On July 16th, from 10am to 4pm, the Black Farmers Produce Fest will be held at Glenda Ann Christopher Memorial Park, by 59th St & Greenway Ave.
According to Feeding America, Philadelphia’s 2018 child food insecurity rate was 24.2%, and the 2021 rate was 28.6%. This disturbing trend is compounded even further with the recent pandemic, making Philadelphia one of the highest food insecurity cities in the nation. One of the biggest challenges food-insecure families face is finding affordable, healthy, and chemical-free food in their neighborhoods. The unintentional consequences of a family’s limited options can lead to high-risk health factors, such as obesity, high blood pressure, heart disease, and cancer.
While we tackle the issue of food insecurity, we must also acknowledge that Black Farmers are equally challenged to maintain stability as well as take advantage of emerging opportunities. Today, Black Farmers have experienced a steady decline in existence, leaving them virtually extinct with only a 1.4 percent share compared to 14 percent 100 years ago.
One of the founders of this festival, Pastor Darien Thomas, stated that the purpose of this festival is to not only promote healthy eating but to also develop a pipeline of fresh produce from Black Farmers to the inner cities. Aside from that, Pastor Thomas hopes they’ll be able to encourage people to network with each other. “We’re having African American farmers come up from the South, introducing them to our fresh produce,” said Pastor Thomas. “We hope that this will help us build a concrete partnership between us.”
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