D-Town: African American Farmers, Food Security and Detroit

“D-Town farmers’ reject the government’s efforts to control food because of its ineptitude and its lack of care about the Black community...........D-Town activists challenge the White privilege embedded in the food security movement...........Urban farming is only part of a much larger mission to create structures that end relationships of dependency.” by Monica M. White, Ph.D. Assistant Professor in the Department of Sociology, Wayne State University

more at http://www.blackagendareport.com/?q=content/d-town-african-american-farmers-food-security-and-detroit

Healthy Food In Detroit

With no major grocery chain store in Detroit, many depend on suppliers like Peaches and Greens, one of three involved in a Michigan pilot program to deliver healthy food.

CBSNewsOnline September 03, 2009

Food Among the Ruins

Image by Jonathan LaRocca

Current Access to Quality Food in Detroit

" .........In the city of Detroit, the most accessible food-related establishments are party stores, dollar stores, fast-food restaurants and gas stations. Although most neighborhoods may have a grocery store within a “reasonable” distance, the quality and selection of food items is exceedingly lacking. Most city stores have a very limited variety of unprocessed (fresh) vegetables and fruits. Most foods are canned, boxed, frozen and/or highly processed. Highly processed foods are nutrient-poor, with excessive salt, sugar, and harmful fats. These stores also lack food alternatives for persons with the chronic conditions, such as heart disease, hypertension and diabetes, who require low-salt, sugar-free, healthy carbohydrates and healthy fats. These and other chronic health conditions exist and are growing at alarming rates in the African-American community."

more at http://www.detroitfoodpolicycouncil.net/Page_2.html

DPS teachers spend their summer mapping dangers

@ http://detroitdataguru.wordpress.com/2010/08/23/dps-teachers-spend-their-summer-mapping-dangers/

Detroit Hard to Count areas

Data Driven Detroit and the Community Research Institute at Grand Valley State University have teamed up to help community outreach efforts for the 2010 Census. Using data from the 2000 Census, Hard to Count areas were calculated for census tracts across the state.