Fight against deserts of food with a school bus

  twenty-three million American live in food deserts - urban and rural areas poor where no grocery stores operate. Mark Lilly, a former restaurant manager, concluded that the solution to the problem of food deserts may find themselves in an old school bus.

Residents of food deserts - 6, 5 million of them are children - have physical or financial access to fresh food. Their meals are fast food and convenience stores. In a live conversation with AOL health on his campaign "Let's's Move" to put an end to obesity, Michelle Obama said that she hoped to eliminate food deserts in seven years.

"We cannot look parents in the eye and tell them to do better... to see that they do not live in an area where they can live with these expectations," said Ms. Obama. "If you need to get in a cab or ride a bus or walking for miles to get a head of lettuce... you just set families for failure."

In 2009, Lilly, who served in the army and the Marines to six years, worked at a restaurant and to study for a diploma of graduate studies in Richmond, Virginia. In a class project, he turned on the food system from the United States. The more he learned, he becomes more disturbed.

"I discovered many things dark," said Lilly. "Most of the food are produced in a plant and are full of preservatives, of additives, colouring, sugar and salt." Shortly after, Lilly decided that he wanted to buy a bus, it renovation, fill it in with local products and to create a travelling farmers market.

He found a school bus of 1987 diesel listed on Craigslist for $3,500 and it loaded.

"I was driving down the thought of interstate, 'why did buy the stupid bus?'". ", explains Lilly. He parked in his garden for several months.

One day, Lilly went to demonstrate the existence of "food", Inc., a documentary on food production, after which local food leaders held an open forum. There, a woman has announced that she has lived in part poor and dangerous city where fruit and vegetables was not available.

"A light bulb exploded," Lilly said. "I can penetrate any area I want with this bus.

Farm to family was launched in June 2009 with Lilly, who has lost his restaurant job, its only employee. He currently works at 15 hours a day, seven days a week, and his wife recently left his job to join the company. Lilly stock the bus with organic fruits, vegetables, eggs, pies, milk, butter and meat. He visited Richmond through neighbourhoods: the city to the richest suburbs of restaurants of complexes of offices in homes for the elderly. Farm family accepts cash and food tickets and announces his location and goods on Twitter and Facebook.

The concept has gained international attention. Farm to family was presented in People magazine and on BBC World News and blogs for the Huffington Post Lilly. Lilly fields of calls and e-mails from across to United States, asking him to help establish more buses. This month, he opened a self-contained market in its own neighbourhood low income. Residents of this former desert food reacted with "Global joy and happiness," according to Lilly. It cannot meet the demand of his bus.

But the mission of Lilly also brings its share of the resistance. In some regions, the young generation - raised without access to fresh food - or education on the subject remains insensitive. "They are addicted to the stuff that they were fed for 20 years," Lilly said. "" "". Even if cigarettes are $35, someone will find this money, but speak their additional expenses of $3 on vegetables and it is as if you ripped their lungs out. "In these areas, the traffic on the bus of Lilly is sparse. Yet, it returns every week.

Lilly is of the opinion that is not the only challenges. "Unfortunately, the municipal Council members and people who could help the movement is on board," he said. He hoped that the political leaders of Richmond finally tell their constituents on the benefits of eating locally and naturally.

Despite the difficulties, Lilly remains positive. "There is a paradigm shift happening now," he said. "People are seeking a way out of this system." They move farmers markets and their own food. ?

In the coming years, Lilly hopes to expand the farm family and create jobs. He plans to remain a champion local, organic and wish its concept to spread across the country. He wants to see parents assume responsibility for the health of their children and to take the floor at school boards that feed treated children lunch.

It won't be easy, but it is possible. "It is a difficult task, and it requires effort," said. "This is how changes are introduced."