Can America’s Urban Food Deserts Bloom?

Imagine you’re in a scavenger hunt.  The goal of this scavenger hunt is to find fresh fruits and vegetables in the middle of a  gritty and densely populated urban area.  The initial idea of visiting the local supermarket quickly vanishes once you realize that the nearest market is 15 miles away and there is no public transportation.   The next stop is the local corner store.  You scan the shelves looking for your kale and butternut squash on your sacevenger list only to be greeted by a sea of  hamburger helper, chips, soda, and beer  You have just found yourself in one of  America’s food deserts.  A food desert is the term used to describe the trend for large supermarket chains to neglect the densely populated urban areas.  These food deserts are predominately found in low income communities of color.  The  alarming rise of the rates of obesity and diabetes in these communities has generated a greater awareness  for more access to fresh fruits and vegetables.

That’s the hope for the next wave of urban entrepreneur where the next big thing may be filling the void of the urban food desert.   In some neighborhoods it’s about luring the large chain grocery stores, while in others it’s about taking the matter in their own hands and growing the fruits and vegetables themselves on roof top gardens.  With the help of tax incentives these urban gardens have cropped up in neighborhoods from the Tenderloin in San Francisco to the Lower East Side in New York City.  These roof top gardeners have found that growing your own fresh produce is not only good for the community’s overall health but that it can be profitable as well.   Everyone seems to be getting into the act of urban gardening from  community organizations, schools, and restaurants.