• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Edible Learning Lab
  • Home
  • Start

    Essential Reading

    Program Overview

    The broad strokes of the Edible Learning Lab Program.

    Teachers Primer

    A guide to help teachers visualize their edible education program.

    Farmers Primer

    Learn how to turn your farm into an edible classroom.

    Organizations Primer

    Discover how you can bring edible education into your community.

    Grants & Funding

    There are numerous grants and funding sources to get you started.

    Equipment Recommendations

    Buy the same equipment we use in our flagship Lab.

    The Legal Stuff

    Privacy Policy

    Terms and Conditions

  • Lessons

    Advanced Lesson Search

    Beginner Lessons

    The Beginner Lessons form the foundation with a sound overview of the core concepts of food production.

    Intermediate Lessons

    The Intermediate Lessons allow students to experiment and prove the core concepts.

    Advanced Lessons

    The Advanced Lessons give students an opportunity to apply what they've learned in the previous levels.

    Lessons By Station

    Seed Starting Curriculum

    Soil Management Curriculum

    Vermiculture Curriculum

    Hydroponics Curriculum

    Composting Curriculum

    Water Management Curriculum

    Seed Saving Curriculum

    Teaching Kitchen Curriculum

  • Blog

    Our Top Posts

    What is a Food Desert?

    Gain insight into food deserts, the communities they impact, and how edible education may offer a solution.

    The Difference Between Rainwater and Tap Water

    Not all water is created equal especially when we're talking about the health and development of plants and people.

    Why Rain is Important

    Rain or the lack of an adequate supply can have profound effects on farming and the communities that rely on the harvest.

    Anatomy of a Seed

    It all begins with a seed and this article dives deep into the 5 primary parts of the seed that make it all possible.

What is a food desert?

Aug 21 by Tim Miner Leave a Comment

what is a food desert?

Food deserts may not jump to your mind when you think about problems facing society at large but they affect more than 25 million Americans on a daily basis.

In simple terms, a food desert is a community that lacks direct and reliable access to fresh fruits and vegetables.  Like most people, you might assume that food deserts affect urban neighborhoods or isolated rural communities the most.  And though that may be true, food deserts are much more common and are growing thanks in large part to the inefficiencies of our modern commercial food system where foods are not being grown locally but rather shipped from the far reaches of the globe.  For many Americans, three meals a day are being purchased directly from convenience stores.

Food Desert eating

Typical grocery store shelves in a Food Desert community lacking in fresh options.

The USDA definition of a food desert

Buffalo, WY is home to the flagship Edible Learning Lab and is not considered a food desert by the federal government.  We have two grocery stores in a town of 4500 people.  The problem, however, is not one of proximity but rather choice.

Many rural communities like Buffalo, WY are the last to receive deliveries of fresh produce.  We are at the end of the line, getting what often feels like the leftovers after stops in Denver and other stops south of us.  Often, the produce is stocked on the shelves just days before its expiration date.  This leads consumer to preserved, canned, or frozen options.

Click here to see the map and definition for food deserts offered by the federal government.

The Modern Steader definition of a food desert

Modern Steader takes that a bit further, suggesting that areas served by grocery stores that carry little to no organic and non-GMO food products are doing little to lift communities above the status of food deserts.  Based on that definition, many urban and rural communities would still be considered as such.

Buffalo is a food desert because the grocery stores don’t carry much organic or non-GMO.  Food is food…right?  We at Modern Steader couldn’t disagree any stronger.  When access to good food is not readily available because the stores carry very little fresh fruits and vegetables then there in effect is little if any choice.  That seems like a food desert to us.

Filed Under: Teach the Teacher Tagged With: food deserts, food security

About Tim Miner

Tim Miner is the co-founder Modern Steader and father to two young boys that spend as much time in the kitchen and garden as he does. Tim and his family live in Buffalo, WY where he created the flagship Edible Learning Lab at the local Boys & Girls Club.

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Primary Sidebar

Search All Lessons

Our Lessons are organized into three levels. With our Detailed Search, you can drill down to the Lessons you need most.

Filter by Lesson Number, format, keyword, or rating.

  • Search Beginner Lessons
  • Search Intermediate Lessons
  • Search Advanced Lessons

© 2022 Edible Learning Lab | Site by Vestor Logic