{"id":6285,"date":"2021-01-04T15:00:34","date_gmt":"2021-01-04T20:00:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.indianz.com\/News\/?p=6285"},"modified":"2021-01-04T15:08:20","modified_gmt":"2021-01-04T20:08:20","slug":"cronkite-news-organization-battles-food-insecurity-in-oodham-territory","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2021\/01\/04\/cronkite-news-organization-battles-food-insecurity-in-oodham-territory\/","title":{"rendered":"Cronkite News: Organization battles food insecurity in O&#8217;odham territory"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9\">\r\n<span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/bWsh1dODJIA?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<figcaption class=\"figure-caption\">Cronkite News Video by Luke Simmons: <a href=https:\/\/youtu.be\/bWsh1dODJIA>How a small Arizona town saved itself from the COVID-19 food crisis<\/a>\r\n<\/figcaption>\r\n<div class=\"h3-responsive font-weight-bold\">Ajo group bands together to fight food insecurity during COVID-19<\/div>\r\n<div class=\"date\">Monday, January 4, 2021<\/div>\r\n<div class=\"byline\">By Katherine Sypher<\/div>\r\n<DIV class=source>Cronkite News<\/DIV>\r\n<DIV class=source-website><A \r\nhref=\"https:\/\/cronkitenews.azpbs.org\/\">cronkitenews.azpbs.org<\/A><\/DIV>\r\n<p><\/p>\r\nAJO \u2013 On an early autumn morning, the whitewashed churches of Ajo are quiet, and the town square is still. The only sounds are dump trucks rumbling by, headed for border wall construction sites to the south. But inside the Ajo Farmers Market &amp; Cafe, the atmosphere is buzzing.<p><\/p>\r\n\r\nIt\u2019s just after 8 a.m. and the space already is filled with nearly a dozen workers and volunteers. The cafe used to house food incubator businesses, but those left early in the pandemic. Now, every spare surface is covered in food, ready to be given to families in need.\r\n<p><\/p>\r\nIn one corner, a trio of helpers count and bag fruit: four bananas, four oranges, four apples per sack.<p><\/p>\r\n\u201cI have a very important job,\u201d volunteer Brenda Mojica says jokingly as she opens plastic bags like an assembly-line worker.<p><\/p>\r\nWhen COVID-19 arrived in Arizona in January, this tiny community was insulated. But by the end of March, the disease had found Ajo.<p><\/p>\r\n<figure>\r\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"500\" data-attachment-id=\"6290\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2021\/01\/04\/cronkite-news-organization-battles-food-insecurity-in-oodham-territory\/sterlingjohnson\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/04\/sterlingjohnson.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"800,500\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"sterlingjohnson\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/04\/sterlingjohnson.jpg\" src=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/04\/sterlingjohnson.jpg\" alt=\"sterlingjohnson\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-6290\" \/>\r\n<figcaption class=\"figure-caption\">Sterling Johnson and two youth interns with Ajo Center for Sustainable Agriculture till soil at the center\u2019s incubator farm. The center educates residents of Ajo and the Tohono O\u2019odham Nation about the advantages of farming, and it operates a gardener\u2019s network and a free seed program.  Photo by Katherine Sypher \/ Cronkite News<\/figcaption>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n<p><\/p>\r\nThe town, a two-hour drive southwest of Phoenix, is adjacent to the Tohono O\u2019odham Nation and 40 miles from the U.S.-Mexico border. The copper mine that supported Ajo collapsed in 1985, and the community now is home to about 3,000 people, a mix of Hispanic and Native American, retirees and Border Patrol agents.<p><\/p>\r\nAs the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 spread, the shelves of Ajo\u2019s lone grocery store emptied out. Local food pantries were overwhelmed.<p><\/p>\r\n\u201cThe emergency food system collapsed completely,\u201d said Nina Sajovec, a transplant from Slovenia who in 2008 founded the <a href=\"https:\/\/ajocsa.com\/\">Ajo Center for Sustainable Agriculture<\/a>.<p><\/p>\r\nFor years, the organization served as a connection between food and the community by operating the cafe and incubator kitchen, training farmers, and establishing a gardeners\u2019 network and seed-saving program.<p><\/p>\r\nWith the pandemic, the mission changed: In April, the group transformed the Ajo Farmers Market &amp; Cafe into a de facto food pantry.