When living in a food desert since you were born, you begin to learn how to use your natural resources. With a cat following, plus occasional quacks and squawks piercing the air, Autumn Cook, 22, of Crown City, Ohio, went on her morning lap to feed her farm family.
The farmhouse, passed down from her boyfriend Sampson’s family, holds the couple and eight cats, three dogs, two ducks, three chickens, and one rooster. The animals bring emotional support to the two, but some bring food on the table while living in a food desert.
Not only do the chickens provide eggs, but they also allow the rest of Autumn’s family — a majority who are still in Crown City — to save some money on groceries. She hopes to eventually have a cow, one of her favorite animals, which she would benefit from by having a milk source. During the summer, she grows a garden of various vegetables and fruits— zucchini, squash, cucumbers, peppers, corn, tomatoes, and watermelon — to add some color to her plate.
Autumn lives between two DG’s, roughly 10 minutes apart from both, and lives about 40 minutes from the city with her job, school, and other food resources.
Growing up in the small town, she’s realized that there are a lot of elderly who retire in the area and choose this destination. Although the town has local organizations like the volunteer fire department and city hall who help and donate food during the holidays, Autumn said she knows the desert overall causes problems for the elderly.
In between trips to school or work, Autumn will do her grocery shopping to stock up with meats and other goods — in hopes to not have to go frequently. With a stress of school in Huntington, fast food is sometimes more convenient, even though she hates to fall in the trap of relying on drive thrus.
Autumn will be a first generation graduate, along with her twin sister, with a Marshall University degree in Mechanical engineering. With constant homework and studying during school, or working a job — something she isn’t always able to have as a full-time student — she is always working towards her future.
“They think you have nothing going for you,” Autumn said. She said that she feels that people treat others in small areas as small and unimportant.
Autumn has no plans to leave her home and would hope that stereotypes of Appalachian deserts do not prevent the region from evolving. She said that the area doesn’t need luxurious things or a row of fast food restaurants, but that people in all areas deserve access to fresh food with average prices.
“Crown City is actually a nice place, you could leave your door unlocked,” She said. “I feel like once you actually live here, it’s a lot different because you notice the people are more close-knit and people are nicer. And people are really smart around here.”
May 2022