Food Environment Assessment Hopes to Bring Healthier Food into a Kentucky County

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Kenton County Plan4Health has received a $135,000 grant from the American Planning Association to map the area’s full-line grocery stores, locate neighborhoods with limited access to healthy foods and increase the supply of fresh produce for residents in need.

According to a news article on Cincinnati.com, Kenton County suffers from an overall “food insecurity” rate of 13.9 percent, with 18.4 percent for children.

Kenton County Plan4Health was officially created in December, with OKI Regional Council of Governments, the Planning and Development Services of Kenton County, Northern Kentucky Health Department and Center for Great Neighborhoods partnering

Emi Randall, OKI senior planner, said in the news article that a mapping study will help identify neighborhoods in the county that have close proximity to full-line grocery stores, which have an abundance of fresh fruits, vegetables and other foods, and those without that kind of access. The study will take public transit access into account, she said.

The coalition plans to give mini-grants to corners stores to help them offer healthier food.

Read more about the funds and the plans here.