How to connect local food with communities in Wilmington

The weather is warming, the pollinators are swarming, and our local food scene is more vibrant than ever.

This is my favorite time of year because after a winter of mostly delicious greens, we are entering one of our most diverse produce seasons.

Over the next several weeks, our local farmers will be bringing in a beautiful variety of colorful foods. There is a lot of research and personally held beliefs around purchasing local food. Is it healthier? More nutritious? More sustainable and environmentally friendly?

The answer is: It’s complicated. You may be surprised to hear that some of the strongest evidence of the benefits of local food systems are actually on the community level rather than the individual level.

Research suggests that strong local food systems increase collective community work and create stronger social ties and networks, which often leads to more civic engagement.

Oftentimes these community connections lead to communities organizing around local issues such as food insecurity, but local food markets can sometimes exclude consumers with lower incomes or those who are located farther away.

In our local community, organizations such as Frankie’s Outdoor Market/Northside Food Coop, Feast Down East, and the Wilmington Farmers Market, are working to remove those barriers and use local food as a catalyst for addressing the broader issue of food insecurity.

A couple of our local markets, the Wilmington Farmers Market and Feast Down East Mobile Market, offer “Fresh Bucks.” This program allows people who utilize SNAP/EBT to double their bucks to purchase locally grown food, allowing farmers to be paid full price and people to stretch their dollars. Research shows that matching SNAP dollars at farmers markets positively affects fruit and vegetable consumption, so the program is a win-win.

This program can be grant funded, individually sponsored, or supported by fundraising efforts. It is the latter for the Wilmington Farmers Market, and they are holding their fundraiser on May 1 at Malachi Meadows.

You can enjoy a whole hog pig pickin’ with sides highlighting the best local ingredients prepared by Chef Em and Kim of No Labels, and even can opt-in for an additional farm tour as well.

This will be an evening of delicious food and fun while supporting a program that helps make healthy food more accessible. You can learn more about the farmers market at thewilmingtonfarmersmarket.com, and buy tickets for the event under the “store” tab.

Morgan King is the Family & Consumer Sciences Agent for N.C. Cooperative Extension Center - New Hanover County Center located at the arboretum, 6206 Oleander Drive, Wilmington. The gardens are free and open daily 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Reach her at morgan_king@ncsu.edu or 910-798-7660.

This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: How to connect local food with communities in Wilmington, NC