The food environment in Ashland and Cherryland
The food environment in Ashland and Cherryland is bleak. In all, 20 stores sell food: 14 grocery stores, six convenience stores and one fruit and vegetable market. The total square footage is 40,700; the average square footage is 1,938. None of these stores employs more than five people. These stores fit the stereotype of the corner store, selling mostly packaged processed food, beer, liquor and sundry items with little or no fresh food. In contrast, there are 11 fast food stores, seven pizza stores, four liquor stores and four sub shops. Twelve have six or more employees. Fast food/liquor store square footage is 48,130; the average square footage is 2,533. The closest supermarkets are in the wealthier communities of San Leandro, San Lorenzo and Hayward and require a car to reach conveniently (www.cnngis.org, accessed February 22, 2010). This imbalance — more fast food than healthy food — likely contributes to the relative poor health of these two communities.
The impact of the food environment in Ashland and Cherryland on health
The obesity epidemic in the United States has impacted Ashland and Cherryland with obesity rates and death by heart disease and diabetes that far exceed county averages.
According to California Fitness Testing, a higher percentage of students within the San Lorenzo Unified School District are reporting body composition outside the healthy fitness zone compared to overall Alameda County. By ninth grade, 39 percent of San Lorenzo unified students report body composition outside the healthy zone compared to a 29 percent countywide. According to Alameda County Health Department records, the diabetes death rate in Ashland-Cherryland is 1.5 times the county average. There are 199.1 deaths per 100,000 annually from coronary heart disease in Cherryland and 148.0 in Ashland, compared to the annual county rate of 146.7 per 100,000. The life expectancy at birth in Ashland-Cherryland is 78.8 years, compared to 79.9 years countywide. The overall mortality rate is 1,043.5 per 100,000 in Cherryland and 735.6 per 100,000 in Ashland, compared to 702.9 per 100,000 across the county.
According to California Fitness Testing, a higher percentage of students within the San Lorenzo Unified School District are reporting body composition outside the healthy fitness zone compared to overall Alameda County. By ninth grade, 39 percent of San Lorenzo unified students report body composition outside the healthy zone compared to a 29 percent countywide. According to Alameda County Health Department records, the diabetes death rate in Ashland-Cherryland is 1.5 times the county average. There are 199.1 deaths per 100,000 annually from coronary heart disease in Cherryland and 148.0 in Ashland, compared to the annual county rate of 146.7 per 100,000. The life expectancy at birth in Ashland-Cherryland is 78.8 years, compared to 79.9 years countywide. The overall mortality rate is 1,043.5 per 100,000 in Cherryland and 735.6 per 100,000 in Ashland, compared to 702.9 per 100,000 across the county.
How we contribute to changing the food environment
Dig Deep Farms & Produce grows healthy, fresh, affordable vegetables and fruit on a growing farm--from three-quarters of an acre in 2010 to more than 15 acres in 2012. We distribute and sell our produce and produce grown by local Bay Area farmers to customers in our neighborhood and similar neighborhoods in the East Bay. We literally change the food environment by making fresh, healthy, affordable food available to community residents and we provide an alternative to the canned, packaged and bottled products in corner stores and the offerings of fast food restaurants. Through our produce business, we create living-wage jobs for community residents and we support the development of value-added products by our farm team.
We can change the way people eat, from unhealthy to healthy. We are the community grocer, changing how people buy their fresh food, from travel to distant supermarkets to home delivery, produce stands and farmers' markets in the neighborhood.
Looking at the big picture, we offer healthy eating to elders and youth, now and for future generations. We contribute to preventing chronic disease like obesity, type-2 diabetes and heart disease. Not only do we change the food environment, but we change the civic environment and social capital of the community, giving us all a better chance to achieve self-sufficiency. We grow food and we grow leaders. We sell food and gain all kinds of wealth in return, especially precious hope for youth now and in the future.
We can change the way people eat, from unhealthy to healthy. We are the community grocer, changing how people buy their fresh food, from travel to distant supermarkets to home delivery, produce stands and farmers' markets in the neighborhood.
Looking at the big picture, we offer healthy eating to elders and youth, now and for future generations. We contribute to preventing chronic disease like obesity, type-2 diabetes and heart disease. Not only do we change the food environment, but we change the civic environment and social capital of the community, giving us all a better chance to achieve self-sufficiency. We grow food and we grow leaders. We sell food and gain all kinds of wealth in return, especially precious hope for youth now and in the future.
