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Rural Hunger and Access to Healthy Food – Resources

Selected recent or important resources focusing on Rural Hunger and Access to Healthy Food.

Child Nutrition Program Operations During the COVID-19 Pandemic, March through September 2020: School Meals Operations Study, Year 1 Report (Final)
Describes trends in Child Nutrition (CN) Program participation during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, from March through September 2020. Presents data on the number of meals served, operational and financial challenges state agencies and local program operators experienced during the pandemic, and the use of COVID-19 Child Nutrition nationwide waivers. Includes information on challenges rural program operators faced.
Additional links: Report Summary
Date: 05/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
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Using Networks To Build Collaborative And Equitable Food Systems
Examines food production and agriculture practices that promote equality, sustainability, and rural-urban collaboration. Discusses statewide, regional, and national food system initiatives that showcase farmer-consumer connections, balanced development outcomes, rural stewardship, and rural stakeholder equity.
Author(s): Rich Pirog, Marcus A. Coleman
Date: 05/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Aspen Institute
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Making the Most of a Moment: Non-Congregate Meal Service in Rural Areas
A recorded webinar that provides information on non-congregate meal service options in rural areas. Includes strategies from 3 food access stakeholders who discuss how to operate and sustain non-congregate meal programs.
Additional links: Program Overview
Author(s): Donna Martin, Kara Moore, Jamie Breidenbach
Date: 05/2023
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: No Kid Hungry
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Addressing Food Insecurity in Rural Tennessee
A podcast that discusses local hospitals in rural Hardeman County, Tennessee that collaborated to improve access to healthy food for citizens who were experiencing food insecurity and a lack of transportation to grocery stores. Includes information on a community health needs assessment, data exploration, obesity rates, use of grant funds to address health and wellness, and more.
Author(s): Tom Haederle, John Supplitt, Ruby Kirby
Date: 05/2023
Type: Audio
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
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Map the Meal Gap 2023: A Report on County and Congressional District Food Insecurity and County Food Cost in the United States in 2021
Provides information on food insecurity in the United States, focusing on how race and ethnicity impact access to food. Includes county-level U.S. maps that show food insecurity by race and ethnicity as well as impacts for children and the overall U.S. population. Includes discussions about food insecurity in rural counties.
Additional links: Technical Appendix
Author(s): Monica Hake, Emily Engelhard, Adam Dewey
Date: 05/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Feeding America
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Hunger Among Adults Age 50-59 in 2021: An Annual Report
Reports on the extent, distribution, and trends of food insecurity among U.S. residents ages 50-59. Features state-level estimates and data breakdowns on food insecurity by income, race/ethnicity, metropolitan versus nonmetropolitan location, gender, and more.
Author(s): Craig Gundersen, James Ziliak
Date: 04/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Feeding America
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The State of Senior Hunger in America in 2021: An Annual Report
Discusses food insecurity rates among Americans age 60 or older. Includes demographics and characteristics of seniors lacking sufficient access to food, and provides trends and state-level information on food insecurity. Features data breakdowns by metropolitan and nonmetropolitan settings.
Author(s): James Ziliak, Craig Gundersen
Date: 04/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Feeding America
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Adults Living in Families Experiencing Food Insecurity in the Past 30 Days: United States, 2021
Examines characteristics of adults 18 and older living in families experiencing food insecurity. Includes data for those living in metropolitan and nonmetro areas.
Author(s): Julie D. Weeks, Laryssa Mykyta, Jennifer H. Madans
Date: 04/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Center for Health Statistics
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Working With Rural Producers to Expand EBT in Farmers' Markets: A Case Study in Hardeman County, Tennessee
Reviews a case study about how an Extension program encouraged rural Tennessee farmers market producers to accept Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits through Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT). Discusses the outcomes of a workshop about how to begin the EBT application process, advertise SNAP at a farmers market, and improve health benefits by expanding food access.
Author(s): Karen L. Franck, Soghra Jarvandi, Kristen Johnson, et al.
Citation: Health Promotion Practice, 24(1)
Date: 03/2023
Type: Document
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The Rural Food-Away-from-Home Landscape, 1990–2019
Examines the food-away-from-home (FAFH) landscape in nonmetropolitan counties between 1990 and 2019. Explores trends and differentiating features of FAFH access across the metropolitan divide and across the rural-urban continuum. Describes local economic conditions that are associated with more FAFH options.
Additional links: Report Summary
Author(s): Keenan Marchesi, Anne T. Byrne, Trey Malone
Date: 03/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
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Last Updated: 5/29/2024