PolicyLinkOptions for Increasing <strong>Access</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Healthy</strong> <strong>Food</strong>: Key DifferencesDeveloping NewGrocery S<strong>to</strong>resImproving ExistingNeighborhood S<strong>to</strong>resStarting <strong>and</strong> SustainingFarmers’ MarketsCommunity SupportedAgriculture (CSAs) <strong>and</strong>Community Gardens/Urban AgricultureCOMPLEXITY / TIMEComplex <strong>and</strong> time-consuming.L<strong>and</strong> must be identified <strong>and</strong>purchased. Requires significantfinancing. Grocers must beconvinced that the area cansupport a s<strong>to</strong>re. Regula<strong>to</strong>ryprocesses such as zoning <strong>and</strong>the construction processtake time.A significant challenge, butless complex <strong>and</strong> requires lesstime than building new s<strong>to</strong>res.Can see results sooner.A significant challenge, butless complex <strong>and</strong> requires lesstime than building new s<strong>to</strong>res.Can see results sooner.A significant challenge, butless complex <strong>and</strong> requires lesstime than building new s<strong>to</strong>res.Can see results sooner.LANDThe average supermarket is44,000 square feet, <strong>and</strong> news<strong>to</strong>res are usually much larger.They require ample parking lots,<strong>and</strong> are often anchors <strong>to</strong> muchlarger developments of retails<strong>to</strong>res. Smaller grocery s<strong>to</strong>resare typically 10,000 <strong>to</strong> 12,000square feet <strong>and</strong> may fit in<strong>to</strong>existing sites.Requires no new l<strong>and</strong> sincethe s<strong>to</strong>res already exist.Only requires a parking lot, ablocked off street, or anotherpublic space that can be usedfor short periods of time.CSAs require l<strong>and</strong> for farming,a distribution center forgathering <strong>and</strong> packaging theirproducts, <strong>and</strong> a distribution siteor delivery plan. Communitygardens/urban agriculturerequire l<strong>and</strong> for farming.FUNDINGNew supermarkets requiremillions of dollars <strong>to</strong> construct<strong>and</strong> operate. Smaller grocerys<strong>to</strong>res are less expensive but stillcost over a million dollars.Re-outfitting a corner s<strong>to</strong>re<strong>to</strong> sell fresh produce cancost less than $100,000 intechnical assistance, equipment,<strong>and</strong> initial inven<strong>to</strong>ry. 69A reasonable first-year budget isapproximately $34,000, thoughmarkets can cost as little as$2,000 or as much as $150,000per year. 70A reasonable first-year budgetfor a CSA can range between$1,500 <strong>to</strong> $100,000 dependingon how many members join <strong>and</strong>pricing of shares. 71 Communitygardens/urban agriculture costapproximately $1 per squarefoot per year over five yearsfor soil, seeds, soil testing,wire fence, <strong>and</strong> initial cleanup,assuming volunteer labor<strong>and</strong> free water sources. 72CUSTOMER BASESupermarkets require extremelyhigh volume <strong>and</strong> so must drawshoppers from beyond a singleimmediate neighborhood. Heavilytrafficked roads can increasepotential cus<strong>to</strong>mer base. Smallergrocery s<strong>to</strong>res can rely more onneighborhood cus<strong>to</strong>mer bases.It is helpful <strong>to</strong> demonstratecommunity interest inpurchasing healthy foods so thats<strong>to</strong>reowners know that they willbe able <strong>to</strong> sell whatever producethey purchase <strong>and</strong> still make aprofit.Need enough cus<strong>to</strong>mers <strong>to</strong>be worth the farmers’ time atthe market <strong>and</strong> transportationcosts, as well as enough profit<strong>to</strong> pay for a market coordina<strong>to</strong>r.CSA cus<strong>to</strong>mer bases can be as smallas five people or as large as severalhundred people. Membershipshares range in price, but a sharein the $20 range often will coverfirst-year inputs. 73 Communitygardens/urban agriculture canserve a small or very large cus<strong>to</strong>merbase since the gardens/farmscan range from a few hundredsquare feet <strong>to</strong> many acres.24 <strong>Healthy</strong> <strong>Food</strong>, <strong>Healthy</strong> Communities
PolicyLinkhelped support the development of the <strong>Fresh</strong><strong>Food</strong> Financing Initiative, highlighted on pages30-31. Similar task forces have been convenedin cities such as New York <strong>and</strong> New Orleans.Existing planning processes. Another way<strong>to</strong> improve food access is <strong>to</strong> integrate the issuein<strong>to</strong> neighborhood planning processes, linkingphysical health with economic development.City council-sponsored local food initiatives.City councils can pass resolutions <strong>to</strong> help fosterlocal <strong>and</strong> community food systems. For example,in Seattle, a resolution was passed <strong>to</strong> address thecity’s food system, with many recommendationsfocused on addressing the needs of low-income <strong>and</strong>minority residents. As a result, city departmentsare taking steps such as conducting an inven<strong>to</strong>ryof public l<strong>and</strong>s, recommending new communitygarden locations, <strong>and</strong> encouraging grocery s<strong>to</strong>res<strong>and</strong> farmers’ markets in underserved areas. 67Community meetings. Other communities usemore informal methods. In West Fresno, California,for example, discussions among concernedneighbors inspired a sustained advocacy effort thatresulted in a new supermarket for the community.<strong>Healthy</strong> <strong>Food</strong>, <strong>Healthy</strong> Communities25
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