Texas Health Resources – Healthy Eating Initiative

What is it?

The goal of the Healthy Eating Initiative is to improve the accessibility, affordability, and quality of fresh produce in Azle and the surrounding areas. The Healthy Eating Initiative is a multi-component plan composed of community gardens feeding into a farmers’ market, which in turn, supplies mobile produce markets (food hubs). Food hubs, community gardens and farmers’ markets all address the issues of accessibility and affordability of fresh produce. They reduce barriers by providing fresh produce at a low cost and in various locations to meet the needs of the residents of Azle and surrounding area.

Who is it for?

Residents of Parker County, much of which is underserved medically as well as nutritionally, with only one public health clinic, no public hospital, no public transportation and few grocery stores with fresh fruit and vegetables.

Why do they do it?

In 2011, Texas Health Azle identified the lack of accessible and affordable produce as a major obstacle to healthy eating in Azle and the surrounding areas. In response, Texas Health Azle reached out to several community partners and created the Healthy Eating Initiative, a strategic approach to address the issue.

Impact

The 2012 baseline survey reported the number of servings of fruit as just under four servings per week. In 2015, this number doubled to eight servings per week. The average number of servings of all fruit and vegetables increased to 23, which is a 27 percent improvement over the baseline survey.

Contact: David Tesmer
Senior Vice President, Community Engagement & Advocacy
Telephone: 682-236-7937
Email: davidtesmer@texashealth.org