Community Interest in Bringing Local Foods to Downtown Dayton

1. Community Interest in Bringing Local Foods to Downtown Dayton Alex Neal Katie Liutkus Kelly Miller SEE 402 2013

2. Historical Information • Dayton pre-1950s: Thriving city • Contributed to the industrial war efforts, increasing the economy significantly • Post War: suburbangrowth and urban sprawl • inner cities lost population and businesses • Donuting effect • Abandonment in the city as population and wealth move out • Many storefront areas exist Downtown that are waiting to be utilized • Food Desert • Low availability for healthy foods in the heart of the city • Public Health concern for food access

3. Food Deserts • According to the USDA, “low-income communities without ready access to healthy and affordable food.”1 • Based on income and access criteria • There are many competing definitions of Food Deserts, but for purposes of this study, we define it as a lower-income area with the lack of access to healthy and affordable food within the living area • Greater Downtown Dayton’s census tracks, along with all adjacent tracks, are designated as ‘food deserts’ by USDA-- .5 mile tolerance2 1 United States Department of Agriculture 2 Food Access Research Atlas

4. Dayton Area USDA Food Access Research Atlas

5. Dayton Area: low-income & low- access at .5 mile tolerance USDA Food Access Research Atlas

6. Implications of Food Deserts • Low-cost, high sugar/fat content foods are readily available • Healthy foods like vegetables are more expensive and less available to residents • The poor are more susceptible to these conditions • Lead to obesity, diabetes, and other preventable health conditions • Only 22% of Montgomery County adults and children meet the daily recommended five servings of fruits and vegetables

7. Obesity • Overweight and obesity are the result of “caloric imbalance”—too few calories expended for the amount of calories consumed—and are affected by various genetic, behavioral, and environmental factors.1 • Childhood obesity has more than doubled in children and tripled in adolescents in the past 30 years. 1 • Montgomery County is ranked 74th of 88 counties in Ohio for Health Outcomes (Mortality and Morbidity) 2 • 38% of Montgomery County adults are overweight, another 30% are obese3 • 25% of 3rd graders are obese, and 17% are overweight in Montgomery County4 1 Centers for Disease Control 2 County Health Rankings 3 Montgomery County Health Assessment 2010 4 2008 PRC Child Health Assessment

8. County-level Estimates of Obesity among Adults aged ≥ 20 years: Ohio 2009 Centers for Disease Control

9. Diabetes • Positively correlated with obesity, fat and protein intake • Most common form is Type II • Adult-Onset • Undiagnosed or untreated Type II diabetes may lead to: • Heart disease, blindness, kidney failure, lower-extremity amputations • Diabetes -the seventh leading cause of death in the United States. • Because Montgomery County has an obesity epidemic, we can assume that Diabetes is also of concern Centers for Disease Control

10. County-level Estimates of Diabetes among Adults aged ≥ 20 years: Ohio 2009 Centers for Disease Control

11. Why should we be concerned? • It is recognized by the UDHR that “Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food…”1 • All people ought to have access to healthy and affordable food. • If we have the means to provide all people with healthy food then we ought to implement those means. • Given the option of buying local, we ought to support the local economy. • Public Health Concern • Significant section of the Dayton population is not getting the right types of foods and is getting sick • Preventable 1 The Universal Declaration of Human Rights

12. Issue with Downtown Dayton’s Market • Based on the West Dayton Market Study performed by Dr. Stock at UD, we have concluded the following: • Full blown grocery store is not economically feasible in Downtown Dayton • There is a multitude of factors influencing purchasing decisions about food

13. Suggested Solution • This is a preventable issue: • Bring local food to Downtown Dayton • Make it easily accessible for low income areas • Provide healthier options that are affordable • Our study shows that a Food Cooperative or Non-Profit Local Food Distribution center is feasible.

