2016 Healthy Eating Setting Updates
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Healthy eating extended into our communities.
Seeking to serve people with the greatest inequities and disparities, Wabasha County SHIP is working with food shelves to make healthy foods more accessible.
U of M-Extension SNAP-Ed Annette Shepardson paved the way for partnerships with two Wabasha County food shelves when she instructed “Nudging at the Food Shelf,” which encourages consumers to make healthy food choices.
Supported by U of M-Extension and SHIP, Plainview Area Food Shelf and Wabasha-Kellogg Area Food Shelves are working toward making the healthy choice the easy choice by offering recipes in a bag, new signage and enhancing their communications efforts. Tools and practices are being put into place to make the shopping process go smoothly for customers and volunteers. The food shelves have also received healthy donation flyers to distribute to those making donations. The commitment of all parties involved is admirable.
Local champion is leading change in healthy food accessibility.
Wabasha Farmers Market Manager, Sara George's enthusiasm for making healthy food choices available to Wabasha County residents and to making processes easier across the state is commendable.
Farmers Market to Institution
Sara's motto is “keep on swimming.” Sara met with Minnesota Department of Agriculture on April 25, 2016, with a team of experts to break through barriers that prevent farmers markets from being able to aggregate and sell healthy foods to local businesses such as schools, hospitals and restaurants.
Following three and a half years of effort, meetings, emails and phone calls, Wabasha Farmers Market received its Whole Sale Food Handler License. Sara isn't just in this for her market, but hopes to pilot this project and become a mentor for others throughout the state. It's clear that Sara stays true to her motto.
Serving those with the greatest needs
Wabasha Farmers Market has been licensed to accept EBT for two seasons and has supported Lake City Farmers Market and Winona Farmers Market in obtaining EBT. In April 2016 Wabasha Farmers Market was approved for the WIC Farmers Market Nutrition Program (FMNP). Sara has been working on obtaining this since 2013. Low-income woman, infants, children and seniors will be able to use their WIC benefits at the Wabasha Farmers Market!
EBT champions unite!
Sara George’s drive to serve Wabasha County in the best way resulted in her pulling people together in June 2016. The gathered group of includes individuals passionate about meeting the needs of Wabasha County residents to help grow accessibility to EBT. The meeting resulted in a kick-off of the local food access network with 14 members participating!
