Our Neighbors Could Use a Hand
story by Donna Hecker & photography by Talitha Schroeder
When Chef Ouita Michel attended a recent gathering of 100 chefs at a summit in Houston hosted by the James Beard Foundation, she knew exactly which advocacy track she wanted to pursue – Nutrition Security and Hunger. “I wanted to focus on this issue so I can become a better advocate for the work FoodChain is doing on the front lines in Lexington and Central Kentucky.”
Back in 2013, as Smithtown Seafood restaurant was taking shape in downtown Lexington, the fish tanks and aquaponic beds were also going into place at FoodChain, our neighbor in the Bread Box building. This symbiotic development was no accident; Chef Ouita intended for Smithtown Seafood to be FoodChain’s retail partner from the start. As founder and former FoodChain Executive Director Rebecca Self likes to say, “Smithtown is FoodChain’s storefront window.”
FoodChain’s purpose then and now is to reduce food insecurity and promote a just and equitable food system, accessible to all. It believes that everyone deserves access to fresh, locally-sourced food.
At FoodChain’s core is a working indoor urban farm, where tilapia are raised in 300 gallon tanks. Water from the tanks passes through an irrigation system that supplies floating beds of herbs, lettuces and other greens. Smithtown Seafood purchases the tilapia and produce for restaurant use.
FoodChain’s most direct line for food distribution is through its teaching and processing kitchen. That’s where neighbors and volunteers learn how to process and prepare fresh food together. Where meals are distributed three days a week to anyone who needs one; where boxes of meal kits are put together for delivery throughout the Lexington metro area. Where the planning for education and outreach programs like Cook.Eat.Grow. and the Power of Produce happens.
The Chef Action Summit delivered three days of lectures, discussion and advocacy planning, all part of a strategy to build a national Chef Advocacy Network. Chef Ouita explained the importance of doing so.
The need for chefs’ voices to be heard is more clear and urgent than ever before. We know that the consolidation of our food system has made it less secure and less equitable. Across America, chefs are working to advocate for the food system we want: one that is accessible to everyone, where all children in our communities are well fed. A system based on nutrition and wellness, not food junkyards. As Chef Michel Nischan, founder of Wholesome Wave, said ‘If not us, who? If not now, when? Feed and Lead!’ In Houston it became clear to me – FoodChain is on the cutting edge of food justice, both in Central Kentucky and nationally. I’m proud to say that I’m a founding member.
Chef Ouita believes that the true power for food justice in America rests with the upcoming reauthorization of the $428 billion farm bill. And she tells us why it matters.
Stacy Dean, the Deputy Under Secretary for the USDA in Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services addressed our cohort. Her very job is to administer over 15 federal nutrition programs, including school meals and SNAP benefits.
To her, access to nourishing food is a basic and foundational need for health, well-being and family stability. In the United States, 38 million of our citizens struggle with hunger; 62% of them are part of households with children. Every year, 600,000 deaths are the direct result of poor nutrition.
30 million American children eat a school-provided lunch – that hot lunch is the main source of nutrition for 50% of our children. Kids need these meals – they rely on them. As a chef, I want those meals to be the very best they can be, which is why programs like Farm to School are so important.
42 million Americans count on SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits. When Congress recently ended the declared Public Health Emergency – our national response to the global pandemic of Covid 19 – the result was what experts call a “hunger cliff.” Effective March 1, millions of Americans will lose access to expanded SNAP benefits.
Because SNAP families in Kentucky experienced this drop-off last year when the General Assembly ended our public health emergency early, we collectively lost over half a billion dollars in grocery funds. And because each SNAP dollar generates up to $1.50 in economic benefits, local businesses lost money too.
The loss is further compounded by inflation, and the post-pandemic elimination of the expanded child tax credit and universal free school meals. It’s especially hard on our older citizens who receive Social Security; many of them qualify for only the minimum benefit, which has dropped from $281 to only $23 a month.
FoodChain works hard to fill this hunger gap and a growing component of that work is a weekly meal delivery service. The delivery service grew out of a partnership named Nourish Lexington, formed during the pandemic as schools and restaurants closed down and the mad scramble was on to get food to those who needed it the most.
FoodChain relies on both paid and volunteer drivers to drop off meal kits and ready-to-eat meal boxes to households around Lexington. Each kit contains the ingredients and recipe for a tasty and nutritious meal, along with extras like sandwich makings and salad fixings, depending on what’s available that week.
The ready-to-eat meals are especially popular with single and/or older individuals. Entrees are packaged in foil trays for easy reheating; recent main dishes included meatloaf and chicken with rice and both came with vegetable sides.
SNAP funds cannot be used to purchase hot meals. Because not all our neighbors have a working stove, many food equity advocates want this issue addressed in revisions to the farm bill. Nutrition is the bill's largest title and accounts for 80% of its spending. And although the actual funding for food assistance programs is done through regular budget bills, it’s the farm bill that determines how those programs will work.
FoodChain continues to recruit volunteers for the weekly deliveries. It’s a fun gig, especially on a sunny spring day when you’re greeted with smiles and friendly hellos. As one driver said, "I like to deliver for FoodChain because I'm out in the community, and sometimes I get to meet some of the recipients and their neighbors. Everyone is friendly and appreciative of what we do."
According to Becca Taylor, who coordinates the delivery program –
Our recipients, many of whom are elderly or have limited mobility, often say that without this service, they would not be able to access much-needed food assistance.
We prioritize foods grown by Kentucky farmers. Our boxes have included cabbages, sweet potatoes, carrots, mushrooms, ground beef, and whole turkeys, all sourced from Fayette and the surrounding counties. These varied ingredients are not only nutritious but also difficult to find in supermarkets in neighborhoods where many of our recipients live. Delivery is such a crucial part of our fight against food insecurity!
households receiving FoodChain deliveries
FoodChain currently delivers to 130 households, which represent over 400 of our Lexington neighbors, with more on a wait list. Becca says the goal “is to try to get to 200 deliveries weekly. That is the number we estimate we could handle with our current staff and food storage capacities.
To reach that goal, we’ll need more delivery volunteers. To begin delivery to more than 200 households and get everyone off the waiting list, we would need a variety of additional resources.”
Mata faim, mata fan, matambre. All over the world, there are cuisines with dishes named “hunger killer” for the strength of their satiating properties.
But hunger is no joke. In the restaurant business we’re acutely aware of the chasm between our guests who can afford an enjoyable meal and our neighbors who can’t afford nutritious groceries. That’s why we’re proud to support our friends at FoodChain.
If you live in the Lexington area, we hope you’ll think about volunteering a couple of hours a week delivering meal boxes. If you’re reading this from another city or state, please consider a donation so that FoodChain can continue to be a national model for food justice.
Be a hunger killer with us. Because our neighbors could use a helping hand.
Related Content
Okonomiyaki
Okonomiyaki is just one of the recipes that FoodChain has sent out with its meal kit boxes. We love its punchy flavors. It’s quick and easy and packs a lot of different veggies into one tasty dish. Plus it can be varied to reflect what’s in season and in your fridge!
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