How nonprofits are teaming up to fight hunger in South Dakota
A 'meeting place' is how Jennifer Folliard characterizes the South Dakota Healthy Nutrition Collaborative. She's a steering committee member and coordinator for the SDHNC, which launched in September.
It's the first organization of its kind in the state dedicated to helping the 113,500 South Dakotans who were food insecure in 2023, meaning they had limited or inconsistent access to enough food, according to the most recent data from Feeding America.
The goal is to improve their health through education, sharing resources and aligning actions across the state, Folliard said.
'We've sort of been a place to come together and try to figure out solutions as the crises hit,' she said.
'We are people coming together that want to make systems change and want to do better on programming,' Folliard added. 'So it's a space for people to come together to say, 'Hey, these are our priorities. We are a bunch of organizations throughout the state. We recognize food insecurity's an issue, and how do we make changes that are going to be systemic?''
Food programs expanding statewide
Feeding South Dakota is one of the SDHNC partners and plays a big role because it's the state's largest food relief network.
The nonprofit operates out of three distribution centers in Rapid City, Pierre and Sioux Falls. Through its programs and partnerships, it distributes food to pantries in all 66 counties, said Feeding South Dakota representative Stacey Andernacht.
In the 2024 fiscal year, Feeding South Dakota distributed 11.7 million meals and served 12,772 families through its 263 community partners, according to data from its website.
Feeding South Dakota asked the South Dakota Legislature for $3 million on July 23 to help fill the gap made from the U.S. Department of Agriculture cancelling 1.5 million pounds of food normally allocated to Feeding South Dakota.
Bread Break is another member of the collaborative. It is a growing Sioux Falls nonprofit that collects usable, extra food from restaurants, gas stations, grocery stores and other businesses and delivers it to more than 30 receiving partners like food banks and churches.
Executive director Pam Cole said she's seen an increase in people using community solutions during the past few years, and recently, the need has increased more rapidly.
'The rate is definitely increasing exponentially at this point. It was already hard for people, and now it's just untenable for people,' Cole said. 'I don't know how they're making it through the day, and it's getting to a critical point.'
Last year, Bread Break recovered more than 300,000 pounds of food and is on track to recover at least 400,000 pounds this year, Cole said.
Bread Break's goal is to help the growing need by expanding out from Sioux Falls to other towns throughout the state. Cole is in talks with people in Rapid City to try and get the program started there.
'We are exclusively in Sioux Falls right now, but we have a lot of interest in taking our model to other cities,' Cole said. 'I've had at least three different people reach out to me in the last two months about Rapid City needing something like this.'
According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, 40% of food in the U.S. is lost or wasted annually. That equates to around $218 billion, or 1.3% of the country's gross domestic product.
'I fully believe that our food system in the United States is broken and needs great repair. We should be studying this at the federal level. We should be making a concerted effort to really look at what's going wrong,' Cole said. 'That is an enormous amount of waste. Yes, I know it's a drop in the bucket. But if we can't take care of this, I'm not sure what we really can take care of.'
The insecure state of food insecurity
Sioux Falls resident Traci Praul uses community solutions to combat her own food insecurity.
She relies on Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, formerly called food stamps, and attends Church on the Street, which also provides food and laundry services.
When she first moved back to Sioux Falls from Arizona, she lived at the Union Gospel Mission homeless shelter.
Praul feels covered by her SNAP benefits. However, she said rising costs of food because of inflation in recent years have made it harder on everyone.
'It's not knowing from one moment to the next what DSS (the Department of Social Services) or the federal government is going to do,' Praul said. 'I've heard a lot of people complaining, 'Wait a minute, we need this (SNAP), 'cause we're living paycheck to paycheck.''
Folliard said that despite the uncertainty of federal and state government funding, organization leaders who try to ease the food insecurity problem continue to push for solutions.
'I didn't grow up in South Dakota, but I have lived here for eight years now, and people in South Dakota are very resourceful,' she said. 'I've seen this level of resilience that's pretty inspiring.'
