full-service grocery store.

South  Carolina  Obesity  Prevalence  among  Adults  by  Educa:on  and  Income  levels,  2012  

32.7   31.8  33  

25.3  

36.4   35.8  

32.1  34.2  

26.8  

0  

5  

10  

15  

20  

25  

30  

35  

40  

     Less  than  H.S.  

     H.S.  or  G.E.D.  

     Some  post-­‐H.S.  

     College  graduate  

     Less  than  $15,000  

     $15,000-­‐  24,999  

     $25,000-­‐  34,999  

     $35,000-­‐  49,999  

     $50,000+  Percent  o

f  Pop

ulaFon

 

Data  Source:  2012  South  Carolina  Behavioral  Risk  Factor  Surveillance  System      

Figure 1: South Carolina Food DesertsSource: USDA

In South Carolina’s food deserts and Low Supermarket Access Areas, there is over $300 million in grocery store leakage, or money spent on groceries outside of these communities. This is enough to support 529,000 square feet of retail space.

Figure 2: SC Obesity Rates by Education Level and IncomeSource: DHEC

Persons of lower socio-economic status are more vulnerable to obesity. Further, low-income neighborhoods have about 25% fewer supermarkets as middle income zip codes.

South Carolina Food Deserts

South Carolina Obesity Prevalence Among

Adults by Education and Income Levels, 2012

THE DATA

RECOMMENDATION 1: CapitalSouth Carolina should develop a healthy food financing initiative (HFFI) to provide capital to support the establishment, renovation, or expansion of different food projects, including food hubs, farm businesses, mobile markets, small food stores, and large grocery stores that make available affordable, local, and healthy food. This should be a public-private partnership.

Funding will be used to provide working capital for the start-up of new businesses or

the continued operation of existing businesses; acquisition and/or improvement of land,

buildings, plant and equipment, including new construction or renovation of existing

facilities, demolition and site preparation; and soft costs including feasibility and market

studies.

Eligible projects should include an evaluation component; serve low to moderate-income

communities; and maximize the amount of local product being provided. communities; and maximize the amount of local product being provided.

RECOMMENDATION 2: AffordabilityEnsure SNAP recipients are able to utilize farmers markets to purchase fresh, affordable South Carolina grown produce by expanding and sustaining the SNAP Healthy Bucks program.

The Midlands Family Study found that SNAP recipients want to purchase produce at farmers

markets. Out of the 380 SNAP recipients who participated, 97% said they would use their

SNAP benefits at a farmers market if a participating market was located in close proximity

to their home. Shopping at farmers markets may help alleviate child hunger, too, as families

that shopped at farmers markets reported being more food secure, and thus, able to better

protect their children from hunger.13

The SNAP Healthy Bucks program provides a match, up to five dollars, for benefits spent at

local farmers markets. As the managing agency, the Department of Social Services should do

the following to ensure program success and full deployment of allocated funding:

• Provide outreach to inform the public that SNAP benefits are accepted

at farmers markets;

• Publicize where participating farmers markets are located;

• Provide technical assistance and outreach to farmers markets to ensure the acceptance

of SNAP and participation in the SNAP Healthy Bucks program; and

• Partner with SNAP recipients, farmers market managers, and other stakeholders in

implementing and expanding the SNAP Healthy Bucks program.

Success Story: Right Choice, Fresh Start

The South Carolina Cancer Prevention and Control Research Network (SC-CPCRN), in partnership with Family Health Centers, Inc., formed the fi rst federally-qualifi ed health center-based farmers market in South Carolina – the Right Choice, Fresh Start market located in Orangeburg. The market introduced an incentive program that for the fi rst $5 a person used of their SNAP or other nutrition assistance program benefi ts to purchase produce, they could receive an additional $5 to support additional produce purchases. After this healthy incentive program was implemented, four times more SNAP dollars were spent at the farmers market, increasing access to produce for low-income South Carolinians, income for small-scale farmers, and food dollars kept in the local economy.14,15

Success Story : South CarolinaCommunity Loan Fund

Across the country, partnerships with Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) have been an effective model for state funded healthy food fi nancing initiatives. CDFIs are experts in leveraging state, federal, and private dollars; additionally, CDFIs have existing relationships with underserved communities, community development experts, and other community organizations. These relationships help ensure that funding is directed to areas of true need.

The South Carolina Community Loan Fund (SCCLF), a statewide CDFI, provides specialized loans to increase healthy food options in South Carolina food deserts and other underserved neighborhoods; SCCLF has raised over $1.5 million to support these efforts.

