National recognition for local "Young Food Leader"

 

Brianna Almaguer Sandoval at the National Resources Defense Council's Growing Green Award ceremony - photo by Orange PhotographyBrianna Almaguer Sandoval of The Food Trust’s Healthy Corner Store Initiative, was one of just four winners of the Natural Resources Defense Council's Growing Green Award. Almaguer Sandoval was chosen from among 200 candidates working in the field of sustainable food across the nation.

The 2013 Growing Green panel of judges, which included food scene heavyweights such as Michael Anthony (Executive Chef at Gramercy Tavern) and Nell Newman (Newman’s Organics), named Brianna as the winner of the “Young Food Leader” category for her work helping to bring healthier food options to over 680 corner stores in the Philadelphia region. She received the award on April 4 at the 2013 Growing Green Awards gala in San Francisco.

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New Food Access Portal hopes to empower solutions for Philadelphia's food deserts

Image via healthyfoodaccess.orgParents, teachers, and policymakers all seem to tell us that a healthy lifestyle is just a decision away. But eating right, or not, isn’t always a choice. Limited access to grocery stores and lack of transportation have left many lower-income Americans living in “food deserts,” where healthy, wholesome food is hard to find.

To help combat the spread of these “food deserts,” Philadelphia do-gooders The Food Trust and The Reinvestment Fund have partnered with PolicyLink to create a powerful new online resource, the Healthy Food Access Portal. The Portal, which launched last week, acts as a national information clearinghouse for organizations interested in creating retail solutions for communities to gain access to safe, fresh food. These solutions can include corner stores, farmers markets and mobile produce trucks. The Portal is designed to empower entrepreneurs by providing information on grants and investment opportunities, business models of successful food-retail enterprises, and tips on retail strategy.

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On the Shoulders of Giants: Four people who kick-started the Philadelphia food movement

April 1, 2012, 10:45 a.m. The line outside the Pennsylvania Convention Center was growing. Parents with strollers, young professionals, older couples, eco-conscious hippies and families in Phillies shirts were all patiently waiting for 11 a.m. Apparently the 1,100 pre-sold tickets were no fluke. The Philly Farm & Food Fest was attracting a crowd.

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Perfect Pitch: How the Lidge family is trying to turn out the lights on bad nutrition

My story begins like those of many others who are passionate about real food. I was surrounded by it from the beginning. I spent my young childhood growing up on our family farm in Missouri with cows, sheep, pigs and an enormous garden that nourished us with everything from Brussels sprouts to cherries.

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