In early April 2022, I visited Such and Such Farm, a sustainable, organic farm in DeSoto, Missouri. They call themselves a farm “that specializes in sustainably grown produce, responsibly raised animals and other cool stuff.” Still, I was skeptical; how could a 120-acre farm run by just a handful of people produce enough food to feed a large number of people? It just didn’t make sense. Surprisingly, though, I couldn’t have been more wrong.

When I arrived, Autumn, half of the duo that owns Such and Such, gave me a tour of the farm. First, she showed me their field, where they hand-plant seeds each year. The seeds, of course, are either sustainably sourced or re-used from last year’s crops. Autumn also told me that their fields were maintained using “minimal till,” a process that keeps soil healthier for longer. They irrigate their field using a nearby pond on the farm property, and mostly do the irrigation process by hand. With a terrace garden and a greenhouse, they grow other produce like herbs, fruits, and vegetables. Besides produce, Such and Such has goats and pigs, which they sustainably rotate in different fields to feed, so their animals don’t trample the grass. Finally, Autumn showed me the chicken coop, where they harvest farm-fresh eggs from their roosters. Such and Such also has a campground, a swimming hole, and an event space where they host dinners in the summertime.

However, the most shocking part of the tour was not the plethora of sustainable practices, nor their emphasis on environmental stewardship: it was that neither Autumn nor her husband (her co-owner) were farmers 10 years ago. Both had worked in St. Louis, and decided to buy the DeSoto property when it was for sale. From there, Such and Such was born. They learned everything they know from blogs, books, and mentorship from other farmers. When the tour concluded, I was shocked. From what I had previously known, farming was not something one could just “pick up” from things like books and blogs. Yet, when I looked out over the farm, I realized that was exactly what had happened. Could this be the silver bullet to feeding the hungry?

When most people think of food deserts, they do not think of crowded urban areas. In contrast, they think of desolate, rural communities where people have to travel miles to get to a single convenience store. This understanding of food deserts, while not totally incorrect, fails to include one of the most common types of food deserts: cities. According to the Food Empowerment Project “food deserts can be described as geo- graphic areas where residents’ access to affordable, healthy food options (especially fresh fruits and vegetables) is restricted or nonexistent due to the absence of grocery stores within convenient traveling distance… about 2.3 mil- lion people (or 2.2 percent of all US households) live more than one mile away from a supermarket and do not own a car.

In urban areas, access to public transportation may help residents overcome the difficulties posed by distance, but economic forces have driven grocery stores out of many cities in recent years, making them so few and far between that an individual’s food shopping trip may require taking several buses or trains.” Within the city of St. Louis, “33% of the population has to travel at least a mile to the nearest grocery store”(The Journal). Residents affected by this issue do not have adequate access to healthy and sustainable foods. Aside from distance restricting food access, price is another added difficulty. Healthy, organic foods are usually more expensive than pre-packaged, processed foods. As a result, socioeconomic status becomes an indicator of health, and people of lower SES have decreased access to healthy foods. The Food Empowerment Project continues: “the consequences of long-term constrained access to healthy foods is one of the main reasons that ethnic minority and low-income populations suffer from statistically higher rates of obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and other diet-related con- ditions than the general population. Difficulty accessing food doesn’t affect all groups equally: the vast majority of people that live within these food deserts are from minority and low-income communities.

So, what can we do about food deserts? Unfortunately, it’s very complicated. Food insecurity lies at the intersections of race, class, the environment, and health, which makes it difficult to improve one area without placing strain upon the others. Additionally, federal programs like SNAP and WIC are a start to alleviating short-term issues, like starvation, but they do not contribute to creating long-term, community-based solutions to food insecurity. To truly solve issues like food insecurity, we must look at its root causes. We must ask ourselves how things like racism and classism have influenced this issue. We have to look for solutions that empower communities, as giving agency back to under-resourced groups is extremely important. Moreover, these solutions must take into account factors such as the environment. Essentially, we must look for solutions that are holistic, environmentally friendly, community-based, and will feed people.

Although these seem like slim parameters, we have many viable options to support communities struggling with food insecurity. Community gardens, urban farming, and farming partnerships are all amazing ways to provide food to communities in need. Urban farms in particular are exceedingly beneficial. According to the USDA, “urban farming can reduce transportation costs, help reduce runoff associated with heavy rainfall, and lead to better air quality.” Additionally, there are many benefits to the communities that utilize urban farms: “supporting local food producers… also contributes to regional economic development by keeping capital within the local economy.”

Essentially, urban farms have tangible benefits, such as supporting local economies, local farmers, and reducing environmental impacts. Additionally, urban farms are being used as a tool to educate youth to eat healthy and be environmentally friendly. Harlem Grown, an urban farm in Harlem, New York, is doing exactly that. Their main mission, in addition to providing healthy food for Harlem residents, is “to inspire youth to lead healthy and ambitious lives through mentorship and hands-on education in urban farming, sustainability, and nutrition.” Urban farms are so much more than rows of produce. They are community hubs, education centers, and cites for active learning and neighborhood growth.

So many of these organizations exist within the city of St. Louis. Currently, I am working as an intern for the Known and Grown branch of the Missouri Coalition for the Environment. The internship has opened to the innumerable ways that St. Louis communities have begun to sustainably feed themselves. For example, City and low-income populations suffer from statistically higher rates of obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and other diet-related conditions than the general population”.

Greens Market in the Grove aims to provide “access to fresh, quality, and affordable food to our neighbors” while promoting “healthy living in our community.” When I visited City Greens myself, I was amazed at the wide array of products. While it certainly is not like a Schnucks, there are more than enough products to stock your kitchen with. Additionally, City Greens is partnered with many local farms in the St. Louis area, which literally brings fresh, sustainably farmed foods to people in need. Additionally, the prices at City Greens are reduced for members, meaning that people can access high quality food at an affordable rate. While City Greens provides produce at affordable prices, the St. Louis Metro Market takes the solution to food deserts one step further: it’s on wheels. The Metro Market is a mobile market, meaning that it moves from neighborhood to neighborhood to provide food to multiple communities.

Beyond marketplaces, there are also farms like Such and Such who aim to be a sustainable food source. Urban Harvest STL has four dif- ferent farms in the St. Louis area. Of these four farms, one is a school garden that educates children, one is a community garden located in JeffVanderLou neighborhood, one is a rooftop garden in downtown, and the last is a “com- munity space” for women, children, and families. Many of these farms are located in or near low-income neighborhoods. Urban Harvest is only one organization, yet it offers a wide range of programs and reaches an incredibly large audience across the city of St. Louis. Hundreds of organizations like the ones I have mentioned here exist within the city and they are committed to their mission of ending food insecurity.

I began my internship skeptical about urban farms and farming. Yet, as I have seen over and over again, urban farms do incredible, impactful work. Farmers love to share. Whether it be food, information, or advice, farmers will not hesitate to help wherever help is needed. A window of opportunity has opened: connecting farmers with small, urban farms could create a sustainable, eco-friendly solution to food inequity in St. Louis. Organizations like Such and Such and Urban Harvest are only the beginning. Healthy, sustainable food sources are not impossible to find. Food instability is not permanent- it is a temporary condition. There are so many resources in St. Louis that can lead to the end of food inequity. Farmers, volunteers, and organizations have dedicated so much to this cause, and it is not in vain. The conversation around food inequality is changing, for the better. The solution is complex, but not impossible, and it is easily within our grasp.