RECOMMENDATION 3: SupplyState and local governments should foster existing and create new economic development programs that expand the supply of fresh, nutritious food in underserved communities and food deserts throughout the state and promote opportunities for new and beginning farmers. These programs should increase both the demand for and the supply of locally-sourced produce and meats so as to promote healthy lifestyles and eating habits for individuals and families within these communities.

Developing markets for locally-sourced produce is a critical component of creating a

solid food economy, in both underserved and adequately served areas of South Carolina.

Economic development strategies, such as those laid out in the 2013 report “Making Small

Farms into Big Businesses” created by the SC Department of Agriculture, SC Department of Farms into Big Businesses” created by the SC Department of Agriculture, SC Department of Farms into Big Businesses”

Commerce, Carolina Farm Stewardship Association, and the Coastal Conservation League,

should be implemented.16 The strategies presented in the report foster the production,

processing and sale of locally-produced fruits and vegetables in local markets. The Making

Small Farms Into Big Business report recommends supporting a coordinated, statewide effort Small Farms Into Big Business report recommends supporting a coordinated, statewide effort Small Farms Into Big Business

to create three or four food hubs across the state.17

RECOMMENDATION 4: PlanningEncourage local governments to integrate planning and zoning regulations into comprehensive plans that promote healthy food production, processing, distribution, and access.

In South Carolina, comprehensive plans are required by state law and help local governments define their

vision for future growth and change. Comprehensive plan policy that addresses public health can be used

to support decisions about private development, public infrastructure and services. Additionally, it can be

used to support changes to zoning or capital improvement programs. Local policy decisions that rely on a

comprehensive plan can, and do, impact public health. Integration of policies that support the production and

availability of healthy food into these plans helps to lay the groundwork for creating healthier communities.

The SC Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) and Eat Smart, Move More South Carolina

(ESMMSC) have collaborated with Alta Planning + Design and other partners on a healthy, comprehensive

planning initiative for the state. The SC Health + Planning Toolkit: A Healthy Eating and Active Living Policy

Guide was developed to assist communities with integrating healthy eating and active living principles into

comprehensive plans18. Regional trainings on the toolkit have been conducted to provide stakeholders an

in-depth understanding of how to improve public health. DHEC, ESMMSC, and partners are looking at the

next phase of the healthy comprehensive planning initiative, which will include more targeted outreach and

technical assistance to local level stakeholders to support the integration of policies that promote healthy

food production, processing, distribution, and access.

Success Story: Charleston County

Preservation of Charleston County’s natural resources and rural and agricultural areas has been one of the main goals of the Charleston County Comprehensive Plan since its original adoption in 1999.19 The many strategies to implement this goal and support healthy eating principles include:

• Support individuals, farmers, and organizations involved with local food production;

• Partner with local organizations focused on promoting and supporting local production and consumption;

• Establishment of the Agricultural Issues Advisory Committee, whose mission is to identify ways to foster agriculture, agri-business, and forestry in the County and across South Carolina, including but not limited to supporting state and local enabling legislation such as the Tourist Oriented Directional Signage Program and the voluntary agricultural and forestall areas; and

• Establishment of an Urban Growth Boundary, coordinated between the County, the City of Charleston, and the Town of Mount Pleasant, that promotes higher intensity growth in the urban /suburban area where infrastructure and services exist, and preserves the rural area for agricultural and forestry uses with very low levels of residential development.

Success Story: GrowFood Carolina

With the help of a USDA Rural Business Enterprise Grant and a SCDA Specialty Crop Block Grant, and more than $2 million in private funding, the Coastal Conservation League launched GrowFood Carolina – the state’s fi rst and only local food hub -- in the fall of 2011. GrowFood is located in Charleston and is housed in a warehouse renovated to LEED specifi cations. It provides local farmers the sales, marketing, logistics, warehousing and distribution functions they desperately need, and provides a wholesale source of local fruits and vegetables from within 120 miles of Charleston to communities, including food deserts in the region. GrowFood aims to positively impact the local food system, to change food distribution into a model that supports small farmers and healthier communities, and ultimately, to protect farmland by making local agriculture profi table throughout the state. Since opening its doors, GrowFood has expanded from working with fi ve farmers to more than 50 today. More than $700,000 has been channeled back into farmers’ pockets as a result of GrowFood’s services, and the number of customers has increased twenty-fold.

RECOMMENDATION 5: TransportationEncourage partnerships to develop affordable transportation services for communities without convenient access to a full-service grocery store.

