Small town grocery stores face unique challenges. Some Midwest states are trying to help
More states in the Midwest and Great Plains are trying to support rural, independent grocery stores through tailored grant programs.
Tag: food deserts
Urbana officials pledge $800,000 for new grocery store, contingent on state grant
Urbana officials are taking steps that could bring a grocery store to the city’s north end. On Monday night, the City Council pledged to allocate $800,000 to tackle a food desert in Ward 3. The money is meant to support an application for the Illinois Grocery Initiative, a program that could provide up to $2.4
Pastor-led grocery store officially opens in Danville food desert
With help from a state grant, Carle Health and other partners, Heavenly Square is bringing fresh ingredients to an area of Danville where they were inaccessible before.
The government spends millions in food deserts to open grocery stores. Why aren’t they surviving?
More than 100 people congregated in the parking lot of Rise Community Market on its opening day a little over a year ago. As they listened to celebratory speeches, the audience erupted into joyful exclamations: “Mercy!” “Wonderful!” “Wow!” “All right!” Colorful homemade signs raised by local leaders beckoned the crowd to join in: “We!” “Are!”
State to put $20 million toward grants for grocers, research into food insecurity
New law aims to alleviate ‘food deserts’ throughout the state.
Farmer City hasn’t had a grocery store in seven years. Local citizens want that to change.
FARMER CITY – Laura Enger has lived in Farmer City for most of her life. When the only grocery store in town closed over seven years ago, Enger said the community lost easy access to fresh food and produce. “Once a town loses its grocery store, the heart of it sort of dies,” Enger said.
Illinois food deserts grow as rural grocery stores close
CHAMPAIGN – Food deserts have long been associated with urban areas where full-service grocery stores are hard to find. But rural areas also struggle with a lack of access to fresh, affordable produce, despite often being surrounded by rich agricultural land. According to the Food Access Atlas, a map maintained by the USDA, dozens of