Bye-Bye "Food Desserts"

As I was scrolling through the business section of the New York Times, my mouse slid over an article titled, "A Start-Up Tries to Eliminate 'Food Deserts'". Originally, I thought the article was about desserts, so I immediately clicked to see why on earth a company would try to get rid of food desserts. Primarily desserts are made up of foods such a yummy baked goods that are loved by all so I was shocked to see that people would want to get rid of them. In concern for our delicious desserts, I read closely to the article, including the title again, only to find that it was talking about "food deserts". Whoops. I was then intrigued as to what a food desert was and according to the article, it is a place such as a town or community that has limited access to healthy and affordable groceries. According to the Department of Agriculture, there are more than 23 million U.S citizens who live in towns considered to be "food desserts". In response to that horrifying statistic, former classmates and friends Carrie Ferrence, 33, and Jacqueline Gjurgevich, 32 founded Stockbox, a very small grocery store based out of a shipping container. The majority of their items sold consist of juice, milk, meat, dairy, and produce. They carry items that are generally out of reach and out of budget for those living in food deserts. 

Founders Ferrence and Gjurgevich aim to provide healthier options at cheaper prices for residents in food deserts. They want those families to be able to provide their children with healthier options that a convenience store provides. While they do struggle to attract first time customers because of the store appearance, Stockbox has been very successful. Author, Jessica Bruder, compliments the founders on creating a store like Stockbox and agrees that all citizens, especially young children, need to be fed healthy foods. Stockbox allows families to get by without a mainstream grocery store located in their neighborhood and to fit their meals in a budget. 

A Start-Up Tries to Eliminate ‘Food Deserts’

http://boss.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/11/01/a-start-up-tries-to-eliminate-food-deserts/?ref=business