The rural character of the Kearsarge region defines almost every dimension of food access for residents.
In general, these seven towns — Bradford, Newbury, New London, Springfield, Sutton, Warner and Wilmot — have low population densities, and without commercial corridors, residents travel farther to reach the nearest small cities for goods and services. Limited public transportation and seasonal road conditions pose additional hurdles, a new rural health report details.
“People living in rural areas are in general disadvantaged by place. We face geographic barriers to services, resources and opportunities, and within rural areas, certain populations such as low-income people, people with disabilities or people of color are multiply disadvantaged by place and status,” said center manager Chelsey Canavan.
The report, released at FEED Kearsarge’s Food Security Summit, relies on analysis from the Center for Advancing Rural Health Equity at Dartmouth Health to look at disparities not only across rural communities and their urban counterparts but within rural communities themselves.
In the Kearsarge region, 13.4% of children qualify for free or reduced lunch. All told, between 1,500 to 1,800 residents are impacted by food insecurity, and the challenges of accessing food can be even more acute for elderly individuals with impaired mobility.
Approximately 27% of the population of the Kearsarge region is 65 or older, compared to the 20% state average for that age demographic.
Many of the individuals who utilize the Food Hub’s free community fridge in Bradford are not enrolled in food assistance programs, like SNAP, which Canavan said is reflective of overall underenrollment throughout the state.
A survey of 19 people who use the fridge showed that their most pressing need is access to fresh fruits and vegetables, according to the report. Canavan said that, by contrast, free food available through food pantries and other assistance programs is commonly low quality, chemicalized and processed.
“People come all days of the week, all times of day. They come for themselves. They come for others. They come for short-term needs. They come for long-term needs,” she said of the fridge. “We’re not just talking about hunger or going without food, having to make choices about what foods to purchase or skipping meals, reducing portion sizes, strategically divvying up food between people in a household.”
At the food summit, Canavan tried to draw attention to “hidden pockets” of food insecurity that are generally associated with rates of poverty.
While the median household income in towns across the Kearsarge region is on par with or higher than the state level of $99,031, many are still struggling.
“A lot of people are doing really well, and that is sort of masking the fact that a lot of people have much lower income,” Canavan said.
To read the full report, visit https://static1.squarespace.com/static/66db120beb55c21a5235fd4f/t/69de3bd42fb0b37c64211dbd/1776171988651/KFH_FoodSecurityReport.pdf
