Changing Woman Initiative acknowledges that traditional food systems have long supported the health and well-being of our communities. In serving Native American and Indigenous families, CWI believes in community partnerships with Native American/Indigenous farms to create pathways forgetting traditionally grown foods to the tables of growing families, without the common barriers of federally funded food programs. We believe that re-introducing nutritional traditional foods to the next generation through pregnancy will have a long-term impact on decreasing preventable health conditions like diabetes and obesity. It also will strengthen the relationship between Native American mothers and the land, which is supporting the growth of their babies.
Background
Food shortages have been documented amongst Native American populations in New Mexico from as early as the mid-1600s. Since then, Native Americans have been making voluntary and involuntary changes to their diets as a result of the availability of food and the use of commodity foods. There are multiple sources over the years linking food insecurity to preventable health conditions like diabetes, obesity, hypertension, and some cancer conditions. On a national scale, food insecurity trends for native Americans continue to increase. Despite policies intended to expand food assistance programs, Native Americans are still twice as likely to be food insecure compared to whites. The high cost of healthy, nutrition-dense foods, coupled with limited availability and selection in low-income communities, contributes to food insecurity. Further, the complexity and ability to navigate access to food assistance programs are also linked to food insecurity causes.
Despite federally funded food programs, Native American families still experience food insecurity. In 2010 the Pregnancy Risk Assessment and Monitoring System reported that 17% of Native American women reported not having enough food to eat during their pregnancy and that 16% of women with WIC did not have enough food.
- Produce, meats, plant medicine, supplements
- Nutrition Consultation
- Recipes & Education
- Juice & Postpartum meals
Local Farm Partners
Chispas Farm
Elate Mi Lem
Toad’s Acre Farm
Indigenous Farm Hub
Del Valle Organic Pecans
Farm Flourish
Atrisco Community Farm
Tierra Sagrada Farm
JX Ranch
Red Barn Ranch