Entry #30: Closing the Food Gap

For my second book review I will be talking about Closing the Food Gap by Mark Winne. This is the third book I've read in the last two years that's made a huge impact on my life, after Food Politics and The Crazy Makers. The author doesn't bullshit around and even accuses other authors, such as Michael Pollan, as only appealing to an upper-class that has an expendible income to spend on better quality food. Mark Winne definitely knows what he's talking about, even though he glorifies a few regions in the Northeast and he keeps a relatively pessimistic tone throughout the entirety of the book.
This book is the first place where I ever really read extensively about "supermarket abandonment" and a more detailed explanation of how bus routes are planned. This book also was my first exposure to certain solutions to getting fresh produce to lower income citizens, such as CSAs, or community supported agricultures. Because of this book I immediately looked up online whether or not there are any CSAs nearby, and I found an organization called City Fresh. After reading about City Fresh I made sure to show up at one of their locations that's relatively nearby and now I volunteer weekly. My only peeve is that most of my fellow volunteers refer to the organization as a co-op, whereas my idea of a co-op is where its shareholders do some work either in the growing or distribution of the product - not just pay a weekly or seasonal share.
City Fresh offers such great quality produce, and all of it is from local Amish farmers - so it's also all organic. I fucking love the Amish. City Fresh is also going to start offering whole grain flower, jellies and jams, black walnuts, honey, and maple syrup - also all locally produced.
Back to the book: I hear the author is also featured in a movie called "Polycultures" that's specifically about sustainable forms of agriculture in Northeast Ohio. I definitely need to get my hands on a copy of the movie.
Even though it wasn't the book's intent, I can speak so much more clearly on why obesity is such an epidemic in low-income areas: from weakly planned bus routes, limited selection in bodegas and corner stores, supermarket abandonment and higher prices in urban areas (also worse quality produce), etc. Most of which is probably common sense, but it's all explained so eloquently in this book.
This book fucking rules, hands down. It's definitely something I'd recommend, especially to fucking science fuck yuppies who think everybody has a fair shot at health or easy access to fresh fruits and vegetables.

9.6/10