Results from a Community Food Assessment : Reservoir Hill
What is a Community Food Assessment?
Assessment Objectives
A Community Food Assessment (CFA) is a collaborative and participatory process
that systematically examines a broad range of community food issues and
assets, to take action to make the community more food secure. CFAs discover
challenges in the local food system and food environment and also identify
community assets to improve these weaknesses.
• Recognize residents’ current habits
regarding how and where they
currently access food.
• Identify reported barriers and
readiness for change at the
neighborhood level.
• Describe residents’ satisfaction with
food available in their neighborhood.
• Gauge residents’ awareness of diet
and disease.
• Determine how Whitelock
Find more maps at www.mdfoodsystemmap.org
Food Consumption
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Supermarkets
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Full Service Restaurants
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Farmers Markets
Virtual Supermarket
Small Grocery / Corner Stores
‘Behind Glass’ Corner Stores
Convenience Stores
Restaurants
Fast Food Chain Restaurants
Carry Out Restaurants
Other
Public Markets
Emergency Food Centers
Food Deserts
Health Conditions
Reported in the household:
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Community Farm can best market
and provide produce to residents.
Food Stores
Diabetes (19%)
High blood pressure (40%)
Perceived Relationship
of Health Conditions to Diet
2%
5%
Agreement
Heart disease (7%)
20%
93%
27%
Unsure
7%
none
1 to 2 Servings
Disagreement
Cancer (3%)
Obesity/overweight (20%)
Fruit and Vegetable Consumption per Day
46%
3 to 4 Servings
5 or more Servings
No conditions (44%)
Gardening
Lifestyles and Diet
• 20% participate in a community
• 49% of the people surveyed eat a
garden.
• 65% of those surveyed would like to
grow their own food.
• 51% of respondents participate in
SNAP (food stamp program).
meal with their family more than 3
times a week; 24% eat a meal with
their family 1-2 times per week; 11%
eat a meal with their family a few
times per year, and 16% never eat
with their family.
• 24% are somewhat interested in
learning more about cooking healthy
and 48% are very interested in
learning more about cooking healthy.
In 2012, 97 people were surveyed for this report.
Results from a Community Food Assessment : Reservoir Hill
Reported Barriers
Current Habits
to accessing healthy foods:
Cooking Habits: 63% prepare meals
from scratch daily, 23% several times
a week, 2% weekly, 3% monthly, 3% a
few times a year, and 6% never prepare
meals from scratch.
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Rent (21%)
Utilities (14%)
Medical bills (11%)
Transportation: When asked how they
get to the supermarket 25% reported
that they walk, 54% drive themselves,
25% get a ride, 29% ride the bus, and 6%
use a hack.
Child support (2%)
Average Amount Spent Per Trip
Transportation (13%)
140
Frequency of Supermarket Visits
100
1%
4%
39%
120
80
21%
Daily
2 or more times a week
Weekly
1 time a month
36%
A few times a year
40
20
• 47% want to buy certain foods that
aren’t available in their neighborhood.
• When asked, 9% reported that they
are often unable afford food, 23%
sometimes are unable to afford food,
23% are rarely unable to afford food,
and 43% are never unable to afford
food.
$37
$10
0
Neighborhood Food
Satisfaction
$132
$115
60
Corner
Store
Super
Market
Warehouse
• “Cut out the fried foods”
• “Make more interesting food
(variety)”
Public
Market
Arabber
Sit-Down
Restauraut
Farmers’
Market
$14
Fast Food
Carry out
100%
90%
33%
80%
40%
38%
40%
40%
22%
20%
18%
28%
34%
12%
6%
70%
60%
26%
50%
31%
40%
30%
20%
34%
19%
6%
10%
10%
Number of Availability of
food stores healthy food
When respondents were asked what
they would change about the way that
they eat, responses included:
• “Eat more leafy vegetables”
$35
Neighborhood Satisfaction with Healthy Food
0%
Ready for Change
$33
$13
30%
12%
Quality of
Variety of
healthy food healthy food
• “More organic food”
• “More food with less preservatives”
• “Less processed foods, better quality
of fresh foods, reasonable prices”
• “Better selection of non processed
food”
• “Farmers market”
• “More ethnic and international foods”
Very Dissatisfied
Somewhat Dissatisfied
Somewhat Satisfied
Very Satisfied
Price of
healthy food
• When asked, 99% of respondents
agreed or strongly agreed that
Whitelock Community Farm is good
for their neighborhood.
• When asked which produce items
at Whitelock Community Farm they
would like to buy, popular items
included: lettuce, spinach, tomatoes,
collards, potatoes, fruit and herbs.
• “Learning to grow own food”
Find more maps at www.mdfoodsystemmap.org