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Rural Hunger and Access to Healthy Food – Resources

Selected recent or important resources focusing on Rural Hunger and Access to Healthy Food.

Making the Most of a Moment: Non-Congregate Meal Service in Rural Areas
A recorded webinar that provides information on non-congregate meal service options in rural areas. Includes strategies from 3 food access stakeholders who discuss how to operate and sustain non-congregate meal programs.
Additional links: Program Overview
Author(s): Donna Martin, Kara Moore, Jamie Breidenbach
Date: 05/2023
Sponsoring organization: No Kid Hungry
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Addressing Food Insecurity in Rural Tennessee
A podcast that discusses local hospitals in rural Hardeman County, Tennessee that collaborated to improve access to healthy food for citizens who were experiencing food insecurity and a lack of transportation to grocery stores. Includes information on a community health needs assessment, data exploration, obesity rates, use of grant funds to address health and wellness, and more.
Author(s): Tom Haederle, John Supplitt, Ruby Kirby
Date: 05/2023
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
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The State of Senior Hunger in America in 2021: An Annual Report
Discusses food insecurity rates among Americans age 60 or older. Includes demographics and characteristics of seniors lacking sufficient access to food, and provides trends and state-level information on food insecurity. Features data breakdowns by metropolitan and nonmetropolitan settings.
Author(s): James P. Ziliak, Craig Gundersen
Date: 04/2023
Sponsoring organization: Feeding America
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Hunger Among Adults Age 50-59 in 2021: An Annual Report
Reports on the extent, distribution, and trends of food insecurity among U.S. residents ages 50-59. Features state-level estimates and data breakdowns on food insecurity by income, race/ethnicity, metropolitan versus nonmetropolitan location, sex, and more.
Author(s): Craig Gundersen, James P. Ziliak
Date: 04/2023
Sponsoring organization: Feeding America
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Adults Living in Families Experiencing Food Insecurity in the Past 30 Days: United States, 2021
Examines characteristics of adults 18 and older living in families experiencing food insecurity. Includes data for those living in metro and nonmetro areas.
Author(s): Julie D. Weeks, Laryssa Mykyta, Jennifer H. Madans
Date: 04/2023
Sponsoring organization: National Center for Health Statistics
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Working With Rural Producers to Expand EBT in Farmers' Markets: A Case Study in Hardeman County, Tennessee
Reviews a case study about how an Extension program encouraged rural Tennessee farmers market producers to accept Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits through Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT). Discusses the outcomes of a workshop about how to begin the EBT application process, advertise SNAP at a farmers market, and improve health benefits by expanding food access.
Author(s): Karen L. Franck, Soghra Jarvandi, Kristen Johnson, et al.
Citation: Health Promotion Practice, 24(1)
Date: 03/2023
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The Rural Food-Away-from-Home Landscape, 1990–2019
Examines the food-away-from-home (FAFH) landscape in nonmetropolitan counties between 1990 and 2019. Explores trends and differentiating features of FAFH access across the metropolitan divide and across the rural-urban continuum. Describes local economic conditions that are associated with more FAFH options.
Additional links: Report Summary
Author(s): Keenan Marchesi, Anne T. Byrne, Trey Malone
Date: 03/2023
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
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Not Enough Food on the Dinner Table: A Look into Food Insecurity among Hispanics/Latinos Living in Rural Communities in the United States
Discusses food insecurity among Hispanics/Latinos in the U.S. and provides program and policy recommendations to improve food access. Reports on a 2022 needs assessment that includes a literature review, socio-demographic survey, focus group with rural Latino adults, and interviews with community-based organizations (CBOs). Offers strategies such as wellness and nutrition education, culturally sensitive engagement, and technology to improve access.
Author(s): Melawhy Garcia, Natalia Gatdula, Vanessa Torres, et al.
Date: 01/2023
Sponsoring organizations: Center for Latino Community Health Evaluation and Leadership Training, UnidosUS
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A Disaggregated View of Market Concentration in the Food Retail Industry
Examines changes in food retailing market concentration at the national, state, Metropolitan Statistical Area, and county levels in the United States from 1990-2019, using data from the National Establishment Time Series dataset. Features statistics with breakdowns by metro, large nonmetro, small nonmetro, and rural areas.
Author(s): Eliana Zeballos, Xiao Dong, Ergys Islamaj
Date: 01/2023
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
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Food Insecurity in the Rural United States: An Examination of Struggles and Coping Mechanisms to Feed a Family among Households with a Low-Income
Analyzes the barriers and strategies of low-income rural families around food insecurity. Reports on interviews with 153 primary grocery shoppers about their experiences related to affordability and adequacy of meals, difficulty in obtaining food and managing household food needs, and more. Includes demographic information about participants as well as selected quotes relating to their food insecurity experiences.
Author(s): Carmen Byker Shanks, Lauri Andress, Annie Hardison-Moody, et al.
Citation: Nutrients, 14(24), 5250
Date: 12/2022
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Additional resources are available related to this guide. See the full list of resources by topic for: