Episode 84: Food Insecurity in the United States and Starting Your Own Backyard Garden

Hunger feels like a problem elsewhere around the globe rather than right here in the United States. However, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) estimates that as many as 30 million adults and 12 million children are living in food-insecure households. The Covid-19 pandemic exacerbated an already existing problem and now supply chain issues and food shortages threaten to make it worse. On this episode of All Things, I share about a recent trip I took with Convoy of Hope to a couple farms in Tennessee, which are seeking to educate their communities in farming with the goal of increasing America’s backyard farms. You’ll hear my conversation with Agricultural Advocate and Soil Scientist Dr. Jason Streubel, who serves as the Senior Director for Agriculture and Food Security at Convoy of Hope. We talk about the potential for food shortages here in the US and the joy of caring for our creation and communities through backyard farms. If you’d like to support Convoy of Hope, which is doing great work to alleviate hunger around the world and in the US, you can do so here.

More articles and resources :

Convoy of Hope Agriculture Initiative

What is Food Insecurity? - Feeding America

Food Insecurity in the US by the Numbers - NPR

Food prices are going up: Here are items predicted to cost a whole lot more at grocery stores - USA Today

Opinion: The world is on the brink of a food shortage. Here's what the US government and businesses can do to help - CNN

Crunch at Ports May Mean Crisis for American Farms - NY Times

U.S. farm income expected to fall as costs for fertilizer, other production expenses climb sharply - Des Moines Register

Green Door Gourmet - Community Education Farm in Tennessee

The Madison Farm - Community Education Farm in Tennessee