<p><\/p>\r\nSince then, volunteers have distributed food weekly throughout Ajo and seven districts of the Tohono O\u2019odham reservation. In week 1, they supplied 600 boxes containing rice, beans, canned meat and fresh fruit and vegetables. In week 2, they supplied more than 1,400 boxes.<p><\/p>\r\nBefore the pandemic, the area was already on the brink of destitution: 30% of Ajo residents and 45% of those on the Tohono O\u2019odham reservation lived below the poverty line.<p><\/p>\r\nCOVID-19, Sajovec said, \u201cjust pushed us right in.\u201d<p><\/p>\r\n\r\n<figure>\r\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"500\" data-attachment-id=\"6292\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2021\/01\/04\/cronkite-news-organization-battles-food-insecurity-in-oodham-territory\/isaiahnez\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/04\/isaiahnez.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"800,500\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"isaiahnez\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/04\/isaiahnez.jpg\" src=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/04\/isaiahnez.jpg\" alt=\"isaiahnez\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-6292\" \/>\r\n<figcaption class=\"figure-caption\">Isaiah Nez loads bags of food onto a truck bound for the Tohono O\u2019odham Nation. The food bought and collected by the Ajo Center for Sustainable Agriculture is distributed to hundreds of families on the reservation by tribal representatives. Photo by Katherine Sypher \/ Cronkite News\r\n<\/figcaption>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n<p><\/p>\r\n<div class=\"h5-responsive sub\">\u2018A lot of windshield time\u2019<\/div>\r\n \r\nAs the day wears on, a yellow Penske truck pulls in behind the cafe. Loaded on pallets inside are 2,000 pounds of mayocoba beans and crates of green, yellow and orange heirloom squash.<p><\/p>\r\nThe man unloading all this food is Joe Hobson, a former chef who now works with Crooked Sky Farms in Phoenix and helps deliver produce for the Ajo Center for Sustainable Agriculture to distribute.<p><\/p>\r\n\u201cThere&#8217;s a disproportionate availability of nutritious food pretty much everywhere in the United States,\u201d Hobson said, \u201csome communities more than others.\u201d<p><\/p>\r\n\r\nAccording to the federal \r\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.usda.gov\/coronavirus\/food-supply-chain\">government<\/a>, there have been no nationwide food shortages during the pandemic. But individual grocery stores have experienced low inventory and, in many cases, food \r\n<a href=\"https:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/10.1002\/aepp.13085\">went to waste<\/a>\r\nwhen some distributors had to quickly shift away from supplying restaurants and school cafeterias that were shuttered because of the coronavirus.\r\n<p><\/p>\r\nAnd just because there\u2019s enough food doesn\u2019t mean that everyone has adequate access to it.<p><\/p>\r\nThe U.S. Department of Agriculture tracks food access in low-income urban and rural census tracts, using measures such as distance to the nearest supermarket and access to a vehicle.<p><\/p>\r\n<figure>\r\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"500\" data-attachment-id=\"6295\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2021\/01\/04\/cronkite-news-organization-battles-food-insecurity-in-oodham-territory\/ajocenterforsustainableagriculture\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/04\/ajocenterforsustainableagriculture.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"800,500\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"ajocenterforsustainableagriculture\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/04\/ajocenterforsustainableagriculture.jpg\" src=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/04\/ajocenterforsustainableagriculture.jpg\" alt=\"ajocenterforsustainableagriculture\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-6295\" \/>\r\n<figcaption class=\"figure-caption\">Volunteers with the Ajo Center for Sustainable Agriculture sort through boxes of oranges to be distributed to families in need in Ajo and the Tohono O\u2019odham Nation. Nina Sajovec, the center\u2019s director, says fresh fruit and vegetables are the items most requested by families because they\u2019re the hardest to get. Photo by Katherine Sypher\/Cronkite News\r\n<\/figcaption>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n<p><\/p>\r\nAccording to data from 2015, most of the Tohono O\u2019odham reservation falls within low-income census tracts where a significant share of its 10,300 residents live more than 20 miles from a grocery store.