Lead Agency: American Heart Association

Residents of the Lents neighborhood wondered if their voices had been heard. They had shared their desire for increased access to healthy affordable foods as part of a previous food assessment project, but change had yet to take place. The Portland Healthy Eating by Design partnership responded by using their grant to implement the residents' ideas and recommendations. This commitment to meeting residents' needs guided every aspect of the Portland Healthy Eating by Design project.

The grassroots Lents Food Group was organized to respond to the residents' desire for a neighborhood farmers' market. A previous attempt to maintain a small farmers' market in Lents had failed, and drive-through restaurants and convenience stores had become the most accessible places for residents to purchase food.

By recognizing the needs of their own community, the group was able to successfully implement three pilot farmers' markets to serve the culturally diverse neighborhood and fill a market niche within the Portland area. The success of the Lents International Farmers' Market pilots attracted attention from community development advocates and enabled the partnership to secure funding to establish a weekly market for three additional years.

During its second year of operation, the market attracted 500 people every weekend and became a neighborhood gathering place. The Healthy Eating by Design project also provided opportunities for Lents neighborhood youth to learn about healthy eating and gardening through classes at the Wattles Boys and Girls Club. A summer Grow Wise camp provided another learning experience related to farm-to-table connections and the benefits of eating fresh fruits and vegetables. Some club members were trained to plant gardens at homes of Lents residents to help bring healthy foods even closer to the home environment.

Children who participated in these programs reported greater willingness to try new fruits and vegetables and an increased interest in gardening. Working to meet the community needs informed the partnership's broader policy efforts to incorporate food access into city planning. The partnership developed draft recommendations to the Portland/Multnomah Food Policy Council and local city officials to amend the Portland Comprehensive Plan to include food access issues. They also helped establish a standing Food Access Committee of the Food Policy Council, which will continue to work on food policies to serve low-income communities.

By engaging with the local community to extend the efforts of a previous assessment project, the Portland Healthy Eating by Design partnership has helped the Lents neighborhood become a healthier, more vibrant place to live.