Wichita health coalition: Eat locally produced food

The group that put bike lanes through the streets of Wichita has turned its attention to food.

The Health & Wellness Coalition of Wichita wants to encourage people to eat food produced locally, particularly fruits and vegetables.

It also wants to increase the amount of produce grown locally.

Rebecca McMahon, an extension agent for horticulture at the Kansas State University Research and Extension, took an inventory of food found at grocery stores, farmers markets and home, community and school gardens in Sedgwick County.

“The accessibility, I think, is the biggest factor here locally,” she said. “Consumers perceive that local fruits and vegetables are not widely available.”

Overall, the study found the county could grow enough produce to feed all its residents and not just the amount of fruits and vegetables consumed right now, but at the serving rate residents are supposed to consume.

Right now, about 2 percent of vegetables and a tenth-of-a-percent of fruit consumed in Sedgwick County come from within the county.

Even though many fruits and vegetables can’t grow in Kansas, if just 5 percent was local, it would keep about $54.6 million within the county each year, according to the study.

The Health & Wellness Coalition of Wichita asked people who work in public health-related fields to develop next steps.

Those who gave feedback thought the most important step would be for the coalition to investigate existing laws and policies that hinder local fruit and vegetable production. Those include neighborhood association policies on landscaping, city ordinances about community gardening and regulations governing federal subsidies for commercial farmers.

McMahon said commercial farmers rarely switch to fruit and vegetable production. If anything, existing farmers sometimes devote one acre to produce.

Instead, she said, locally-grown produce usually comes from new farmers with small acreages.

The most limiting factor to growing produce, according to the report, is water.

But the report says the county could produce more locally than just fruits and vegetables.

We export beef, grains and soybeans from the state, which far and away meet the needs of local consumption. But we don’t produce enough pork, lamb, oats, turkey, dairy products, chicken or eggs to feed ourselves.

Other study highlights

The study also found that:

▪ Sedgwick County residents spend a little more than $1 billion on food annually.

▪ Less than 1 percent of the land in Sedgwick County is used for fruit and vegetable crops.

▪ Three quarters of the land in Sedgwick County could be used as farmland.

▪ Sedgwick County has enough cropland to grow 98 percent of the fruits and vegetables residents are supposed to consume based on nutritional guidelines.

“When you have more access to those locally produced fruits and vegetables you actually consume more,” McMahon said.

▪ Sedgwick County has 10 farmers markets with local food.

And while farmers markets are a local strength, McMahon said the demand for more farmers markets outweighs the supply of local vendors who sell food at each market.

▪ Food banks and emergency food assistance have strong support from local growers with 50,000 pounds of produce donated annually.

▪ Grocery stores have some local fruits and vegetables, but with an inconsistent supply and a small share compared to out-of-state food.

This story was originally published December 17, 2015 at 7:42 AM with the headline "Wichita health coalition: Eat locally produced food."