___
This story was originally published by South Dakota News Watch and distributed through a partnership with The Associated Press.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
37 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Sandoz to offer generic weight-loss drugs in Canada at up to 70% discount, FT reports
(Reuters) -Swiss generic drug manufacturer Sandoz plans to launch unbranded weight-loss drugs in Canada at discounts of up to 70% compared to branded versions once patents begin to expire next year, CEO Richard Saynor told the Financial Times. Sandoz is yet to finalise the pricing for its generic weight-loss and diabetes drug semaglutide, but a price cut of "60 or 70 per cent of the list price" was achievable, Saynor told the newspaper. Prices could drop further as more generic versions become available, Saynor said, noting, "If you were selling this at $40 or $50 a month, the market could be two or three times bigger in terms of the number of patients." Branded weight-loss and diabetes medications, such as Novo Nordisk's Ozempic and Wegovy, and Eli Lilly's Mounjaro and Zepbound, are currently priced between $200 and $400 for a one-month supply, according to the FT report. Novo Nordisk's medications use semaglutide as the active ingredient, while Eli Lilly's medications use tirzepatide. Sandoz did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. The move comes as demand for weight-loss and diabetes drugs has surged globally, driven by their effectiveness in managing obesity and diabetes. Last month, a top Biocon executive told Reuters that the biopharmaceutical company aims to launch generic copies of the blockbuster weight-loss drug Wegovy in Canada within the next two years. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
38 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Why beans can be hard to digest, and what a Sask. researcher is doing about it
Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page. As humans, we've gone to great lengths to overcome legumes' natural defences. We have the tenacity of our forebears to thank every time we fill a bowl with chili or swipe refried beans with a tortilla. Take lupins, which require boiling and washing for a week while frequently changing the water to make them palatable. Even then, they don't soften, but no need to worry. Do as the Italians do and pop them like olives as a bar snack. For less needy legumes, such as pinto beans or chickpeas, the question of whether to soak or not often rears its head. There are supporters in both camps, and though it's not strictly necessary, there's one compelling reason to soak beans and peas: digestibility. Legumes contain 'antinutrients,' such as oligosaccharides — the reason beans can't shake the 'musical fruit' moniker — that prevent animals (including humans) from fully digesting them. Soaking helps reduce these compounds, making legumes more digestible. With a little bit of planning, soaking is perfectly doable at home. (Forethought isn't always required to enjoy beans, of course. Just open a can.) But it complicates things in an industrial setting, says Tolen Moirangthem, a PhD student at the University of Saskatchewan (USask) College of Engineering and the lead author of a recent study published in Innovative Food Science & Emerging Technologies that found a better method with big potential. Soaking beans overnight — 'even two days, let it ferment a little bit' — does the trick at home, says Moirangthem. But on an industrial scale, with multiple tons of legumes, that's a huge amount of time and risk. 'If water is involved, there are microbes coming in, there's bacteria coming in, all sorts of stuff coming in. So if anything goes wrong, my entire sample is off. It's gone,' says Moirangthem. 'We're always looking for an alternative. Is it less time-consuming, faster, easier to handle? Those are the things that matter when it comes to scaling up.' Moirangthem and a team of researchers from the USask Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering devised a heating method using radio frequency (RF) waves. Instead of up to two days, their process takes five minutes. In addition to being efficient, it's also more effective at reducing antinutrients and eliminating negative flavours than current techniques. The large ovens that food processing companies currently use to heat beans and peas can burn the outside of the legumes before the inside is hot enough to deactivate the antinutrients. The USask researchers found that their selective heating method, which Moirangthem compares to microwaves, reduced the amount of an antinutrient (trypsin inhibitors, proteins) by 81 per cent. Since their method works without water, there's no soaking or boiling. 'We're trying to explore how we can do it in a dry way,' says Moirangthem. The goal is to produce a digestible, plant-based protein that can be used as an ingredient in burger patties and protein powders and added as a flour in bakeries. Moirangthem has been studying food for the past 15 years, driven by a mission to bolster food security. 'With the global population increasing at this exponential rate, there will be times, in the near future, that we don't have enough food for people,' he says. 'How can we fight this? How can we (make sure) everybody gets a little bit to eat, at least to survive, and it has to be nutritious.' He sees potential in legumes to meet the world's protein needs cost-effectively and sustainably. Since dairy and meat are perishable, they're more fragile to work with, Moirangthem highlights. On the other hand, dried peas and beans are non-perishable, have a long shelf life and 'can still deliver similar nutritional protein content.' With all their promise, Moirangthem adds that legumes present a few challenges. For one, the functional properties of the protein. 