Promoting Healthy Eating
in Sumter County
What are food deserts?
The more access you have to healthy food options, the more likely you are to have a balanced, nutritious diet. However, communities just like ours fall into what’s known as food deserts – geographic areas with limited access to affordable, healthy whole foods like fruits and vegetables.
Where does Sumter County stand?
%
Rated in Food Insecurity
Ranked in Social and Economic Factors
%
of households that have no car
%
of residents are low income with limited grocery access
This means Sumter County residents are more likely to face serious health issues, including:
Diabetes
Heart disease
High blood pressure
Hyperlipidemia
Obesity
Mental health issues like major depression
Where are we headed?
Healthy Sumter is committed to your health and wellness, and we have a plan to get Sumter County on track.
Introducing the Healthy Sumter Community Garden at Brookdale Park
1020 Park Row Extension, Americus, GA 31719
Healthy Sumter is promoting health and wellness by creating Community Gardens in areas with limited access to fresh fruits and vegetables. Our first community garden at Brookdale Park is a partnership with the City of Americus, Flint River Fresh, and Phoebe Sumter. This garden will be an urban teaching mini-farm to engage our community and provide year-round produce to those in need. This will consist of raised garden beds, in-ground planting, a composting area, and a fruit orchard.
To reach our county-wide wellness goals, we are working with local school systems, churches, grocery stores, farmers, and more. Together, we can build more resources and opportunities for healthy living right here in Sumter County.
