By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post
A Fort Hays State University agriculture student is researching ways to bring more fresh produce to Hays.
Morgan Barba has partnered with the Kansas State Local Food Initiative to survey Hays residents on local needs for fresh produce year-round. Kansas State University funds the project.
That survey is available now on the Hays Post. CLICK HERE to take the survey.
This is the first year for the Food Fellow program. Barba is one of the 17 fellows.
Local food results in a lower carbon footprint and promotes sustainability.
Barba began by building a directory of local producers.
The survey seeks to determine what community members want.
The survey asks if residents are producing food and if they would buy locally grown food.
The survey also asks if community members are interested in a community garden.
Salina has a community ag shares program. Local producers assemble produce boxes for shareholders weekly or biweekly, and what's in the boxes varies from week to week.
Lawrence has a Food Policy Council. The council has promoted farm-to-school food programs and incentives for producers to sell locally.
"It's about the policy-making and how that town can take ownership of that issue just like we are doing so great with water in Hays," Sophie Ano, FHSU Department of Agriculture chairwoman, said. "How can we also increase the quality of our fresh food and the local food?"
Having fresh produce available year-round is important to health and nutrition.
"This is a tough spot. We are in the middle of the country. The conditions for growing are not great for produce," she said.
"If we are going to encourage the new generation to eat healthy, they need to see fresh, local food all around them," Ano said.
During the pandemic, the country saw supply chain disruptions. Supporting local produce increases the security of the domestic food supply.
"I think it would be great to understand where our food is coming from as a community," Ano said.
She said there's a relationship component to the local food.
Barba said people like to visit the farmer's market because they can ask questions about the food and how it was grown.
The producers need to have an interest in growing produce, and the consumers have to have a desire to buy local, she said.
Growing produce in Kansas is not going to make anyone a millionaire, and it's hard physical work, Ano said. Most people consider it a hobby.
Ano said many of these producers are older, and there's a serious concern about their age.
She said there are pockets of interest in community food, including Bethesda Place, the Arc, and the FHSU community garden, but there is nothing to organize them and no means to share best practices.
Barba said the initiative would like to have the data analyzed by the end of May.
This study only includes Hays, but Ano has been conducting research about local food in other communities through the Docking Institute.