Low-income neighborhoods often lack a grocery store or other market that sells

fresh produce. This lack of access to healthy food is exacerbated when people in

these neighborhoods lack transportation. In a preliminary analysis of the Midlands

Family Study data - a study that examined the differences within households that are Family Study data - a study that examined the differences within households that are

experiencing child hunger versus those who are not - over 72% of food secure families experiencing child hunger versus those who are not - over 72% of food secure families

reported having reliable transportation for the whole previous year while only 33%

of families experiencing child hunger did.20 This could mean that a household lacking This could mean that a household lacking

reliable transportation increases the likelihood of children within the household having reliable transportation increases the likelihood of children within the household having

the size and quality of their food diminished, sometimes to the point of having to go the size and quality of their food diminished, sometimes to the point of having to go

whole days without eating. Research has shown that people with access to a full-

service grocery store have healthier diets and decreased risk of obesity.21

COMMUNITIES ACROSS SOUTH CAROLINA ARE MOBILIZINGTO INCREASE ACCESS TO HEALTHY FOOD The Northside Healthy Food Hubis a hybrid business that includes the Hub City Farmers Market, the Butterfl y Foundation and its culinary arts training program, and a community café and garden located in Spartanburg’s Northside neighborhood. The project, which is a signifi cant development for a community long categorized as a food desert, is poised to create jobs, renew and grow vital community connections, and provide access to nutritious prepared foods, groceries and produce in a community that is severely lacking healthy food options.

Hardeeville’s Garden of Hope is located in the small town of Hardeeville. Jasper County Neighbors United’s Gardens of Hope are located at two affordable housing projects in the area - Deerfi eld Village and Mercy Circle Apartments – and provide those communities with direct, consistent access to nutritious fruits and vegetables. Residents also help cultivate the crops and harvest the produce within these communities, thereby promoting youth development and workforce training for community members that volunteer their time.

Charleston Parks Conservancy has opened a community garden in the West Ashley area of Charleston. Magnolia Park and Community Garden is home to 60 raised beds available for lease on an annual basis. Individuals who lease these garden plots are able to learn and grow their own food with greater success through classes provided through the Conservancy. The garden consists of 11 community beds used for educational purposes of which the produce is donated to a local food pantry. In time, a farmers market will exist on the site. The Charleston Parks Conservancy has plans for two more community gardens of this size for city parks in the next two years.

South Carolina Community Loan Fund’s Feeding Innovation is a comprehensive technical assistance program designed to support entrepreneurs interested in growing or expanding healthy food businesses in underserved areas of the state. Framed as a business plan competition offering technical assistance, entrepreneurs have an opportunity to receive a seed capital award to implement their business plan.

Fresh Future Farm, located in the Chicora-Cherokee neighborhood of North Charleston, seeks to join the local food movement in a manner that meets community needs by bringing healthy food, food-based commerce, and jobs back to a North Charleston food desert. Once established, Fresh Future Farm will rely on best agricultural practices from around the world to develop a unique non-profi t that generates multiple streams of revenue to be self-sustaining so that it can focus on achieving its mission.

Dirt Works Incubator Farm is a project of Lowcountry Local First providing low-risk farm business incubation for the Lowcountry of South Carolina as part of their Growing New Farmers Program. Dirt Works is the second stage of the program and provides affordable access to land, infrastructure, equipment, training, and mentorship for three years for up to six small farm businesses. The Growing New Farmers Program also includes farmer apprenticeship and land matching services as the first and third phase respectively. The program is the first of its kind in South Carolina.

Success Story: National Model

The Greater Lynchburg Transit Company, Lynchburg, VA: In concert with the Lynchburg Health Department, the Greater Lynchburg Transit Company launched a pilot program in January 2014 to offer residents of a local food desert free bus rides to the closest grocery store. Fares for the bus rides, which are offered every Saturday, are reimbursed by The Lynchburg Health Department, using a mix of grant funding received as part of the Live Healthy Lynchburg initiative from the Virginia Department of Health and the Greater Lynchburg Community Trust.22

CONCLUSIONFood access matters because it:

$ Promotes additional spending in the local market

Spurs community development

♥ Lowers the risk of dietary disease

The recommendations in this document are rooted in a comprehensive statewide food access strategy that addresses capital, affordability, supply, planning, and transportation. Working together, we can ensure that every South Carolinian has the ability to access affordable, healthy food. We encourage state and local leaders to implement these recommendations, as they represent a comprehensive approach to addressing the lack of healthy food retail options in South Carolina.

Members of the South Carolina Food Access Task Force are confi dent these strategies will help address barriers throughout rural and urban parts of the state. Working together -- for all South Carolinians -- we can create a physically and economically healthier state.

Selected Resources:

1. Pew Commission on Industrial Farm Animal Production (n.d.). Impact of industrial farm animal production on rural communities. Retrieved from http://www.ncifap.org/_images/212-8_PCIFAP_RuralCom_Finaltc.pdf

2. Economic Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture (2014). Food access research atlas. Retrieved from http://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/food-access-research-atlas.aspx

3. CDFI Fund Capacity Building Initiative, U.S. Department of Treasury (2012). A summary of searching for markets: the geography of inequitable access to healthy and affordable food in the United States. Retrieved from http://www.cdfi fund.gov/what_we_do/ resources/DemandStudySummary.pdf

4. Morland, K., Diex Roux, A., and Wing, S. “Supermarkets, Other Food Stores, and Obesity: The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study.” American Journal of Preventive Medicine 30, no.4 (2006): 333-339.

5. PolicyLink (2010). The grocery store gap: Who has access to healthy food and why it matters. Retrieved from http://thefoodtrust.org/uploads/media_items/grocerygap.original.pdf

6. Inagami, S., Cohen, D., Finch K. B., and Asch, S. (2006). You are where you shop: Grocery store locations, weight, and neighborhoods. American Journal of Preventive Medicine 31(1), 10-17.

7. Powell, L., Auld, C., Chaloupka, F., O’Malley, P. M., and Johnston, L. D. (2007). Associations between access to food stores and adolescent body mass index. American Journal of Preventive Medicine 33(4), S301-307.

8. United Health Foundation (2014). America’s health rankings. Retrieved from http://www.americashealthrankings.org/SC

9. South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (2011). 2011 South Carolina obesity burden report. Retrieved from http://www.scdhec.gov/health/epidata/index.htm

10. Economic Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture (2013). Household food security in the United States in 2012. Retrieved from http://www.ers.usda.gov/media/1183208/err-155.pdf

11. Find more information about the Community Loan Fund here: http://www.sccommunityloanfund.org/

12. Find more information about The Fresh Food Retailer Initiative here: http://www.nola.gov/city/fresh-food-retailers-initiative/

13. Draper, C. and Jones, S. (2013). SNAP double bucks programs: increasing access to produce while supporting small farmers and the local economy (Policy brief-2). Retrieved from http://nutritioncenter.sph.sc.edu/doc/Double%20Bucks%20FINAL%20DRAFT.3.7.2014.pdf.

14. Freedman, D. A., Choi, S. K., Hurley, T., Anadu, E., & Hebert, J. R. (2013). A farmers’ market at a federally qualifi ed health center improves fruit and vegetable intake among low-income diabetics. Preventive Medicine, 56(5), 288-292. DOI: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2013.01.018

15. Freedman, D.A., Mattison-Faye, A., Alia, K., Guest, M.A., & Hebert, J.R. (2014). Comparing farmers’ market revenue trends before and after the implementation of a food assistance monetary incentive intervention. Preventing Chronic Disease, 11(E87). DOI: 10.5888/pcd11.130347 PMID:24854238

16. Crossroads Resource Center (2013). Making small farms into big business. Retrieved from http://www.crcworks.org/scfood.pdf

17. Find more information about GrowFood Carolina here: http://growfoodcarolina.com/

18. Eat Smart, Move More South Carolina, South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (2014). South Carolina health and planning toolkit: A healthy eating and active living policy guide. Retrieved from http://eatsmartmovemoresc.org/pdf/SCHealthyToolkit.pdf

19. Charleston County (2008). Charleston County comprehensive plan update. Retrieved from http://www.charlestoncounty.org/departments/Planning/ Comp_Plan.htm

20. Jones, S. et al (2013). [Midlands Family Study]. Unpublished raw data.

21. Larson, N. I., Story, M. T., & Nelson, M. C. (2009). Neighborhood environments: disparities in access to healthy foods in the U.S. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 36(1), 74-81.

22. Petska, A. (2014, January 16). Bus service from James River Crossing to Food Lion to help combat food desert. The News and Advance. Retrieved from http://www.newsadvance.com/news/local/bus-service-from-james-river-crossing-to-food-lion-to/article_72cb8e80-7f30-11e3-81cf-001a4bcf6878.html

This report was produced by the South Carolina Food Access Task Force and the South Carolina Community Loan Fund, with funding provided by the Kresge Foundation.

Learn more at:

www.scfoodaccess.com

www.sccommunityloanfund.org