Title
To recognize June as National Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Month and acknowledge the work of Kwodwo Ababio and his impact on the residents of Columbus, Franklin County and the Greater Linden Community in terms of consuming the recommended number of servings of fresh fruits and vegetables each day.
Body
WHEREAS, June is National Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Month, an opportunity to bring awareness to the health benefits of consuming more fresh fruits and vegetables - less than 25% of the adults in Franklin County report consuming the recommended 5 or more servings of fresh fruits and vegetables per day; the USDA recommends that people fill half of their plates with fruits and vegetables for each meal; meeting the recommended 5 to 9 servings each day; as increasing fruit and vegetable intake each day can help individuals to maintain a healthy weight, reduce the risk of heart disease, decrease high blood pressure and also lower the risk of a number of cancers; and
WHEREAS, Columbus City Council adopted the Columbus & Franklin County Local Food Action Plan in November of 2016 - demonstrating the City’s ongoing commitment to ensuring that each resident have improved access to healthy food, affordable food, and local food, as well as increase the education and resources regarding healthy food; Columbus and Franklin County, Ohio are home to more than 250 community gardens, 25 farmers markets, 388 farms, 15 urban farms, and many food-related businesses, plus numerous community organizations that address issues related to food production and nutrition for the residents of the City of Columbus and Franklin County; and
WHEREAS, the New Harvest Cafe was opened by Kwodwo Ababio in 2005 as a Community Arts Center in the heart of Linden; the establishment, initially opened as an art gallery, however, Kwodwo recognizing the necessity of providing healthy fruits and vegetables to the community, transformed the venue located in a recognized food desert, into a place where the poor could learn to eat healthy local, organic food right in their community - the restaurant offers produce such as cabbage, yellow squash, zucchini, green peppers, and the New Harvest staple, collard greens, which are planted and grown right on the property - the daily menu, for about $10.00 a plate consists of turkey lasagna, macaroni, meatloaf, rice pilaf, collard greens and cabbage, potatoes, green beans, and a vegetable medley consisting of broccoli, carrots, yellow squash, and other vegetables; and
WHEREAS, Kwodwo has also earned a reputation as a good neighbor, often buying produce from other local community gardens in the Linden area like the Four Seasons City Farm and others - his commitment to growing and serving local, affordable, healthy food has improved a community known for its absence of healthy affordable food into a beacon of hope; Kwodwo was recently recognized as the Community Gardner of the Year and his healthy food advocacy supports community based food resources like the recent opening of the Saraga Grocery International store in Linden; the store opened on Friday, May 31, 2019 a little over a year after the Kroger in Linden closed its doors, now therefore;
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS: That this Council does hereby recognize June as National Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Month and acknowledge the work of Kwodwo Ababio and his impact on the residents of Columbus, Franklin County and the Greater Linden Community in terms of consuming the recommended number of servings of fresh fruits and vegetables each day.