<p><\/p>\r\nIn the neighboring census tract that includes Ajo, at least 500 people live farther than 20 miles from the nearest supermarket.<p><\/p>\r\nTowns across the Southwest have similar problems.<p><\/p>\r\n\u201cIn rural states like Arizona, New Mexico, there&#8217;s a lot of windshield time between locations,\u201d said Sonya Warwick, spokeswoman for Roadrunner Food Bank, which is based in Albuquerque and Las Cruces, New Mexico, and serves rural communities, including those on the Navajo Nation.<p><\/p>\r\nAt the start of the pandemic, Roadrunner also struggled to keep up with the demand for nonperishable foods, such as rice, pasta, beans and canned produce.<p><\/p>\r\n\u201cWhat was everybody going out and doing? They were buying shelf-stable products,\u201d Warwick said. \u201cSo from a supply-chain issue, it really impacted food availability.\u201d<p><\/p>\r\n<figure>\r\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"500\" data-attachment-id=\"6297\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2021\/01\/04\/cronkite-news-organization-battles-food-insecurity-in-oodham-territory\/pamhollindejanetthrush\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/04\/pamhollindejanetthrush.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"800,500\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"pamhollindejanetthrush\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/04\/pamhollindejanetthrush.jpg\" src=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/04\/pamhollindejanetthrush.jpg\" alt=\"pamhollindejanetthrush\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-6297\" \/>\r\n<figcaption class=\"figure-caption\">Pam Hollinde, right, and Janet Thrush volunteer with the Ajo Center for Sustainable Agriculture. Thrush, a retired nurse, has been helping out since April, and Hollinde started lending a hand in August, after moving to town. When COVID-19 hit, the center transformed a cafe into a de facto food pantry. Photo by Katherine Sypher \/ Cronkite News\r\n<\/figcaption>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n<p><\/p>\r\nAn \r\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ipr.northwestern.edu\/documents\/reports\/ipr-rapid-research-reports-pulse-hh-data-10-june-2020.pdf\">analysis<\/a>\r\nby researchers at Northwestern University finds that food insecurity in the U.S. has doubled overall since the pandemic was declared in March, and tripled in households with children.\r\n<p><\/p>\r\nIn Ajo, community groups have been working for years to combat food insecurity, which the USDA defines as a lack of consistent access to enough food for an active, healthy life.<p><\/p>\r\nIn 2009, the Ajo Regional Food Partnership was created by the Ajo Center for Sustainable Agriculture, the International Sonoran Desert Alliance and others to promote better access to fresh foods and the farming of desert crops.<p><\/p>\r\n\r\nIn 2015, Ajo was one of 26 U.S. communities chosen to be part of the Environmental Protection Agency \r\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.epa.gov\/smartgrowth\/local-foods-local-places\">program<\/a>\r\nLocal Food, Local Places, which provides technical support and expertise to help towns leverage food systems to boost economic development.\r\n<p><\/p>\r\n\r\nThe Ajo program helped significantly increase food access: the amount of food-producing land went from 10,000 to 40,000 square feet in six years; food production expanded from 1,000 to 8,000 pounds per year; and in 2016, at least 500 local families were involved with growing, selling, processing and\/or buying local foods, according to a \r\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.epa.gov\/smartgrowth\/local-foods-local-places-ajo-az\">case study<\/a>.\r\n<p><\/p>\r\n<figure>\r\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"500\" data-attachment-id=\"6299\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2021\/01\/04\/cronkite-news-organization-battles-food-insecurity-in-oodham-territory\/ajocenterdonations\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/04\/ajocenterdonations.