State Sen. Dan Sparks deserves a thank you from all Minnesotans for the leadership he exhibited in introducing and helping to pass legislation this year that created the Minnesota Good Food Access Program. The program became official last week as a result of Gov. Dayton signing the legislation into law.

The Good Food Access Program is designed to combat the growing problem many Minnesotans have accessing healthy and affordable foods, especially in rural areas where more than 200,000 Minnesotans live 10 miles or more away from a large grocery store or supermarket. Freeborn and Mower counties are two of those many Greater Minnesota rural areas that are particularly impacted by this lack of assess ability. This problem is a particular challenge for our elderly, the disabled and those who are lower income or lack adequate transportation. It has a direct impact on not only our health but the health of many Minnesotans living in other areas of the state.

The Good Foods Access Program will provide grants, low-cost loans and technical support for food-related enterprises such as new or enhanced grocery stores, mobile markets and farmers’ markets, fresh food refrigeration and other innovative community-driven solutions. It is a workable, common-sense program under which many Minnesotans who currently do not have convenient access to healthy and affordable foods will have that access.

Senator Sparks’ legislation will be positively felt for years and generations to come in that the health of Minnesotans of all ages from all regions of the state will be improved thanks to the ability to more easily access healthy and affordable foods.

Thank you Sen. Sparks.

 

Ellen Kehr

organization lead

Blue Zones Project – Albert Lea