A new online mapping project is helping connect local growers to regional markets in the state's Upper Coastal Plain.

Planning and Development Services Director at the Upper Coastal Plain Council of Governments Ron Townley explained the region's small farmers want to expand as a food source for more populated urban areas such as the Triangle - where fresh, local produce and meat are in demand.

"What we learned is that a lot of our small farmers and farmer's markets and local food suppliers are having trouble scaling up," said Townley. "Distributors are located outside the region. A lot of processing is outside the region, and a lot of the demand is outside the region."

He said anyone can submit new information on grocery stores, farms and gardens, Community Supported Agriculture opportunities and other aspects of food infrastructure in Edgecombe, Nash, Halifax, Northampton and Wilson counties.

The Healthy Food Access Mapping Project (Healthy FAM) is being led by the Upper Coastal Plain Council of Governments with support from the Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust.

The Upper Coastal Plain is currently designated by the North Carolina Department of Commerce as economically distressed.

Townley noted that healthy-food advocates are working to help secure more food-processing facilities, commercial kitchens, and cold-storage facilities to increase resources for growers.

"The local food movement in short really hasn't taken as big a root in this area as it has in some other areas," said Townley. "Grocery stores, banks and other things are shutting down in some areas. And it's creating food deserts."

Kendrick Ransome comes from generations of Black landowners in the region and owns Golden Organic Farm LLC. He said the map has helped him forge relationships with institutional buyers and find new resources.

"Being able to get connected to the earth, connected to the land, has helped shape me as a new-generation Black farmer," said Ransome. "So it's been a great tool to help farmers, especially beginner farmers like myself."

He added that he sees new interest in local food production, especially over the last two years of the pandemic and its affect on the supply chain and food insecurity.

Ransome said next year he has big plans to continue engaging with the community.

"A lot of education courses around teaching the community how to grow their own food organically," said Ransome. "As well as, we'll be building the infrastructure to be an incubator site for Edgecombe and Nash counties."

Black and Hispanic households are more than twice as likely as white households to report uncertainty in knowing where their next meal will come from, and the number of residents who rely on SNAP to purchase food jumped by 29% in 2020, according to the North Carolina Justice Center.

A New York City nonprofit is helping communities fight food insecurity.

Rethink Food began in 2017 with the mission of taking excess food from top restaurants such as Eleven Madison Park to be redistributed to food-insecure communities across the city. Despite declines, post-pandemic food insecurity in the city remains high as one in nine families doesn't often have enough to eat.

Matt Jozwiak, founder and CEO of Rethink Food, said the organization filled a unique niche during the pandemic.

"There's not a lot of nonprofits that are working with, like, a soul-food restaurant in Harlem and a community center down the street," Jozwiak pointed out. "We were really ready and prepared even before the lockdown. We put together a plan to basically grant capital resources to small businesses to make meals for local community centers."

As beneficial as the group's work is, Jozwiak acknowledged some neighborhoods do not care for certain meals. He noted some areas might not care for couscous while others are not big on dairy-based dishes. The feedback has helped guide Rethink Food's work. He added they are branching out to work in other areas, such as developing medically tailored meals.

Beyond food excess, Rethink Food is looking to see how it can improve food procurement in New York City. The city has been seeking out ways to diversify its food procurement systems.

Ken Baker, culinary director for the group, said Rethink Food and the coalition of primarily independent, minority, women-owned restaurants they work with can do it.

"We know restaurants run on tight margins; us being the primary cudgel that holds that capacity in place, and then we subcontract out that capacity to restaurant partners," Baker explained. "(It) gives them a meaningful way to have a stakehold in their community and demonstrate their ability to compete with your big players."

The challenge in doing it is lacking trust in getting paid on time by the city. Reports showed the number of procurement contracts registered late has grown since 2021. For the first half of 2024, 77% of contracts were registered late, resulting in payment delays for numerous businesses.

The Ohio Association of Foodbanks has recently sounded the alarm over worsening conditions in the state's hunger relief network, with food insecurity continuing to rise. A new report says Ohioans are forced to make difficult choices between food and other essential needs.

Joree Novotny, executive director, Ohio Association of Foodbanks, said this concerning trend is not limited to Ohio but reflects a broader national struggle.

"Things for us in the Charitable Hunger Relief Network in Ohio and across the rest of the country are not getting better. They're actually worsening," Novotny said.

Despite these challenges, the federal government has yet to reauthorize the Farm Bill, which Novotny says is vital for funding programs such as the Emergency Food Assistance Program. As a result, food banks are receiving less food, even as demand increases.

Novotny emphasized the need for both state and federal action to prevent further hardship.

"About two-thirds of the households that we're serving across Ohio told us that the adults in their households are skipping meals or cutting the size of meals because they didn't have enough food," she stressed.

With Ohio's state budget discussions underway and the Farm Bill still pending, the future of hunger relief efforts remains uncertain. Novotny says the recent report shows why more consistent support to address food insecurity is increasingly urgent.

Colorado students will not go hungry this school year, thanks to the Healthy School Meals for All initiative approved by voters in 2022.

Their parents will need to fill out some paperwork to tap critical federal dollars to help pay for the popular program.

Laura Segura, a community council member of Hunger Free Colorado and a parent, urged parents to complete their child's school benefits form no later than Sept. 30.

"We need to fill out those forms, no matter what," Segura stressed. "If the parents don't do their job, which is to advocate for their kid's needs, who else is going to do that?"

The one-page application goes by many names depending on the school district: school, meal, community or educational benefits. Segura emphasized if parents and caregivers do not know how to access the form, they should contact their child's school.

Filling out the form helps bring federal taxes already paid by Coloradans back to the state to help pay for school meals. It also helps families and schools get Summer EBT benefits, get discounts on school fees and activities and other community benefits.

School districts have until Sept. 16 to officially opt into the meal program and most of the state's largest districts are already on board. Segura noted investing in children's nutrition pays significant dividends in their health, academic success and lifetime earning potential. She added it is much harder to stay focused in the classroom on an empty stomach.

"If the kids don't have what they need, they are going to suffer mentally, emotionally and physically," Segura asserted. "Most importantly, they are not going to be focused on their academics."

A recent poll found 70% of Republicans, 79% of independents and 91% of Democrats support Healthy School Meals for All, which is paid for by Coloradans earning $300,000 or more per year.

Since its launch, participation in school breakfasts has grown by 36%, and lunch participation is up by 31%.