Living In a Food Desert Documentary

Across Virginia - from Hampton to Richmond, Petersburg to
Lynchburg to Wise County and all points in between - approximately 17.8 percent of Virginia's population live in food desert. This documentary was produced by VSU as part of a study on food insecurity in the College of Agriculture.
Produced by Jesse Vaughan & Cedric Owens - Co-Producer Dr. Jewel Hairston - Narrator Daphne Maxwell Reid

(downbeat music)

>> The United States

has traditionally been
known as a land of plenty

but in recent years, there's
been a growing problem of need.

Food deserts are defined
by the US Department

of Agriculture as areas where people

can not access affordable
and nutritious food.

They're usually found
in impoverished areas

that lack grocery
stores, farmer's markets,

and other healthy food providers.

Across Virginia, from Hampton to Richmond,

Petersburg to Lynchburg, to Wise County

and all points in between,
approximately 17.8%

of the population lives in a food desert.

>> We need more grocery
stores in these neighborhoods

if for nothing else, for our kids.

We're getting older, we're
not getting any younger

but we don't want it to fall on them

that has fell on us.

>> Kim Douglas has spent most

of her 55 years living in Hampton

and she's seen a lot
of change in that time.

>> This place here used to be Safeway.

Use to come over here and get
fresh meats and vegetables.

>> The neighborhood her
grandchildren see everyday

is not the same one she remembers.

>> There used to be where
we had grocery stores

right around the area.

We could just walk up
not even three blocks

and get to a grocery store.

This used to be Rich's grocery store.

It's not here anymore.

Now there's a convenience
store on the corner

where we used to have our supermarket.

>> That convenience means
a disappointing variety

of foods packed with preservatives

and empty calories with very
few fresh produce options.

It also means a steep price tag.

>> You know, you go to
the convenience store,

prices are so high if
you wanna buy fresh fruit

or fresh vegetables and
they sell like the salads

and what not, you're
talking about four dollars

where you can make a salad
for like maybe a buck

or two yourself with the
fresh produce you have

but now we don't have that.

>> Kim has struggled
with high blood pressure

and arthritis for years.

That means her wallet and her body

can't afford to live on what
she finds in her neighborhood

so she has to carefully
plan shopping trips

in search of nutritious,
affordable food for her family.

>> It's frustrating for one because I have

to spend money to catch
the bus to get there

when I could just walk.

It's just frustrating just having

to figure out how to get
to the store sometimes.

>> Over the years, the neighborhood

has lost a number of good grocery stores

and even a neighborhood produce stand.

>> They took the vegetable
stand away from us

in this neighborhood after they've already

taken away our grocery stores.

>> Looking down her streets today,

Kim is discouraged.

>> You've got cigarettes,
you've got alcohol.

You have an ABC store on every corner.

You have cigarettes at every store.

You have junk food just sitting there

saying buy me, buy me, you know?

And the first thing you
wanna do is just grab it.

>> Kim worries about neighbors

who are content to rely on whatever stores

are nearby especially if they're doing so

with low income and meager benefits.

>> If you're going to these
convenience stores everyday

trying to get a banana or apple

or orange or salad or
whatever, I'm just saying,

that's coming away from your household.

Even though people don't think about it.

Oh yeah, I get food, yeah that's fine

but guess what, food
stamps are gonna spend

just like money and once
you run out of money

what's left?

>> What's left is
certainly not good health.

Poor nutrition is linked to obesity,

high blood pressure, and diabetes.

It's also associated with
poor academic performance

and behavior issues in children.

All of these further strain households

that are already facing
financial struggles.

>> Does anybody really care?

Do they?

We're here suffering.

All we ask is that listen to us.

>> I think that all of us
can take some responsibility

for not being as sensitive

to the needs of those who are living

in our various communities.

>> Delegate Delores McQuinn

represents the 70th district
and lives in Richmond.

>> Wonder why they have the same, well,

I guess because they pulled it out of 577.

>> She became aware of food insecurity

while serving on the city council

representing a particularly
hard hit district.

>> I was really I guess
just a little bit taken back

when there were
individuals that would come

and knock on my door
actually asking for food

and particularly young people,

young families who didn't have,

was just struggling from day to day.

When children would come
and just say Ms. McQuinn,

do you have anything for me to eat?

We don't have any food.

And that is always, always
sort of stuck with me.

>> That's the one you order for, not the--

>> I didn't sign these though.

>> After her election
to the general assembly,

Delegate McQuinn presented
house bills in 2012

and 2013 requesting that the Commonwealth

explore the issue and consider solutions.

>> What was just so interesting to me

is not only the limited knowledge

that I brought to the
table but even greater

was the limited knowledge
that my colleagues had

about food deserts.

>> The lack of awareness meant the bill

did not get far in 2012
but it got attention

from organizations and leaders

who reached out to Delegate McQuinn

wanting to help raise awareness

and be a part of the solution.

She resubmitted the bill in 2013.

>> And out of that drew a greater number

of people and organizations
that were interested

as well as my colleagues who then

became a little bit more
sensitive to the particular issue.

>> This time around, it was important

to educate her fellow
delegates on the issue

so that they all had an
equal understanding of it

even if they hadn't
witnessed it first hand.

>> How do we address this issue
and how do more than that?

How do we bring a level of awareness

to the community overall,
to the Commonwealth overall

about food desert and food insecurity

so that all of us are on the same page?

>> We were asked, as leading institutions

in Virginia to do a study to
say is this really a problem

and should we really take a look at this

and we have found through
a study that we led

that this is an issue
that impacts Virginia.

>> Dr. Jewel Hairston,

dean of the college of agriculture

at Virginia State University, along

with her counterpart from Virginia Tech,

Dean Allen Grant, co-chaired
a comprehensive study

that outlined the prevalence and effects

of food deserts across the Commonwealth.

>> She led, actually, the task force

just making sure that we're moving

in the direction to bring
awareness to the public

about it as well as the recommendation

that would come forth that
we do something about it.

>> More than 1.4 million
people in the state

of Virginia live in food deserts

and this issue impacts almost every area

across the state of Virginia.

When people don't have access to fresh

and healthy food and food
that they can afford,

they're going to buy food
where they can get it

and they're gonna buy
food that they can afford.

Typically, that's gonna be unhealthy food.

Ultimately if you continue to eat cheap

and unhealthy food, it's gonna lead

to poor health, it's
gonna lead to obesity.

It's gonna lead to a lot of the diseases

such as high blood pressure and others.

That's why this is such
an important issue.

>> Dr. Hairston grew up in Petersburg

which has been identified as one

of the most severe food
deserts in the common wealth

and she recalls that even then,

it wasn't an ideal setting for families

who made good nutrition a priority.

>> We were miles from a grocery store

but we were very close to a corner store

that sold lots of candy
and lots of other things.

They didn't sell fresh
fruits and vegetables

but that's just the way we lived.

We were fortunate enough
to have transportation

but many around us didn't
have transportation

so their only choice was to buy their food

from what was close by.

>> Those options lead to poor health

which leads to diminished opportunities

in school and work.

It's a vicious cycle, Hairston says,

because food deserts are concentrated

where financial resources
are already lacking.

>> The income is certainly a factor

because when you take people's money away,

you take their ability to move around,

you take their ability to purchase.

Also, if a business is going to come in,

they're all about making money.

They are not gonna set up
a high end grocery store

in an area where people
can't afford the food

that they wanna sell.

>> A complex problem will surely

not have an easy solution,
Dr. Hairston says,

but without a serious, concerted effort

to intervene, the decline
will continue even further.

>> If we don't pay
attention to this issue now

it's only going to get worse.

>> People united will never be defeated.

People united will never be defeated.

>> The economic downturn that began

in 2008 has magnified what
was already a serious problem.

Even families without a history of poverty

or low income have come to find themselves

with seriously diminished food budgets.

>> And unfortunately, that typically leads

to selecting poor quality food.

For example, you can get four boxes

of macaroni and cheese for a dollar

whereas when someone that
is on a limited income

walks into a grocery store,

they're typically not gonna
stop in the produce section.

>> Leslie Van Horn is executive director

of the Federation of Virginia Food Banks

which serves hungry
citizens across Virginia

through food pantries, soup kitchens,

and programs targeted specifically

to school children and senior citizens.

>> And I would say the
biggest group of people

who we provide assistance
to are the working corps.

People who lost their jobs
and then took another job

but possible took a pretty big pay cut

in order to have a job and
are really having a tough time

making ends meet.

>> In her position, Van Horn

has a panoramic view of the problem

across the entire Commonwealth

and has seen its rapid
growth in recent years.

>> Last year, the food banks in Virginia

actually distributed
over 142 million pounds

of food and grocery products.

When I first started
this job nine years ago,

that figure was at 45
million, so as you can see

the need continues to grow.

>> Unfortunately, children

are often the hardest hit.

Across the country, 23.5 million people

live in food deserts.

More than six million
of these are children.

In Virginia, 16.5% of children

are considered food insecure, meaning

that they can not be sure
where their next meal

will come from.

>> You can't get things right

until you admit what has gone wrong.

For me as a pastor, it
gives me more gray hair.

It keeps me up at night.

The thought, the idea that children

are going to bed hungry.

You don't have to stay where you are.

And the ramifications of that.

Nobody can keep you there

unless you give that person permission.

Going to bed hungry then
waking up the next day

and then trying to function at school,

trying to function, learning
and preparing themselves.

You're already behind the eight ball.

You're already at disadvantage.

>> The reverend Dr. Michael Sanders

is pastor of Mount Olive Baptist Church

on Richmond's south side.

>> Welcome back brother.

>> Each week, his church
hosts a food pantry,

distributing healthy food to as many

as 250 people who stand
in line for 30 minutes

or more to get it.

>> Okay, you got your bag
for them, okay, alright.

If we help them in a way that we can

be giving them good, nutritious meals

then they've got a chance
to prepare themselves

for a brighter future.

♫ Thank you Lord

♫ Thank you Lord

>> Mount Olive's leaders

believe the food pantry is
essential to their mission

not only because of their Christian faith

but also because their neighborhood

is one of the clearest
examples of a food desert.

>> In our community, Jeff Davis Highway,

you can just stroll down Jeff Davis

and you see the liquor stores,

you see the convenience stores,

you see those stores and institutions

that provide things
that not the healthiest.

We're located in the highest
food desert in Richmond.

More children and
families go to bed hungry

than in any other area in Richmond.

There has to be a resolve to conquer this

and wipe it out and I think that we can

but we have to have a will to do it.

I'm not sure that will is there.

No fresh produce other than
at our church for three miles.

No fresh produce for another two miles.

No fresh produce, three miles.

No fresh produce another three miles.

This is my community, a food desert.

No fresh produce whatsoever.

And so our church now
is in this community,

in this food desert with this reality

and so what do we do about it?

(downbeat music)

>> David Olds volunteers his time

for the food pantry, delivering

and distributing truckloads
of food each week.

Still, he says, there's
sometimes difficulty

keeping up with the tremendous need.

>> There are times that we
make two trips in one day,

get enough to supply
the people that we have.

>> So how many more of them will we do?

>> Our hearts goes out for them folks.

These people here are really hurting

and they are hurting bad and not only

are they hurting, they are hungry.

>> While it feels good to know

that he's doing his part to help,

he worries that others who have the power

to help in small ways and large

might be turning their backs on the issue.

>> We're not here where we are forever.

You never know when it gonna happen

or can happen to us.

Remember that while they
are going to be hungry

and you're going to bed with leftovers

and throwing away, think on those people

that don't have anything

and maybe that'll help
you just a little bit.

>> Ironically, similar problems

exist in the western, more
rural part of the state.

Lynchburg is a city surrounded by farmland

but that agricultural bounty
is not always reflected

in its citizens.

>> Well I'd say we're making a dent

in a very large problem.

What we do is important but we're not

reaching anywhere near
the population effected.

>> John Mathison is president

of the board of directors
at Lynchburg Grows,

an urban farm that works
to make fresh produce

more accessible through
distribution and education efforts.

>> So that's arugula.

>> Yeah, that's arugula over there.

>> Most children that come here

can not identify the vegetables

that they're looking at.

When they see it, if they see it,

it's processed so a tomato to them

is pizza sauce, that's a tomato.

>> That lack of familiarity with real food

is hard to imagine for most people

but with a lack of transportation,

many families have had to rely

on convenience stores and fast food

for their children's entire lives.

>> Access to healthy food is a real issue,

particularly in the old part of the city,

the downtown areas.

There are no grocery stores.

The last grocery store in the general area

closed last year.

>> Because the problem is so localized

to particular areas, many people

are surprised to learn
that this problem exists

in Lynchburg.

>> There's an inherent wealth in the area.

Lynchburg is well off
but on the other hand,

there's another side to Lynchburg

that most people never drive through,

never get in touch with.

That's a side we see on the van

and it's eye opening that
there's that much need.

>> Can I get it first?

>> Yeah, that'd be fine.

>> And the need is not always

among chronically poor citizens.

As in Richmond and
other parts of the state

many of the people being helped

are families whose budgets
have only recently taken a hit.

>> They're two for a dollar.

>> A missed paycheck

or a broken down car can very quickly lead

to a reliance on whatever
is within walking distance.

>> These people are not
there for a handout.

They're just there because
they want the fresh produce

and it really breaks your heart

when they can't afford it that week.

>> We need to extend--

>> Dereck Cunningham and Hieu Tran

are farm managers at Lynchburg Grows.

They've become acutely
aware of the problem

and its roots.

>> Most of the residents that had access

to a local grocery store now have

to travel 20 to 30 minutes away on a bus

carrying six to 12
different bags of groceries

on a bus gets a little bit more difficult.

>> Food has been moved away from access

to something that's profitable

and so the lack of
accessible grocery stores

or what have you is because it's not seen

as profitable to feed these people.

>> Nicole Williams is a college student

who volunteers at Lynchburg Grows

making deliveries of
produce to the communities

where it is most sorely needed.

She says the experience has made her

think about what she takes for granted.

>> Food to us today,
like if we can afford it,

it's just food, it's
something like oh, it's food

but to them, 'cause it's
such a great of a need

to even eat that it's like
it's just very grateful

and it just shows like how
the simplest acts can be good.

It's just an incredible feeling.

Like I said, you have to see it.

(downbeat music)

>> Lynchburg resident Charlotte Smith

grew up planting, harvesting, and canning

a variety of fruits and vegetables

but her declining health
has made those days

a distant memory and her
shopping choices are limited.

>> I think it's a horribly situation

for people like me because
I could ride my wheelchair

into a grocery store if
there was one here close

and right now it's not.

>> A super market moved out

of the neighborhood years ago,

leaving an empty building behind.

Over time, convenience stores began moving

in on the surrounding streets.

>> I don't like it.

They should at least
have one grocery store

in this area that is a grocery store,

not a junk food store
where guys can go down

and buy beer and cigarettes, candy.

We need a grocery store,
not a damn junk store.

(chattering)

>> Twice a week, a van
from Lynchburg Grows

comes to Charlotte's neighborhood

to distribute fresh fruits and vegetables.

>> Would you like anything else?

>> I don't think so.

>> You sure?

>> Yeah.

Makes me feel better knowing I can

get some fresh vegetables.

Have to watch the clock,
my aide leaves early today.

Don't have to kill myself for them.

It's disgraceful that we can't have

what other people have 'cause I live

on social security and
you know that ain't much.

>> Some people can barely
hold the grocery bag

because they're shaking half the time

when they're picking it up.

These are elderly people that need help

just trying to get decent food.

>> It's hard, especially
when you have seen

for yourself how hard it is to find food,

healthy food, have access to healthy food

because of the price and
the availability of it.

It doesn't look good.

>> It's eye opening to come out on the van

and meet the folks we're helping

and realize that this is a broad spectrum

of folks and there's a tremendous need.

>> Folks like you come out
here and help us grow food.

We have school groups, corporate groups,

families from the
neighborhood's we work in

that all come out here.

We talk about food and why it's important

to get access to healthy
food and how it's hard

to get access to healthy food in lots

of parts of the city of Richmond.

>> Back in Richmond, several organizations

are working to meet the
need in a similar way.

Shalom Farms grows a
variety of organic fruits

and vegetables and works to increase

the availability of fresh food to areas

that lack a good supply.

>> For us it's really important

to find things that the
folks that we work with

and the communities we
work with really like

and so the majority of what we grow

are things that we've learned
from working with folks

are most popular so our most popular crops

are tomatoes, sweet
potatoes, collards, cabbage.

>> Dominic Barrett, the
farm's executive director,

has a passion for making sure that people

who want good food are able to get it.

>> For us, good food is food
that's good for our bodies,

good for the environment
and good for our communities

meaning can we all afford
it, can we all access it,

is it food that we like,
can we share that food?

We'll grow a small amount
of unique varieties

of fruits and vegetables so folks

have a chance to be exposed to them

and then we find out hey, our friends--

>> By donating its harvest

through food banks and
its own outreach programs,

the farm's contribution to
hungry Richmond families

has reached staggering proportions.

>> This year we'll grow about 85,000

or 90,000 pounds of fresh, local,

sustainable food to get to the areas

of Richmond where it's hardest
to find that good food.

There's a little less than 100,000 items

in like an average supermarket.

That's a lot of decisions to make, right?

We're not talking about
there's 100,000 cans.

We mean there's 100,000 different products

that we're gonna have to choose from.

>> Farm manager Steve Miles

says that Shalom Farms could
not complete their mission

without plenty of generous
people to offer helping hands.

>> It's a volunteer-based farm,

and we have three full time
staff and three interns.

Without the volunteers,
none of this would get done.

We couldn't possibly harvest
85,000 pounds of produce

or whatever we had planned on harvesting

without the volunteer help.

>> For planting tomatoes
or planting cucumbers,

we can plant out little
transplant, our seedling,

right where that slit is--

>> But operating on a small budget

to help people in need doesn't mean

that the quality is diminished in anyway.

>> Produce, someone that
lives in a food desert

in urban Richmond, produce that they get

from Shalom Farms is gonna be as good

as you would find in the
higher end grocery stores

in Richmond.

>> In addition to farm stands

run by area youth, one
creative way Shalom Farms

has made good food available
to the people who need it

is a partnership with
Bon Secours Health System

called the Prescription Produce Plan.

>> Our goal is to treat fresh fruits

and vegetables as medicine
and writing prescriptions

for folks in these communities

where we're trying to close this gap.

Each week folks pick
up their prescription.

It's equal to one serving per person

per day for the whole
week for the household.

>> There's some really wild looking beans

or pea pods up there
with the purple flowers.

>> Tricycle Gardens operates an urban farm

in Richmond.

Director Sally Schwitters
said its location

underscores the irony of food deserts

where good, healthy food is often so close

but so far away.

>> My feeling is that
everyone should have access

to good, quality, healthy food.

Particularly what we're seeing

that food deserts are identified

just three miles from our farm.

Three miles.

>> And in the surrounding neighborhood,

you can see what remains
when the supermarkets

people once relied on
move to suburban areas

and leave them with few options.

>> We have a location just
here in our neighborhood

that was a grocery store.

It's now a dialysis center
and it tells the story.

This is what happens when
food access moves out.

Lack of health moves in.

>> Like Shalom Farms, Tricycle Gardens

relies heavily on volunteers,

but farm manager Dennis Williams

says they have a small
staff for management

of everything from crop rotation

to greenhouse building.

>> They also manage the farm stand

which is a way for us to get produce out

into the Richmond community by selling it

to Richmond community members.

>> (mumbling) that during
this time of the year,

there's not as many flowers out naturally.

>> Farm assistant Emily Reynolds

says there are plenty of opportunities

for people who want to
help with the chores

involved in feeding
Richmond's hungry citizens.

>> We hold workshops, volunteer days,

and we're always welcoming any member

of the community to come
help us out on those days.

>> The dark beige color on the map

are low income census tracked areas

that also are not within one mile

of a grocery store--

>> Through its healthy
corner store initiative,

Tricycle Gardens has found a way

to help neighborhood convenience stores

offer more than just chips and soda.

(upbeat music)

>> One of the solutions to those problems

is to begin to collaborate
with those corner stores

and say you know, not gonna
take your apples away,

I mean your candy bars, or your chips,

but why don't we create
a space in this store

to make sure that there
are fresh vegetables

and fresh fruits and those things

that are healthier for an individual.

>> Claire Sadeghzadeh delivers

an assortment of healthy
produce to the stores

along with help on all
the details of selling it.

>> I'm checking in with
corner store owners

about produce sells, feedback
from their customers,

answering questions,
providing opportunities

to kind of increase marketing
and sales of the produce.

How are things going?

Good, good.

>> It also means sweetening the deal

for consumers by offering recipes

and even free samples of the produce.

>> A lot of the produce we grow

families might not be as familiar with

or may not have cooked with them before

or may just not even
know if they like them

and so we like to provide
no risk opportunities

for families to try to produce

before they invest their limited dollars

into the foods that we grow.

>> I don't think a lot of people

realize how beautiful okra flowers are.

>> They don't and they're
amazed at what it is.

>> Schwitters says that efforts

to educate people about produce

and encourage a demand for it

are especially important for
Richmond's youngest residents.

>> I think about a small
child who goes to school

and engages in a program
on nutrition education

and hears that they're supposed

to eat five fruits and vegetables everyday

and then they go home and
they pass the corner store

and they walk into it and there's candy,

there's cigarettes, there's potato chips

and lots of soda pop but there's nothing

that their teachers have told them

that they should be
putting in their bodies

and it's the same thing for their mother,

their grandmother, their
auntie, their daddy,

whoever's preparing their food for them,

they too don't have access
to those healthy foods

and so by changing this,
it's changing the culture

and it's changing the morale
of our community members

by saying we care about you

and you're gonna get the best quality food

that can be grown in our community.

>> And if you see any of the old pods,

we save the seeds so we can plant again.

>> Renew Richmond has several sites

in the Richmond area including some

that are affiliated with
churches and schools.

>> That tomato's on the
ground, it gonna rot.

>> What we're gonna do is, well,

you see the dead leaves and everything,

they attract bugs.

>> Jerusalem Connections

is its largest site, producing more

than 5,000 pounds of food in a season.

>> We're conserving
energy, we're conserving,

making sure that we're not wasting.

>> John Lewis, director of Renew Richmond,

believes that even people
who can access good food

have gotten too detached from its source.

>> We want everyone from communities,

people from all walks of life,

to know how to grow their food

and know where their food is coming from.

>> Unfortunately, Lewis says

too many families are getting their food

from convenience stores
and fast food restaurants.

>> Richmond is one of the largest cities

or largest concentrations of food deserts.

We have food deserts in
east end, south side,

north side, Richmond, where individuals

that are either at or
below the poverty line

are eating garbage, just plain to say.

>> And when the effort to stock up

on healthy food requires
time and transportation

that people simply don't have,

that garbage remains the only option.

>> It's the individuals who suffer

but it's more the children who suffer

because they eat whatever
is available to them.

>> Lenyse Rouse volunteers

at the garden regularly.

She says it's important to her

that her children eat good, healthy food

and that they understand
where it comes from.

>> Dig a hole right there so we

can plant some seeds, alright.

I bring my children here and we come

and to see something grow from a seed

into a vegetable, then we
can take that vegetable home,

have it for dinner.

>> Most people that are
involved in community gardens

are really glad that people get a chance

to taste a fresh vegetable
because it changes them

right over night.

>> We're gonna pick the rest
of the peppers over here.

>> Lewis says it's hard
to make people understand

the problem or care about solving it

when they're not exposed
to the obvious signs

of it everyday.

>> This is not only a local problem.

This is a global problem,
this is an epidemic

and everyone needs to
recognize that it is a threat

to human health and development.

>> The frustrating irony

is that so much of the solution

is in getting back to what once
came so naturally to us all.

>> When we get more
stakes in a few minutes

we're gonna do like a row over there.

We're getting away from
the agrarian society.

We're getting away from farming

and even knowing where our food comes from

so food in itself, growing food,

is a revolutionary idea
but it's not a new one.

(downbeat music)

>> Operating on a much larger scale

is Feed More which operates
in a massive facility

in Richmond to collect, prepare,

and distribute fresh
food through a variety

of programs but CEO
Douglas Pick points out

that they don't do it alone.

>> Through some good work, we have

some great partnerships with a number

of agencies who are in those food deserts.

We partner with them,
they find the citizens

and the clients.

Many of those are churches.

About 80 to 90% of those are churches.

They have food pantries which
many people are familiar with.

They are able to come here and get food.

Obviously it's free or next to nothing

which allows them to serve a lot of people

and makes their contributions
from their own parishioners

go a lot further.

>> But Feed More is more

than just a clearing house for produce

and other kitchen staples.

They also work to prepare healthy meals

for a variety of clients.

>> Feed More is a very
unique organization.

We're the only program in the country

that is a meals on wheels, a food bank,

and a community kitchen all in one.

>> Feed More has a number of programs

that concentrate on bringing food

directly to people and places
where it's most sorely needed.

>> We have our kids cafe
and summer feeding programs

that goes into unreserved areas

and serves over 2,000 meals
a day to these children.

We have a mobile pantry program

which is designed to go
into food desert areas

and serve anywhere from
100 to 275 families

with healthy, nutritious product

including fresh fruits and vegetables.

>> What do you got, small bags going on?

>> We got small bags
being assembled over here

in this area, we need about--

>> Amory James is the
food production manager

for Feed More.

He says that regardless of
their consumer's ability

to pay, quality is a high
priority in Feed More's work.

>> We treat this establishment
just like a restaurant.

>> Pineapple (mumbling)
that we working on there.

>> If there is anything questionable

that we wouldn't serve to our families,

we don't serve it to our clients.

We try to serve what we feel

we would pay for ourselves.

>> Because it serves such a large number

of people throughout the Commonwealth,

it has received quite a bit of attention

from leaders who want
to tackle the problem

of hunger and food insecurity in Virginia.

(chattering)

>> Ms. McAuliffe has been
a tremendous supporter,

an advocate, for healthy
eating, for produce,

for equitable access to the right foods.

She has a very big spot
in her heart for children

and making sure that those kids

get a fighting chance at
being productive citizens.

>> On a recent tour of
Feed More's facilities,

Ms. McAuliffe saw first
hand the sheer volume

of food it takes to
feed Virginians in need.

>> The governor and I are very concerned

about the fact that in Virginia

there are over 300,000 food
insecure Virginia children

and that's just not a place that we want

to be as a commonwealth.

>> She notes the irony

of having so much hunger
and poor nutrition

in a place like Virginia, which is known

for an abundance of
wealth and healthy crops.

>> It's an enigma in many ways

because agriculture's our number
one economic industry here

and food grows all around us and yet

our rural communities and so many

of our urban communities, many of them

suffer from food deserts.

>> Across the state, these efforts

to alleviate the problem
have had some success.

Community gardens, food banks,
corner store initiatives,

church and school outreach
have all had a part

in increasing access to healthy food

but with so many people
and organizations working

on the problem, why does it persist?

>> And there's no one solution to it.

Every county, every city, every area

has something that they can do

that's going to bring
better access to them

but it's not gonna be a one stop solution

for the entire state of Virginia.

You really wanna look at the assets

that are in every community.

>> In a community like
Virginia State University,

already known for its innovation

in cultivating and
marketing healthy foods,

that has meant exploring a
completely different kind

of solution.

>> Dr. Marcus Comer was able
to get a grant from USDA

and do research to determine how

we could grow foods in
an urban environment

and in this case, grow
food inside of a building.

To be able to research how
you could grow that food

in a building, imagine what that could do

in terms of food access in a
city like Petersburg, Virginia.

