By Katie Sobiech

The policy produced by the Summit County Food Policy Coalition calls for two measurable action items:

1) eliminate food deserts in Summit County,
2) preserve farmland within Summit County.

We reported on efforts to identify and measure food deserts in our story from January 10th, 2014.

This week we investigate one very successful effort to preserve farm land.

With an abundance of documentaries being released on food in America, it seems an awakening is happening.

Many have begun to realize what an impact urbanization and industrialization have had on agriculture and how that is affecting our everyday lives.

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 By Katie Sobiech

It’s a term many are unaware of, and can be defined in many ways.

Though there is no specific definition that everyone agrees on, one definition explains it to be “a geographic area where affordable & healthy food is difficult to obtain, particularly for those without access to an automobile (wikipedia.com).”

They are also known to exist in rural areas and low-income communities.

“Some research links them to diet-related health problems in affected populations. Food deserts are sometimes associated with supermarket shortages and food security” (wikipedia.com)

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