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"800,500\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"ajocenterdonations\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Paper bags filled with food are lined up and ready for distribution by the Ajo Center for Sustainable Agriculture. Each contains a combination of flour, sugar, salt, oatmeal, rice and beans. Each week, the center gives out 600 to 800 bags and boxes of food to residents of Ajo and the Tohono O\u2019odham Nation. (Photo by Katherine Sypher\/Cronkite News)&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/04\/ajocenterdonations.jpg\" src=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/04\/ajocenterdonations.jpg\" alt=\"ajocenterdonations\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-6299\" \/>\r\n<figcaption class=\"figure-caption\">Paper bags filled with food are lined up and ready for distribution by the Ajo Center for Sustainable Agriculture. Each contains a combination of flour, sugar, salt, oatmeal, rice and beans. Each week, the center gives out 600 to 800 bags and boxes of food to residents of Ajo and the Tohono O\u2019odham Nation. Photo by Katherine Sypher \/ Cronkite News\r\n<\/figcaption>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n<p><\/p>\r\nSajovec arrived in Ajo in 2006, intending to stay temporarily while she pursued a doctorate in cultural anthropology. Then she began learning about Native foods and volunteering at a food bank, where she saw the differences between better-off white residents and those in line for aid \u2013 many of whom spoke with an accent, as she does.<p><\/p>\r\n\u201cGood food is not a privilege \u2013 shouldn&#8217;t be a privilege,\u201d she said. \u201cIt really struck me immediately.\u201d<p><\/p>\r\nOn the Tohono O\u2019odham reservation, many tribal members are predisposed to such health conditions as obesity and diabetes \u2013 chronic conditions that can worsen the effects of COVID-19.<p><\/p>\r\n\u201cThere&#8217;s \u2026 a lot of food-related illnesses on the reservation that are attacking our communities,\u201d said Terrol Dew Johnson, an O\u2019odham artist and Center for Sustainable Agriculture board member. \u201cWe veered away from eating these traditional healthy foods and started eating a lot of processed fried foods.\u201d<p><\/p>\r\nBecause of this, the center has for years focused on selling and promoting healthy, culturally appropriate food that is traditional to the Tohono O\u2019odham.<p><\/p>\r\n<figure>\r\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"500\" data-attachment-id=\"6301\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2021\/01\/04\/cronkite-news-organization-battles-food-insecurity-in-oodham-territory\/ninasajovec\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/04\/ninasajovec.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"800,500\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"ninasajovec\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Nina Sajovec stands in the back doorway of the Ajo Farmers Market &amp;#038; Cafe, which has housed Ajo Center for Sustainable Agriculture\u2019s COVID-19 food relief operations since April. \u201cWe\u2019re pulling hundred-hour weeks,\u201d she says. (Photo by Katherine Sypher\/Cronkite News)&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/04\/ninasajovec.jpg\" src=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/04\/ninasajovec.jpg\" alt=\"ninasajovec\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-6301\" \/>\r\n<figcaption class=\"figure-caption\">Nina Sajovec stands in the back doorway of the Ajo Farmers Market &#038; Cafe, which has housed Ajo Center for Sustainable Agriculture\u2019s COVID-19 food relief operations since April. \u201cWe\u2019re pulling hundred-hour weeks,\u201d she says. Photo by Katherine Sypher \/ Cronkite News\r\n<\/figcaption>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n<P><\/P>\r\nLining the market\u2019s shelves are To:ota Bawi (white tepary beans), ciolim (cholla buds), saguaro jam, mesquite flour \u2013 ingredients unique to the Tohono O\u2019odham. According to O\u2019odham legend, the Milky Way was formed by white tepary beans scattered across the night sky.<p><\/p>\r\nThe reservation is the second-largest in Arizona at 2.8 million acres \u2013 about the size of the entire state of Connecticut \u2013 but it has only two grocery stores, severely limiting access to healthful foods.<p><\/p>\r\nAnd so on this autumn day, as they\u2019ve done nearly every week since taking on the food pantry, volunteers at the Center for Sustainable Agriculture load boxes of food into two white vans bound for the reservation. There, tribal representatives will distribute the food to up to 1,000 families.<p><\/p>\r\nCynthia Sandoval, a Tohono O\u2019odham member who has been helping deliver food, also works at Ajo\u2019s only grocery store, where she\u2019s been employed for nearly 22 years.<p><\/p>\r\nSandoval has seen firsthand the negative effects the pandemic has had on her community.<p><\/p>\r\n\u201cThere&#8217;s a lot of people still that don&#8217;t come out of their homes,\u201d she said.<p><\/p>\r\n\u201cThey&#8217;re afraid.