The availability of healthy food is an environmental factor that can contribute to a community’s diet and risk of diet related chronic disease. Studies have shown there is an association between access to healthy food outlets and decreased prevalence of obesity among residents of the area. Brown County has both rural and urban areas. Individuals living in rural areas and lower-income communities are less likely to have access to healthier food. Often in these areas, individuals have to rely on convenience stores and fast food restaurants.* Often convenience stores in these areas have a larger selection of tobacco products, alcohol, sugary drinks, and unhealthy food than healthy food options.** Improving the food environment through making affordable, healthier food more available can make the healthy choice the easy choice.

With help from a GIS & Cartography intern through the Wisconsin Idea Internship Program, Extension Brown County was able to map food resources throughout the county. Food resources included grocery stores, farmers’ markets, stores accepting Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT), cultural grocery stores, food pantries, and community gardens. When we first analyzed access to all food resources in Brown County, the majority  of the county was within a 10 minute drive to food. After some discussion, we decided this wasn’t a good representation of the community condition. Although most people in the county are within a 10 minute drive to food, some individuals in the county don’t have access to a food resource that sells healthy food options, including fresh produce, whole grains, low-fat dairy options, and lean protein options. We adapted the indicator to better reflect this. We decided to analyze the percent of Brown County residents living with a 10 minute drive to a healthy food outlet. We defined a healthy food outlet as one that sells a variety of fresh, canned, and frozen fruits and vegetables, low- fat dairy options, whole grains, and lean protein options. We found that 78.6% of Brown County is within a 10-minute drive of a healthy food outlet. 

The map can be found here:  Map of Health Food Outlets 2022

References

* Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Healthier Food Retail: An Action Guide for Public Health Practitioners. Atlanta: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; 2014. 

** ChangeLab Solutions. Healthy Retail: A Set of Tools for Policy and Partnership. Oakland: ChangeLab Solutions; 2019.

Partners engaged in this work include: 

• Community organizations 

• Food Pantries 

• Brown County Food and Hunger Network

• Wisconsin Idea Internship Program

• Grocery Stores and Convenience Stores

• Municipalities and Neighborhood Associations 

Low and no cost options are being explored, along with more analysis using the mapping tool (see below in Strategy Section), which will help inform next steps. 

Innovative Ideas being Considered:

• Adopt a healthy food retailer program 

  • Limit the amount of all storefront advertising, especially for unhealthy products

  • Encourage a reduction in the % of the store that sells tobacco, alcohol, sugary drinks, and unhealthy food 

  • Advertise healthy food at checkout counter, rather than sugary snacks 

• Create incentives to stock healthy foods at convenience stores, such as whole grains, fresh produce, low fat dairy, and lean protein options

• Grant program to help local small retailers sell more healthy options 

In 2023 and beyond, the plan for this strategy is to:

• Analyze access to healthy food outlets within ½ mile walking distance 

• Further analyze the need and market potential for healthy food outlets in areas currently not within a 10 mile driving distance- look at population size of the area, identify existing stores within the area that potentially could provide more healthy options, and understand the need within the areas. 

• Further analyze healthy food outlets in census tracts where a significant portion of residents are low-income or do not have household vehicle access in Brown County