Generally known as a food desert – an area where fresh fruit and vegetables are scarce, yet fast food restaurants and liquor stores are plentiful – the Park DuValle neighborhood is welcoming the new addition with open arms.
According to WFPL, Disctrict 3 Councilwoman Mary Woolridge used some of her discretionary funds to repair sidewalks around the store, saying that equal access to fresh food was a top priority for her.
However, it got me to thinking about the next step. If a community can get behind the development of a local grocery store then maybe – with enough time and support – urban agriculture can close the gap and help make food deserts a thing of the past.
For many living in Louisville, urban gardening can be difficult. Most of us live in apartments or houses with small strips of green space.
I personally live above a storefront in Germantown. No backyard. No access to my rooftop. No real way to create a decent garden. But, in spite of this deficiency, I have improvised. This typically involves milk crates, ceramic pots and a wooden shelf facing the windows.
Growing your own groceries is possible, but it definitely takes time and commitment. Just like how the citizens of Park DuValle petitioned their leaders to create a place where fresh food can be made available, all good things require diligence.
Perhaps in the near future I’ll give a detailed explanation of how urban gardens can function with limited amounts of green space. But for now, I leave you with this infographic: