Food Access

General Observations:

• Health Imperatives patients in need of food assistance by town – Aquinnah (18.8%), Chilmark (16.7%), Edgartown (30.3%), Oak Bluffs (27.9%), Tisbury (4.2%), West Tisbury (64.2%), total patients (41.4%),  2017 RHS Presentation 
• Food access was a common theme among reproductive health patients and providers,  2017 RHS Presentation 
• 2018 Food Insecurity on MV estimated at 7.3% (8.9% in MA),  2020 RHS Presentation 
• 2020 Projected food insecurity on MV estimated to be 12.3% (13.7% in MA),  2020 RHS Presentation 

“We have the demand to hand out more prepared meals, but we don’t have the space to store them.” Member of a Community Based Organization working in Food Access on MV, 2020 RHS Presentation

• Recommended incorporation of locally grown foods into public school menus,  2012 RHS Presentation ‡

• Recommended a stronger linkage between fishermen and schools to incorporate more locally harvested fish into school menus‡

• Recommended exporting the school-local food model to the hospital and any other large institutional settings on the island‡

• Recommended implementation of a To-Go food request system on the IGI website (naturally creates a database),  2020 RHS Presentation 

• Recommended creating a volunteer network to aid the delivery of premade meals and pantry packages throughout the community (especially to elders),  2020 RHS Presentation 

• Recommended increase the availability of food storage space at MVH for patients and patrons that can be sent home after and appointment or after discharge,  2020 RHS Presentation 

• Recommended build a centralized facility with capacity to create meals on-site with a food pantry space and adequate storage to serve the MV population,  2020 RHS Presentation ‡

• Recommended consider reimagining Meals on Wheels as a community level services with locally grown and locally prepared foods (like in Bennington, VT),  2020 RHS Presentation 

• Recommended begin MTM program between IGI and the Food Pantry and MVH,  2020 RHS Presentation ‡

• Recommended support/invest in an Island central composting facility that supports MV farms via soil distribution,  2020 RHS Presentation ‡
  • Decreases the cost of exporting food waste
  • Improves island farm soil quality
  • Increases island food production

• Recommended build a web-application to balance the load of food distribution among organizations,  2020 RHS Presentation 
  • Would balance the supply and demand from distributors to recipients over-time and would make adjustments as the supply changes
  • But costly to implement and requires full-time maintenance

Summary of the Community's response so far Island Grown Initiative (IGI) and MV Fisherman's Preservation Trust (MVFPT) & Red’s Best have spearheadeed programs to get local seafood and locally grown food into the MV School System's food service program.

Specifically, Red's Best and now MVFPT have created strong links between local fisherman and the insitutional food buyers in the MV school system.

IGI is engaging MVH in conversations about setting up a wholesale relationship between local farmers and the hospital. Theree is also a desire to add local produce to the Meals on Wheels offerings and incorporate vegetarian options. IGI also maintains their MVH Mobile Market stop which is available to patients and hospital staff.

There are plans to create a centralized processing, storage, and distribution center on the island to support the scaling of local food production and creating prepared meals for the local population. This is an initiative of the Island Food Equity Network and IGI, they’re in the fundraising phase now.

Creating a medically tailored meal program is also an initiative of the Island Food Equity Network and IGI, once they have more space, they can launch this program.

IGI already has a great composting program, but it still needs to be made available to all.

(Updated 6.17.2022)

• Need prepared/quick foods for the Brazilian population in the summer,  2020 RHS Presentation 
• Need emergency food resources for recent immigrants from Brazil,  2020 RHS Presentation 
• Unique need for additional nutrition education – many of these folks were unable to access this information back home in rural Brazil,  2020 RHS Presentation 

• Recommended incorporate food literacy into Adult Learning Programs,  2020 RHS Presentation 
• Recommended introduce nutrition label color coding at the food pantry and local grocers,  2020 RHS Presentation ‡

• Recommended expansion of the IGI Mobile Market program to areas most accessible to the Brazilian population,  2020 RHS Presentation ‡

Summary of the Commuity's response so far

A Food Pantry nutrition label color coding project is underway between IGI, Island Food Pantry, and Isalnd Health Care

IGI is underway with planning to make the Mobile Market more accessible to the Brazilian community. Communication seemed to be the biggest missing link, so planners are strategizing how they can better reach the Brazilian Community about market stops and when culturally relevant crops are available. The pantry (now part of IGI) is also aiming to have a Portuguese translator on hand.

• The informal Island bartering system among farmers, fishermen, hunters – can be a lifeline for some of the Island’s elderly,  2012 RHS Presentation 
• Barriers elders face in accessing food –transportation, SUD, homebound status, stigma of using public assistance, physical and amenity ability to prepare food, appeal of foods, dietary restrictions, finances, access to tech, knowledge of resources, MH or cognitive disability, insufficient support system, COVID precautions,  2020 RHS Presentation 
• Efforts that are working for elder food access – Meals on Wheels, IGI Mobile Market, IGI to-go meals, MV’s sense of community, community suppers, IGI gleaning program, Bluefish derby, Community garden plots at the Island Elderly Housing facility,  2020 RHS Presentation 
  • However, there are gaps in existing resources – CORE, Meals on Wheels, IGI to-go, lack of prepared food options, availability of MH professionals for elders, MTM availability

• Forthcoming challenges and exacerbation of current challenges for food access among the elderly – affordable workforce shortage (directly tied to housing crisis), increase in the year round population which puts strain on public and healthcare resources, natural increase of elderly proportion of the population – more competition for elder-specific resources, lack of elderly housing and assisted living options, MV’s affordability gap, lack of year round housing for both elders and the people who support them in the community,  2020 RHS Presentation 

• Recommended expanding the gleaning program to better serve the elderly population by increasing the number of accessible delivery sites,  2012 RHS Presentation ‡
• Recommended connecting elders with local farmers who can deliver produce,  2012 RHS Presentation ‡
• Recommended getting local grocery stores to deliver to homes/elderly housing, 2012 RHS Presentation‡
• Recommended implementing a senior’s discount at local Stop and Shop stores,  2012 RHS Presentation ‡
• Recommended collaboration with farmers on a senior’s discount,  2012 RHS Presentation 

Summary of the Community's response so far

IGI has expanded the gleaning program's delivery sites to include Howe's House and other community / housing hubs for the elderly population.

The IGI Mobile Market creates a more direct connection between local farmers and the islander population, including elders, in order to make locally grown food more financially and physically accessible. (There is a very small markup on the produce sold at the market and the market is housed in a truck making stops at senior housing, libaries, MVH, etc.)

The Pandemic changed the dynamic of grocery delivery on the island. More food retailers are now offering this service (or curbside pickup) but it's still remains a luxury service in terms of accessibility.