'It's way easier to make a dairy-based protein supplement or dairy-based protein product because the functional property supports product manufacturing, and it doesn't require a lot of processing before we can utilize it.' Plant-based protein takes more work. 'We're trying to find how we can enhance the functional properties of proteins in beans so that we can actually go on par with (animal protein).' Then, there's digestibility and the issue of antinutritional properties, which interfere with our ability to absorb all of the legumes' nutrients. Moirangthem's research has shown that antinutrients can be reduced using RF heating. 'My study just scratched the surface, but it has potential.' He plans to continue researching the method and explore what other food processing operations it could replace. He also wants to go deeper into antinutrients and study the effect of RF heating on specific properties. Moirangthem highlights that Canada's ample farmland could make it a global nutrition hub. 'If we come together and invest in the right places and work on the right ideas, I think we can do a lot of good things,' he says, noting that he'd like to see more collaboration between academia and industry. 'Otherwise, all the research we do in the lab remains in the lab. We need to work hand in hand, and government policies to encourage such projects or such sustainable approaches would be a good stepping stone.' Should you soak your beans? Radio frequency machines like the one Moirangthem and his colleagues use in the lab are meant for industrial use. 'It's a huge setup.' So, what's the best way to ensure that the legumes you cook from dried at home are as digestible as possible? 'The best thing is traditional, very traditional, and easy to do. Soak it in water for a couple of days (at room temperature). That's it,' says Moirangthem. Cooks in his native India push it even further, fermenting legume-based batters for dishes such as dosa or idli. 'It's very easily digested.' As you probably already know from experience, soaking beans isn't necessary. You can have a perfectly enjoyable legume-rich meal without planning ahead. However, as food writer Joe Yonan writes in his 2020 book, Cool Beans, 'just because you don't have to soak beans before cooking doesn't mean you shouldn't.' Yonan refers to soaking as 'the great bean equalizer,' acting as insurance if your legumes are old, and resulting in more even cooking and less time on the stove. Not to mention, as discussed above, soaking reduces some of the antinutrients, making legumes more digestible. (Make sure to discard the soaking water and cook the beans in fresh water.) That said, if soaking will prevent you from eating beans, take the shortcut. Most Canadians only get half as much fibre as they need each day. Legumes, such as beans, chickpeas and lentils, are an excellent source, and nutrition experts recommend eating more of them. So, don't let soaking stand in your way of joining the leguminati. Pop is in the spotlight yet again. This time, for its ability to disrupt gut bacteria and immunity From potatoes to cocoa and coffee, severe weather spikes food prices worldwide, study finds Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark and sign up for our cookbook and recipe newsletter, Cook This, here.
Yahoo
38 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Indigenous leaders, Olympian among 15 appointed to Order of B.C.
As British Columbians mark B.C. Day across the province, 15 people have been appointed to the Order of British Columbia. The order, established in 1989, recognizes people who have made "extraordinary contributions" to B.C. and beyond, the province said in a media release. It's considered the highest form of recognition in the province. Among the new appointees are three Indigenous leaders: Stan Bevan (Satsan), a Tahltan/Tlingit and Tsimshian artist and cultural leader; Elder Gwen Harry (Chésha7/Wigistame), a residential school survivor and education leader from the Squamish Nation; and Westbank First Nation Chief Robert Louie (Simo), a longtime advocate for Indigenous self-governance — something he said he's been involved with for 37 years. "It's just fulfilling when you witness First Nations gain their independence, gain the recognition and assume that jurisdiction of self-governance, and it makes me very proud of Indigenous people," Louie said Monday. He said he is "thrilled" for all of the appointees. "This is something that is a privilege and an honour," he said. Also appointed was Charmaine Crooks, an Olympic silver medallist and advocate for youth, equity and global sport, the province says. Four physicians were included in this year's Order of B.C. appointees, including Richmond's Sandy Dhami for her work with neurodiverse children; Vancouver's Ruth Grunau for her research into infant pain; Lantzville's Robin Love for his leadership in end-of-life care and Vancouver's John Yee for his "life-saving leadership" around lung transplants and cancer screening. Lt.-Gov. Wendy Cocchia said in a media release that this year's order recipients have left a lasting impact on their communities. "By lifting others and leading with purpose, they are helping to shape a stronger, more inclusive British Columbia for generations to come." This year's full list of recipients: Stan Bevan (Satsan), Terrace. Graham Clarke, Vancouver. Charmaine Crooks, West Vancouver. Sandy Dhami, Richmond. Ruth Grunau, Vancouver. Elder Gwen Harry (Chésha7/Wigistame), Squamish. Mark Jaccard, Vancouver. Jeremy Kinsman, Victoria. Chief Robert Louie (Simo), West Kelowna. Robin Love, Lantzville. Susannah Pierce, West Vancouver. Allan Seckel, Vancouver. Martha Sturdy, West Vancouver. Alan Twigg, Vancouver. John Yee, Vancouver. There are now 530 people who have been appointed to the Order of B.C. since its inception. The newest appointees will be inducted into the order at a ceremony in Victoria next month.
