Anyone live in a food desert?

[Phekzhen]

I had a friend drive me to the grocery store so I could stock up on affordable things, and we went in the evening. They had pulled most of the stuff from the produce section to be in the refrigerators over night.

[gemini_pony]

:/ now where i used to live is awful only 1 gorcery store and smart and final, and some of us don't need large amounts os stuff. The grocery strore price gouges. and it's in the desert so walking across town in 120 degree summer heat would be very hard for some people!

[Scraleos]

Wow, I didn't know it was so hard to come by fresh food... I've had access to many fresh fruit and veg stalls since forever. Maybe it's different over here? We don't get as much processed stuff as Americans do.

[Yurusumaji]

My husband used to live in a hardcore food desert. His parents own a house in a small town and the closest grocery store is 30 minutes away.  My mother also lives in a food desert. Only thing close enough to walk to was a small corner store and she doesn't own the land her home sits on so we couldn't grow anything.

Our current place is not a food desert thanks to the public transport, but it would be arduous for anyone without a car or a lot of time on their hands.

[sarafina]

Do you have any community supported agriculture farms (CSA) in your area?  That might be another way of getting affordable veggies as well.

That's exactly what I was going to ask...my husband & I live & work on an organic farm that he grew up on, and our farm is a CSA.  CSAs generally require an upfront investment, since most of them use a subscription program in which you purchase a seasonal "share" and pick up your share of produce weekly.  It's not the grocery-shopping method of picking and choosing particular veggies/fruits (though sometimes there are some choices available - i.e., one bunch of chard or one bunch of kale), and many CSA farms offer u-pick options as well, in which you get to go out and pick a pint's worth of strawberries, etc. (I understand that would be problematic because of your health).

Anyhoo, I'm personally a big fan of CSAs - they don't work for everyone, but if you're looking for fresh, seasonal produce, they're a great option.  It requires a commitment to the farm and to the notion of eating seasonal food, which can be an adjustment for many (i.e., depending on where you live, the beginning of the summer season usually has a lot of greens and not many of the tastier veggies that come in the warmer weather).

[Phekzhen]

Wow, I didn't know it was so hard to come by fresh food... I've had access to many fresh fruit and veg stalls since forever. Maybe it's different over here? We don't get as much processed stuff as Americans do.

I'd love to see a study of food deserts in other countries. Everyone knows about "starving Ethiopians," but this happens just as much in urban settings as well.

Sarafina: I'd love to do work with a CSA, but that's time I don't have and I have no way of getting to one. I'd love to give them my support since it's an excellent idea.

I used to work as a cashier at a farmstand, so I know how great fresh-picked produce is. Nothing's tastier than a carrot with some of the dirt still on it.