Fresh Food and Public Health: Briana Metzgar’s AHEC Experience

How much difference does fresh, affordable food make in a person’s life?

Briana Metzgar, a graduating senior at Walsh University discovered it can mean a lot. As a participant in the national AHEC Scholars program, she came to understand firsthand how food connects to employment and more, as one of key ingredients of the social determinants of health.

In a series of articles, NEOMED is looking at various aspects of public health in Northeast Ohio.

Following is Metzgar’s reflection on her experience through Northeast Ohio Medical University’s AHEC Scholars, a program for health professions students who are interested in learning more about rural and/or underserved urban settings

StarkFresh is a non-profit agency that works to reduce hunger in underserved communities in the Canton, Ohio area. One way they do this is by unifying growers, producers, and consumers to create affordable and locally sourced foods. Another way is by supporting volunteering, learning, and teaching opportunities through their local urban agricultural farms.

I was able to experience two of StarkFresh’s farms through the AHEC Scholars program: one next to Crenshaw Middle School and another near Mercy Medical Center at Saint Paul’s Square.

The farm near the school taught us about the local community and its need for affordable and nutritious foods such as squash, okra, cucumbers and tomatoes. Both experiences were great ways to gain insight into the impact StarkFresh has on local communities – beyond food to employment, education and successful reentry.

We learned that in some circumstances, StarkFresh has taken worn out, unused parks and transformed them into farms growing produce. It was inspiring to learn about the benefit that can be provided by tearing down rusted (potentially hazardous) play equipment and turning the plot into a source of affordable food, agriculture education, and employment for the community.

One of my favorite experiences was getting to visit a farm with children attending Mercy Medical Center’s BEE Healthy Day Camp, where we also served as volunteers. At the farm, we learned about the different types of produce being grown by going on an identification scavenger hunt with the campers. We also learned how composting works and about the egg-laying chickens. The best part of the experience was getting to see how StarkFresh worked hands-on with the children, teaching them about the produce and how they could grow it at home in easily accessible areas without the need for lots of land. It was exciting to watch the children’s faces as they discovered that they, too, could grow crisp-smelling mint or hot and spicy banana peppers.

Through my AHEC experience, I came to understand that certain individuals might not have any access to proper nutritious food – if  they have access to any food at all, that is, if they live in  a food desert. I see now that if that I ask a future patient to change their diet and they don’t, there might be more at play that I should consider. In reality, many people don’t have access to food, or resources to purchase it. This greater understanding will help me later, when my work is to help underserved patients and communities improve their  health.