\u201d<p><\/p>\r\n<div class=\"mt-1 mb-1\"><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block; text-align:center;\" data-ad-layout=\"in-article\" data-ad-format=\"fluid\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-8411603009680747\" data-ad-slot=\"6394965691\"><\/ins><script>(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});<\/script><\/div>\r\n<p><\/p>\r\n<div class=\"h5-responsive sub\">\u2018Aha\u2019 moment\u2019<\/div>\r\n \r\nDown the road from the market, tucked behind a small church, is the Center for Sustainable Agriculture\u2019s incubator farm.<p><\/p>\r\nSterling Johnson, a center board member who is Tohono O\u2019odham, tills the dirt with three teenage boys as they prepare to install an irrigation hose. The group works quietly as jets roar overhead, practicing maneuvers from a nearby Air Force training area.<p><\/p>\r\nThrough its many programs, the center encourages farmers and gardeners to grow foods well-adapted to the desert climate, such as white pomegranates, tepary beans, pumpkins, lettuce, broccoli and kale.<p><\/p>\r\nThis year has been particularly hard for Johnson and other farmers in southern Arizona. The rain didn\u2019t come as it usually does, and so even the drought-resistant tepary beans didn\u2019t grow.<p><\/p>\r\nStill, Johnson hopes the pandemic has made people pay a little more attention to what they eat and where it comes from.<p><\/p>\r\n\u201cRegardless if you microwave it or you buy it from a chain restaurant or a mom-and-pop store, someone had to grow that food, someone had to make that food,\u201d he said. \u201cIf you don&#8217;t have farmers that grow the food and you don&#8217;t have people to make the food for you &#8230; we&#8217;re all going to suffer.\u201d<p><\/p>\r\n<figure>\r\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"500\" data-attachment-id=\"6305\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2021\/01\/04\/cronkite-news-organization-battles-food-insecurity-in-oodham-territory\/ajofoodpantry\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/04\/ajofoodpantry.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"800,500\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"ajofoodpantry\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;A sign in front of the Ajo Farmers Market &amp;#038; Cafe advertises the Ajo Food Pantry, which was overwhelmed with demand early in the pandemic. On designated afternoons, people can come by and pick up bags of food for themselves and their family and neighbors. (Photos by Katherine Sypher\/Cronkite News)&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/04\/ajofoodpantry.jpg\" src=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/04\/ajofoodpantry.jpg\" alt=\"ajofoodpantry\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-6305\" \/>\r\n<figcaption class=\"figure-caption\">A sign in front of the Ajo Farmers Market &#038; Cafe advertises the Ajo Food Pantry, which was overwhelmed with demand early in the pandemic. On designated afternoons, people can come by and pick up bags of food for themselves and their family and neighbors. Photos by Katherine Sypher \/ Cronkite News<\/figcaption>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n<p><\/p>\r\nCommunity and home gardens have seen a surge in popularity during the pandemic. In May, \r\n<a href=\"https:\/\/trends.google.com\/trends\/explore?date=today%205-y&amp;geo=US&amp;q=%2Fm%2F034v_\">Google searches<\/a>\r\nfor \u201cgardening\u201d reached a five-year high.\r\n<p><\/p>\r\n\r\nAccording to the 2020 \r\n<a href=\"https:\/\/gardenresearch.com\/view\/national-gardening-survey-2020-edition\/\">National Gardening Survey<\/a>, some may have taken up gardening once they found themselves homebound with extra time on their hands, while others seized the opportunity to get food consistently and cheaply.\r\n<p><\/p>\r\nAlicia Tsosie is a program coordinator for the Johns Hopkins Center for American Indian Health, working in Tuba City on the Navajo Nation, where residents often face hours on the road to reach a store.<p><\/p>\r\n\r\nAccording to the health \r\n<a href=\"https:\/\/caih.jhu.edu\/programs\/category\/covid-19-response\">center<\/a>, which is based in Baltimore, food and water insecurity affect 25% to 40% of people living in rural tribal communities, and more than 80% of children rely on getting breakfast and lunch at schools, which have been closed during the pandemic.\r\n<p><\/p>\r\n\u201cThis pandemic has shown people that, unfortunately, we can&#8217;t always have access to the grocery store and, even when you do, you&#8217;re always going to have that thought in the back of my mind: \u2018Am I being exposed to COVID-19? Am I potentially bringing that home to my family?