Fresh Food Access

Diet contributes either positively or negatively to an individual's overall health. Obesity contributes to worsening many health conditions, including diabetes, heart conditions and arthritis. How can  access to fresh foods be provided in all of the city's neighborhoods? What is being done currently?

Click here to read Fresh Food Access, Chapter Seven of "Laying the Foundation for an Age-Friendly Philadelphia."

Map - Older Philadelphians & Community Gardens

SAGE: Seniors and Garden Evaluation: “Being Grounded”- Benefits of Gardening for Older Adults, September 2011. 
This research and subsequent report grew out of the GenPhilly event “Germinating Partnerships: Connecting Seniors to Community Gardens” held in February 2011.  Some of the attendees who were responsible for gardens at senior centers and senior housing site asked about the possibility of conducting an evaluation of these efforts.  Dr. Wang, whose research interests include the impact of such programs on health outcomes for older adults, volunteered to serve as Principal Investigator for the project.


 

PCA and GenPhilly’s Germinating Partnerships Toolkit helped to inform the new Elder-Accessible Gardening: A Community Building Option for Brownfields Redevelopment (EPA fact sheet EPA 560-F-11-021, September 2011).  Philadelphia’s Nationalities Senior Center garden is highlighted as a case study.

This new EPA publication provides guidelines for designing urban gardens in brownfields, for seniors and other residents who want to remain physically active, connect with each other and the natural world, and engage in community activities.

 

As in Philadelphia, the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) is promoting community gardens for seniors.  This link will take you to ARC’s Senior Community Garden Manual for starting and cultivating a garden specifically for older adults.

 

Go Philly!
By Mark Bittman
New York Times Opinion

"Foodwise, among the most progressive cities in the country right now is Philadelphia, where the alliance of a forward-thinking mayor and a 19-year-old non-profit is moving things forward."Read more