Food Access in WV

The key factor that shapes food access is the ability of households to earn enough money to exchange for food in a retail outlet. While this may seem like common sense we repeat it here because interventions that seek to close the food gap must take this basic premise into account. 

In West Virginia, where the median household income is $12,000 below the national average and 16.5% of the population lives in poverty, household income and low prevailing wages present high barriers to food access. Yet the location of retail outlets, type of retail outlet and the quality of food in those retail outlets also play a determinant role in food accessibility.

What makes this map different? According to the USDA’s Economic Research Service there are only 30 low income census tracts (16 urban and 14 rural) in 19 counties in West Virginia that meet their criteria of a “food desert.”

We estimate that low income residents in 42% of WV census block groups have low or very low access to a grocery store that supplies sufficient qualities of perishable fresh produce and other healthy foods

In this map, food access is calculated using an index with the following variables:

  1. Proximity to SNAP authorized retailers
  2. # of retailers that offer variety of fresh produce
  3. Median household income
  4. Vehicle Access

Turnrow Food Access

Turnrow Market and Sales

KEYS 4 HealthyKids is an obesity prevention initiative with CAMC Institute. Their mission includes making the healthy choice the easy choice for children and their families. Food access and food insecurity are two of their most successful initiatives within the early care and education sector.

In 2019 Turnrow and KEYS collaboration included...

  1. Implementing a pop-up market model based on previous successes in the Greater Kanawha Valley
  2. 10 child-care centers, 3 markets each (30)
  3. Markets strategically scheduled toward the end of the week to serve food insecure families
  4. Connected WV grown produce with WV families
  5. $12,000 of produce provided
  6. Families were able to purchase additional produce with a variety of payment options, including SNAP and the SNAP Stretch program 
  7. Centers were able to begin ordering produce through Turnrow for use in their kitchens on a routine basis

2020 Plans:

    84 markets

    Over $30,000 of produce

    Expanding beyond Greater Kanawha Valley

    Produce prescription programs

Turnrow 2020 Food Access Endeavours

  • Pilot mobile grocer in Greenbrier/New River Valleys, serving food deserts; not just produce, include other basic healthy grocery options such as rice, beans, WV produced meats, dairy, etc
  • Partnership with Mountaineer Food Bank to co-market in their high need communities during their distributions
  • Expand Food Access markets from $70k to $150k
  • HFFI Grant partner, working with independent grocers project with WVFFC in WV wth potential expansion in partnership with community grocers in 2021 as they are more established