Local churches launch fresh-food market to change the way we eat

Starting this week, a half dozen local churches are doing more than spreading the word of God. They're trying to change the way we eat.

They're using fruits and vegetables, and they have the support of local farmers and businesses to do it.

Every Wednesday morning until Aug. 31, Mount Zion Baptist Church will host the Seattle Wholesale Market, with farmers, butchers and bakers from as far as Arlington and as near as South Lake Union packing the church's grass- and gravel-covered parking lot with everything from basil to cold-cuts.

For the church consortium that organized the event — known collectively by the moniker "Moving Together in Faith & Health" and including First African Methodist Episcopal Church and Immaculate Conception Catholic Church — the market has a twofold goal: provide nutritious foods to their congregations while also connecting restaurants, stores, hospitals and schools with local farmers who offer fresh, affordable produce in bulk.

"It is not effective to just tell people what to eat or tell them to exercise," said Doris Boutain, a health expert at the University of Washington School of Nursing who administered the federal-stimulus dollars for the market and other faith-based health programs.

But don't confuse this with a farmers market.

The weekly event is not open to the general public. Instead, it's an opportunity for businesses to purchase large quantities of freshly-picked staples for their customers. The philosophy is that if you surround the public with healthy alternatives to bad food, you're more likely to see healthy results.

And for small-scale farms that often have difficulty generating high sales volumes, it's a chance to expand beyond the usual farmers markets.

"There are no jug bands or kids and dogs running around. This is a way for businesses to connect directly with farmers," said Lucy Norris of the Puget Sound Food Network, a regional network of food businesses that has teamed up with the church consortium. "We're just here to give a little oomph to the local business community."

Organizers are trying to reach low-income families and communities of color, groups at high risk of developing diabetes and hypertension — conditions associated with poor nutrition. Twelve percent of African Americans in King County have been diagnosed with diabetes, the third highest rate for that racial group among the nation's 15 largest cities.

For the church consortium, the Seattle Wholesale Market is another in a series of federally-funded initiatives meant to combat obesity, one of the leading causes of death in King County, second only to tobacco use.

In 2009, one in every two King County adults were found to be overweight, some seriously so. Five of the group's six churches have adopted health policies in the last year that adhere to the new "MyPlate" guidelines promoted by the USDA, which replace the old food pyramid and are championed by first lady Michelle Obama. In accordance with the new guidelines, half of the food provided to kids in consortium kitchens will be fruits and vegetables.

And they're not just relying on tech-savvy campaigns that now dominate many outreach efforts. Rather, advocates are taking to the streets, peppering neighborhoods with fliers for the event and extolling the benefits of healthy eating.

And because the weekly market is spearheaded by a faith-based group, outreach has extended to church bulletins, newsletters, the occasional Sunday sermon — anywhere that will help get the word out.

"God is not just concerned about the spirit, but also the physical," said Rev. Aaron Williams of Mount Zion Baptist Church. "This is a partnership we couldn't afford not to be a part of."

Many of Wednesday's attendees didn't just come pick up pallets of produce; a number of organizations, including an administrator for Seattle Public Schools and workers from the district's central kitchen, came to talk to potential food providers.

"It's really about building networks — from farm to table — not just one person buying a bunch of carrots," said Norris of the Puget Sound Food Network. "This stuff is fresh and ripe and tastes awesome"

Roberto Daza: 206-464-3195 or rdaza@seattletimes.com