Mayor Celebrates Improved Food Access at Hampden School

Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake celebrated increasing the city’s food access with students from the Academy for College and Career Exploration in Hampden.

Students at the school joined the mayor to plant a tree in the community garden at the school on Wednesday, according to a news release.

Previously students, nonprofits and volunteers from the Vans Warped Tour, had worked to turn the asphalt parking lot behind the school into a community garden.

"How we educate today's youth regarding local, organic food will echo in the food models of the future," said Seth Wheeler of Baltimore Free Farm in a news release. "This is an amazing opportunity to unite community, schools and local farmers and will hopefully serve as an example for sustainable, healthful food choices."

According to the release, the city has addressed issues with residents access to fresh food by:

• Expanding the Virtual Supermarket program to include four new sites to reach vulnerable populations in food deserts
• The Baltimore City Farmers Market in Bazaar now accepts SNAP benefits
• By connecting new urban farms with corner stores, residents of the Resevoir Hill and Belair-Edison communities can now purchase fresh produce from neighborhood farms.
• Launching the Get Fresh Public Market Initiative in Lexington and Hollins markets, which is working with 30 carryout to help them sell healthy food, and provide nutrition education to increase consumer demand.

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