How local groups are fighting to feed Muncie by researching our farmers and community By Kami Geron Are you hungry? Is your head feeling off to one side and foggy? Is your body aching each time your stomach calls for attention? You’re thinking about the last thing you ate as you read this, aren’t you? One in seven Americans struggles to get enough to eat. This isn’t just about money, it’s about availability. While poverty and hunger go hand-in-hand, a large issue that gets brushed aside is food insecurities. Having limited or uncertain availability of food that is nutritious and safe is a huge obstacle for the 37.2 million people living in foodinsecure households. In Delaware County, over 17,000 people have food insecurities. Surrounding counties have seen spikes in the increase of food insecurities from the pandemic. Grant and Madison County had similar food ratings prior, but are now joined by Blackford, Jay, Randolph, Wayne, and Henry County. What does all of this mean? It means that Muncie is officially classified as a food desert. According to the USDA, a food desert is an area that has poor access to food outlets, meaning it’s a low-income and lowaccess community. Think about how far a supermarket is from your home–could you walk there? Issues like this aren’t solved overnight. It’s been a struggle for all research on food deserts. In 2018, graduate student Andrew Imboden and associate professor of environmental, geology, and natural resources Joshua Gruver wrote a research paper on Muncie’s food insecurities and mapped its food desert. Their research Artwork by Kami Geron
12 | Ball Bearings Magazine | Spring 2022