\u2019\u201d said Tsosie, who provides behavioral health education and helps with gardening programs.<p><\/p>\r\n\u201cI think it was an &#8216;aha&#8217; moment for some people.\u201d<p><\/p>\r\n<figure>\r\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"500\" data-attachment-id=\"6307\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2021\/01\/04\/cronkite-news-organization-battles-food-insecurity-in-oodham-territory\/ajofarmersmarket\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/04\/ajofarmersmarket.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"800,500\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"ajofarmersmarket\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;The sun begins to set over Ajo as cars line up behind the Ajo Farmers Market &amp;#038; Cafe to pick up free bags of food. (Photo by Katherine Sypher\/Cronkite News)&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/04\/ajofarmersmarket.jpg\" src=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/04\/ajofarmersmarket.jpg\" alt=\"ajofarmersmarket\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-6307\" \/>\r\n<figcaption class=\"figure-caption\">The sun begins to set over Ajo as cars line up behind the Ajo Farmers Market &#038; Cafe to pick up free bags of food. Photo by Katherine Sypher \/ Cronkite News\r\n<\/figcaption>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n<p><\/p>\r\n<div class=\"h5-responsive sub\">\u2018Everybody was pulling together\u2019<\/div>\r\n \r\nAt 3 p.m., a long line forms behind the Ajo Farmers Market &amp; Cafe, trailing up the street as people gather \u2013 6 feet apart \u2013 to collect food.<p><\/p>\r\nIn addition to its distribution efforts, the Center for Sustainable Agriculture started making prepared meals available for pickup or delivery.<p><\/p>\r\n\u201cPeople were losing jobs, everything was closing down,\u201d Sajovec said. \u201cSo we were seeing people in line who you would never think they might need food.&#8221;<p><\/p>\r\nAt the end of the day, she said, \u201cpeople just needed to eat.\u201d<p><\/p>\r\nAmong those helping to fund these efforts are Pima County, United Way of Tucson and Southern Arizona, Arizona Food Bank Network, local businesses large and small, and private donors.<p><\/p>\r\nTo date, demand hasn\u2019t slowed. Since early April, the group has distributed more than 20,000 food boxes serving about 2,000 families. In total, they\u2019ve given away over 700,000 pounds of food.<p><\/p>\r\n\u201cThis is where I think maybe a small community had a different response than bigger cities,\u201d Sajovec said, \u201cbecause everybody was pulling together.\u201d<p><\/p>\r\n<blockquote class=\"instagram-media\" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/tv\/CIuAUcYBaXG\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" data-instgrm-version=\"14\" style=\" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:500px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);\"><div style=\"padding:16px;\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/tv\/CIuAUcYBaXG\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" style=\" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;\" target=\"_blank\"> <div style=\" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;\"> <div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;\"><\/div> <div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;\"> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;\"><\/div> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><div style=\"padding: 19% 0;\"><\/div> <div style=\"display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;\"><svg width=\"50px\" height=\"50px\" viewBox=\"0 0 60 60\" version=\"1.1\" xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" xmlns:xlink=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\"><g stroke=\"none\" stroke-width=\"1\" fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><g transform=\"translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)\" fill=\"#000000\"><g><path d=\"M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631\"><\/path><\/g><\/g><\/g><\/svg><\/div><div style=\"padding-top: 8px;\"> <div style=\" color:#3897f0; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;\">View this post on Instagram<\/div><\/div><div style=\"padding: 12.5% 0;\"><\/div> <div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;\"><div> <div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);\"><\/div> <div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;\"><\/div> <div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);\"><\/div><\/div><div