>> Dr. Comer says the concept

of growing food indoors is not new

but the power required to run grow lights

has made it a costly endeavor in the past.

Now with lower energy
prices and the improvement

of solar energy technology, it's becoming

much more cost effective.

>> So by doing that, we would be able

to grow a whole room
full of food year round

and provide fresh vegetables.

With that, what we grow,

we're gonna take it and cart it up

on mobile units kind of
like the ice cream man

and take the food to the neighborhood.

>> Duron Chavis

is the indoor urban farms director.

He's excited about the project because

with the addition of an
aquaculture component

it's completely self-contained
and self-sustaining.

>> The space generates its own power

from solar energy and the fertilizers

for the fruits and vegetables come

from the waste from the fish and not only

will folks be able to eat the greens

and the vegetables, they'll
also be able to eat the fish.

>> Chavis says the ability
to educate citizens

about the food they're eating

and how they can grow it themselves

is essential to the indoor farm.

>> It's important for any solution

around food deserts to
not be paternalistic

in the sense of you just come in

and you drop food off and then you're gone

'cause that's not sustainable.

>> Empowering people is
the farm's ultimate goal,

not only to grow food for themselves

but also to market that healthy produce

to others in the community.

>> That addresses the issue.

That cuts to the core of it because one,

you have a community that
has high unemployment,

high rates of poverty and what you created

is a social enterprise, a business

that addresses both the social problem

while making money simultaneously.

>> Throughout the Commonwealth,

we see citizens and organizations

working to solve the problem,

educating families so the demand

for fresh, healthy food is greater.

>> Our most popular crops are tomatoes,

sweet potatoes, collards, cabbage.

>> Improving access so that fresh produce

is at least as easy to bring home

as chips or cigarettes.

>> 50 cents change.

>> And finding creative ways

to connect people to the
healthy food they need.

>> But then we also know
it is about advocacy.

It is about public policy.

It's about building political systems,

social structures that build equity,

that create unique communities and systems

where people have the access to resources.

Food access and hunger is as much

about urban planning and public policy

as it is about sustainable agriculture,

at least in my opinion.

>> As a pastor, and as a person,

it's disturbing, the thought that not only

in the city of Richmond
but in this country

that we have children and families in 2014

going to bed hungry is
a mind blowing thought

and like an indictment
against us as a society.

>> It's poverty issues
and it's grocery stores

seeing that they're not getting the return

and being in low income communities

and so they've moved out.

>> I really believe that big
businesses don't care anymore

about these smaller neighborhoods.

>> The need is far beyond
what most people see.

>> It can't be seen as a small problem.

It needs to be seen as
an everyone problem.

>> You might go to a more
affluent neighborhood

and you might have four
or five grocery stores

within half a mile of each other

but you can go into a poor neighborhood

and there's no grocery
stores for over a mile.

>> Politicians don't do shit for us.

They think about it for themselves.

They don't worry about people
like us and they don't.

I don't think they ever have.

>> We have the capacity
in the state of Virginia

to do something about
this particular issue

to make sure that the
right stores are there,

that the quality and the quantity

is made available in communities.

Again, it is a matter
of just collaborating.

It's a matter of bringing
people to the table

and then making them aware
there's a problem here,

this is the solution.

>> I don't like it, they should

at least have one grocery
store in this area

that is a grocery store,
not a junk food store,

where guys can go down and buy
beer and cigarettes, candy.

We need a grocery store,
not a damn junk store.

>> I really believe that big businesses

don't care anymore about
these smaller neighborhoods.

>> Well Lynchburg has a 24

and a half percent poverty rate.

We have a significant number of people

who are underserved when it comes to food.

>> It's certainly a
problem here in Virginia

and even more so here in Richmond

and in the Richmond region.

Our city's been rated
as the worst food desert

in the country for a city our size.

>> I mean it's disgraceful

that we can't have what other people have.

>> If a business is going to come in,

they're all about making money.

They are not gonna setup
a high-end grocery store

in an area where people can't afford

the food that they wanna sell.