Today we traveled to Crissy Field, an airfield in the Presidio, a former military district near the Golden Gate Bridge. The airfield became a national park when the government decommissioned the military base. There we worked to troubleshoot the pop-up irrigation system by flagging and unearthing the sprinkler heads. This service project reflects the importance of maintaining public spaces within a public area. Keeping up with public areas and making them more aesthetically pleasing promotes a friendly environment, as well as make the city more walk-able.
We also headed to then UN Plaza and toured the Heart of the City Farmer's Market. This farmer's market is very unique in that it is extremely environmentally conscious and takes the social justice aspect of sustainability very seriously. The most important feature of the market is that it is a non-profit organization with no middle man to inflate the cost of the produce. The lower prices provide for the lower income citizens that live in the Tenderloin. This relates back to the idea of environmental justice. Instead of taking advantage of the poor communities for cheap land use, this market is making strides to integrate sustainable and healthy strategies within these communities.
There are many other social justice initiatives the farmer's market is currently employing. For example they take EBT which is the electronic equivalent of food stamps. This allows EBT recipients to use their credits to purchase healthy produce rather than having to spend it at local corner stores which rarely carry such items. Another initiative they have is to collect donations of left over food from the vendors and distribute them to homeless people at the end of the day. This cuts down on theft but also provides homeless with a much needed healthy food source.
The farmers market is located in the Tenderloin district of San Francisco. This is a low income neighborhood with a reputation for drugs and lots of homeless. The farmers market is helping to make this community better by being a source of fresh produce in what is now a food desert. A food desert is an area without a grocery store. In the Tenderloins case, the nearest store is a mile away which results in residents eating unhealthy fast and processed food from local corner stores. This results in a life expectancy of 20 years less than surrounding neighborhoods. The markets mission is to help these people by being a reasonably priced healthy source of food. They want to improve the neighborhood the currently exists without the negative effects of gentrification.
We also headed to then UN Plaza and toured the Heart of the City Farmer's Market. This farmer's market is very unique in that it is extremely environmentally conscious and takes the social justice aspect of sustainability very seriously. The most important feature of the market is that it is a non-profit organization with no middle man to inflate the cost of the produce. The lower prices provide for the lower income citizens that live in the Tenderloin. This relates back to the idea of environmental justice. Instead of taking advantage of the poor communities for cheap land use, this market is making strides to integrate sustainable and healthy strategies within these communities.
There are many other social justice initiatives the farmer's market is currently employing. For example they take EBT which is the electronic equivalent of food stamps. This allows EBT recipients to use their credits to purchase healthy produce rather than having to spend it at local corner stores which rarely carry such items. Another initiative they have is to collect donations of left over food from the vendors and distribute them to homeless people at the end of the day. This cuts down on theft but also provides homeless with a much needed healthy food source.
The farmers market is located in the Tenderloin district of San Francisco. This is a low income neighborhood with a reputation for drugs and lots of homeless. The farmers market is helping to make this community better by being a source of fresh produce in what is now a food desert. A food desert is an area without a grocery store. In the Tenderloins case, the nearest store is a mile away which results in residents eating unhealthy fast and processed food from local corner stores. This results in a life expectancy of 20 years less than surrounding neighborhoods. The markets mission is to help these people by being a reasonably priced healthy source of food. They want to improve the neighborhood the currently exists without the negative effects of gentrification.