style=\"margin-left: 8px;\"> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;\"><\/div> <div style=\" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)\"><\/div><\/div><div style=\"margin-left: auto;\"> <div style=\" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);\"><\/div> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);\"><\/div> <div style=\" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);\"><\/div><\/div><\/div> <div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;\"> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;\"><\/div> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;\"><\/div><\/div><\/a><p style=\" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/tv\/CIuAUcYBaXG\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" style=\" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;\" target=\"_blank\">A post shared by Ajo Center For Sustainable Ag (@ajocsa)<\/a><\/p><\/div><\/blockquote><script async src=\"\/\/platform.instagram.com\/en_US\/embeds.js\"><\/script>\r\n<P><\/P>\r\nIn the past few weeks, the Center for Sustainable Agriculture was able to reopen the market\u2019s cafe and shop, so Sajovec and the group\u2019s board members are looking for a permanent location for the food pantry. It will continue operating, she said, as long as there\u2019s need.<p><\/p>\r\n\r\nThe organization also hopes to restart its other agricultural programs, including a youth program and a training program for new farmers. The center is promoting a \r\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.azleg.gov\/legtext\/54leg\/2r\/bills\/sb1206p.pdf\">bill<\/a>\r\nin the Legislature that would provide funding for farming and ranching internships.\r\n<p><\/p>\r\n\u201cIt&#8217;s going to be a busy winter,\u201d Sajovec said. \u201cBut we&#8217;ll keep on growing food and keep on sharing food.\u201d<p><\/p>\r\nThe way she sees it: \u201cFood means being taken care of.\u201d<p><\/p>\r\nAfter a brief late-afternoon lull, the food line picks up again about 5 p.m., as the people of Ajo get off of work and head home. The center\u2019s volunteers make trips back inside the market to grab more bags of food.<p><\/p>\r\nSajovec stands in the doorway for a moment before heading inside, too. The day is almost over, but it\u2019s not finished yet \u2013 because these days, there\u2019s always more work to do.<p><\/p>\r\n<STRONG>For more stories from Cronkite News, visit <A href=\"https:\/\/cronkitenews.azpbs.org\/?utm_source=referral&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=client\">cronkitenews.azpbs.org<\/A>.<\/STRONG><p><\/p>\r\n<HR><EM>Note: This story originally <a href=\"https:\/\/cronkitenews.azpbs.org\/2020\/12\/29\/ajo-group-bands-together-to-fight-food-insecurity-during-covid-19\/\">appeared on Cronkite News<\/a>.  It  is published via a <A href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/3.0\/\">Creative  Commons license<\/A>. Cronkite News is produced by the <A href=\"https:\/\/cronkite.asu.edu\/\">Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication<\/A> at <A href=\"https:\/\/www.asu.edu\">Arizona State University<\/A>.<\/EM><HR>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"When the coronavirus hit a community bordering the Tohono O&#8217;odham Nation, the shelves of its one grocery story were cleaned out.","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6289,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"_vp_format_video_url":"","_vp_image_focal_point":[],"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[11,19,1],"tags":[1004,42,960,5,46,1002,40,1000,1003,1001,41],"class_list":["post-6285","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-environment","category-health","category-national","tag-alicia-tsosie","tag-arizona","tag-border-towns","tag-coronavirus","tag-cronkite-news","tag-cynthia-sandoval","tag-food","tag-nina-sajovec","tag-sterling-johnson","tag-terrol-dew-johnson","tag-tohono-oodham","no-wpautop"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/04\/cristalfranco.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pcoJ7g-1Dn","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6285","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6285"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6285\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6289"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6285"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6285"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6285"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}