Earlier this year, Wholesome Wave Georgia wanted to fully understand the difference between shopping for food with SNAP/EBT in a food desert compared to a local farmers market.
We set out with the same amount of money to each location. First, we went to a food desert in DeKalb County and visited two corner stores. What we found there was alarming.
- There was only one option that wasn’t canned, processed, or packaged: bananas.
- Some of the food — specifically the ramen noodles — expired more than a year ago.
- It was virtually impossible to find goods without high amounts of sugar or sodium.
Of course, the farmers market was a different story. Everything was fresh, nothing was packaged, and there was barely a trace of added sugar or sodium.
But what really stood out was the sheer volume of fresh produce we could buy thanks to WWG’s Fresh for Less program, which doubled our spending power on local produce.
The table of “food desert” goods took up about half a picnic table. The farmers market food barely fit on the same table!
Our mission is to get fresh food, and more of it, to Georgia families in need. By focusing on healthy, local produce, we help families put nutritious food on the table, solving a hunger problem while helping to prevent chronic diseases like diabetes and stroke.
We’re also supporting Georgia farmers and putting more money into our economy.
