Lessons From the Farm: How Working on the Farm at the Food Bank of Delaware Changed my Perspective on Fighting Food Insecurity in America 

• Delia Quinn, International Relations, University of Delaware

• John O'Connor, Farm Management, Food Bank of Delaware

In the United States, local food banks and non-profit farms provide nourishment for the millions of Americans lacking adequate and consistent access to food, and in the case of the Food Bank of Delaware, these efforts are sustained through help from community volunteers. In conjunction with local efforts that often have federal backing, several federal programs are dedicated to reducing hunger on a national level, yet, the prevalence of food insecurity is upheld through systemic means in relation to poverty and continues to increase, maintaining an upward trend in recent years. 

These systems in which poverty survives to breed public health crises and millions of food insecure Americans, are ingrained in the economic makeup of the nation, and prove difficult to tackle from a local and individual level. Federal efforts tasked with supporting the nation as a whole are ill-equipped to provide the totality of the needed support, often leaving those who still need help to seek it on the local level. In the case of food security, those who do not garner sufficient federal support may rely on initiatives such as food banks to fulfill their needs, thus, exalting the importance of these local initiatives to succeed in their efforts of feeding their community. In order to succeed, these initiatives, especially those like the Farm at the Food Bank of Delaware, require frequent maintenance, sufficient labor and support, which can often be limited due to means of funding for small-scale operations. As a result, community involvement and assistance from volunteers is critical to ensure that their mission of ending hunger is achieved. 

Through a hands-on approach and observational research supported by research, insight from farm employees and volunteers, and my own work alongside them, I explore what two months of work on the Food Bank of Delaware’s Farm has taught me about efficiently fighting food insecurity from the local level. In the interest of eliminating hunger in the United States, a new perspective with focus on building community through volunteering and encouraging new experiences may be the key to greater success, and has the potential to unify those who desire systemic change, to start making a significant difference together.