Month: September 2017

Rural Community Strategies to Improve Food Access

Many rural areas in the United States have to face rural hunger because of several underlying causes. Access to fresh produce, ironically, might be one of the main causes of such a problem in these localities. Few retailers would invest in regions where there might be a low volume of consumers, either because of the seasonality of activities in those parts or economic factors that might hinder the capacity of residents to buy food.

Image source: wikipedia.org

Food insecurity, in the long run, may pose a number of crucial challenges like widespread malnutrition, decreased productivity, and other general effects on many levels of human development and living conditions. Several strategies have been in place to address these concerns.

Some federal and state initiatives and funding have made it possible for rural communities to subsidize costs for regular food retailers and businesses that might be willing to bring their produce in rural areas. Other than financing opportunities from federal and local sectors, government policies have been in place like programs by the USDA that mitigate the impact of those difficulties.

Local community residents and workers can find cooperative solutions to help in instituting their own retail establishments through the help of the local government. Grocery stores using the cooperative model, farmers markets, or community-supported agricultural programs foster a communal spirit that can augment the help already being extended from outside.

Additional proactive undertakings that greatly assist in ending hunger are food banks. These institutions have been focusing on more effective storage and distribution of healthy food for the community. Partnering with and accepting donations from many organizations, they also get involved in the education of residents about their options, proper nutrition, and eventual self-sufficiency.

Image source: usda.gov

Randy Benderson is the President of Benderson Development, a company his father Nathan Benderson established. Even outside the corporate world, the Benderson legacy aims to impact society with philanthropic efforts that will change the lives of thousands. For more information about Randy and the firm, click here.

Why Florida’s real estate industry will continue to boom after Hurricane Irma

While it’s still too soon to say that the real estate industry will recover quickly in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma, there are indications that just a few weeks after the category 4 storm hit the state, things are looking up.

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Image source:heraldtribune.com

Images of the havoc wreaked by Irma flooded the media just hours after the Hurricane slammed Florida’s coasts. It initially worried the local real estate market, which relies heavily on out-of-town and foreign investors. It’s a big thing, especially for the state’s home and condo cash purchases which—at 20 percent of all Miami-Dade real estate transactions—is double the national average.

The deciding factor here is the speed by which infrastructure are repaired and the availability of amenities returning to normal, analysts say. Florida’s housing statistics will be affected since minor damages and power outages have delayed a few area closings. But if August data will be the basis, there should be a continued rise in mid-market home sales.

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Image sour:theconcessionrealestate.com

Other analysts even believe that the hurricane could prove a boon to the state’s luxury housing market, which could coax sellers into lowering asking prices. More importantly, structures did hold up well in the aftermath; the damage has mostly been downed power lines and landscape debris. Recovery should be fast, as people ultimately want to be in Florida.

Randy Benderson is the President of Benderson Development, a venture his father, Nathan Benderson, established in New York over 60 years ago. Today, Nathan’s legacy stands with the company, hailed as one of the largest and most diverse real estate developers in the U.S. For similar reads, drop by this blog.