14. What is a Food Cooperative? • Collectively owned and managed food market put in place in order to fulfill the needs of the community • Purposefully ambiguous - survey is intended to help shape the structure of a future food cooperative • “A co-op is an organization that takes the idea of working together and puts it into a business structure. A cooperative is a business voluntarily owned and controlled by the people who use it—its members. It is operated solely for the benefit of its members, to meet their mutual needs.”1 1 How to Start A Food Co-Op

15. Purpose of Our Study • Determine community interest in having a food co-op or nonprofit market in Downtown Dayton • Gauge relevant information in order to determine a model that will meet the interests and needs of Dayton residents and shoppers • Begin to determine economic feasibility

16. Statement of Hypothesis There is a sufficient amount of community interest in the Downtown Dayton area to support a food co-op. We also predict there will be a significant level of interest in participants willing to engage in some way as members of a food cooperative.

17. Limitations • Only small component of a large scale feasibility study • Does not provide market analysis • Only surveyed for community interest, not vendor support/interest • Unable to reach low-income population • Possible participant bias

18. Methodology • Creation of a survey that measured the following: • Demographic information about participants • Current grocery shopping habits • Perceptions about food purchasing • Overall interest in local foods • Interest in a Food Cooperative

19. Sampling Procedure • Survey was distributed to a wide variety of places including: • Dayton organizations (DDP, Generation Dayton, etc.) • Local government (Mayor, Commissioners) • Businesses & restaurants in the Downtown area • Posted on Facebook and Twitter • Flyers printed with a QR code for smartphone access • Survey was also circulated secondhand throughout the community

20. Accomplishments • In the three weeks the survey was open, we had 542responses! • Survey was distributed through e-mail, flyer, and Facebook • Respondents also passed it along and reposted • Respondents left helpful comments and suggestions • Received e-mails from potential suppliers, supporters (including the Dean of Arts and Sciences), and Fox 45!

21. Survey Results Five Parts: 1. Demographic Information 2. Current Food Information 3. Perceptions of Food Purchases 4. Interest in Local Foods 5. Interest in Food Cooperative

22. Which best describes where you live?

23. Household Income and Education

24. Association with Downtown Dayton

25. Current Shopping Locations (ALL) 41% - Other Kroger Locations 30% - Meijer

26. Primary Shopping Location 51% - Other Kroger Location 23% - Meijer

27. Distance to Grocery

28. Household Grocery Spending in an Average Week Household Size Average Household Grocery Spending

29. Important Factors in Purchasing Food

30. Interest in a Co-Op Downtown Dayton Residents All Respondents

31. Willingness to Involve

32. Trends • vast majority travel between 1-10 miles for groceries • most have not participated in CSA before, but have purchased from local food producer directly (probably because of 2nd street) • Important purchasing factors • location, price, variety, availability of fresh produce

33. Trends • most feel they pay fair price for current groceries • most "satisfied" with quality of primary store where they shop • items seeking: fruits, vegetables, meats, dairy, finished products and more (eggs, spices, sauces, flowers, herbs, honey, juice, coffee)

34. Conclusions • A one sample t-test was performed: • we are 99% confident that there is sufficient interest in a food cooperative for Downtown Dayton • Willingness to participate and support • Large sample size increases confidence in results • Based on current trends of travel and food purchases, interest in participation, and overwhelming positive feedback, we conclude that there is an sufficient amount of interest to support a food cooperative.

35. Further Steps • Full Feasibility Study • Re-survey to reach and determine needs of low-income residents • Increaseeducationof Downtown Dayton of what a food cooperative is • Start a group of interested members • Work with existing groups downtown, Activated Spaces, etc. to get started • Pass on to UD faculty to continue research and implementation

36. Acknowledgements We’d like to thank the following people and organizations for their support for this project: UD SEE Initiative John Jones Activated Spaces Generation Dayton Tim Downs Flyer Consulting Richard Stock Stephen Hall Stone’s Throw Food Co-Op A Future Downtown Dayton Facebook Page David Hurwitz Downtown Dayton Partnership Suzanne Wasniak UpDayton • And anyone else who assisted in distributing this survey!

37. Questions?