Healthy Farmers Markets Provide Colorado Residents with Heart Healthy Produce

One in 10 Coloradans, including one in six children and one in 10 seniors is considered to be food insecure, and do not know where their next meal will come from. Food insecurity is defined by the U.S. Department of Agriculture as the inability of a household to consistently provide enough food – generally three meals a day – for every person to live a healthy, active life.

According to a recent poll conducted by Hunger Free Colorado, results show as of July 2020, more than 37 percent of Coloradans are struggling to afford food, compared with 11 percent during the Great Recession.

Making nutritious food more accessible and affordable is critical to cardiovascular health. In fact, the American Heart Association knows that children and teens with uncertain or limited access to nutritional foods, known as food insecurity, are more likely to have high blood pressure than those who are food secure.

To address this challenge, the American Heart Association teamed up with Anythink Libraries, City of Thornton, Lulu’s Farm and Tri-County Health Department to host weekly farmers markets that are conveniently held at Anythink Library locations. Working with local farmers and food producers, the Healthy Farmers Markets are committed to making healthy, fresh produce options accessible and affordable to all in the community. Attendees of the markets can also learn more about healthy cooking and nutrition, and food assistance services like SNAP and WIC are accepted as payment for produce. 

Interested in learning more? Check out a short video with highlights from the 2020 Healthy Farmers Market here, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fGAPPMHWMmc.

Additional information about the Healthy Farmers Markets can be found by visiting https://www.anythinklibraries.org/farmers-markets

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