Food Desert

Today I am in the town of Bridgeport, CA. And while you may not think a beautiful town at the base of the Sierra Nevada would be a "food desert," it in many ways is. A food desert is when a community lacks access to good quality, wholesome food. I asked my friend Tina if the general store in town would have goat cheese for our salad and she jut looked at me like, "are you serious?" We take food access for granted in most cities. A food desert usually means there are no markets in close proximity and that only convenient stores and fast food restaurants are available. Residents have to truck long miles to get to get to a decent grocer or food establishment. Typically, food deserts are associated with inner cities and economically deprived neighborhoods but in rural towns like Bridgeport, getting good food is hard to find as well. In Bridgeport, locals are starting to grow their own food but that can be hard for those in urban environments if a community garden is not available. When opening a grocery store isn't probable and 'growing your own' isn't possible, other opportunities exist for both rural and urban communities like starting a farmers market, a CSA program, a community pot-luck dinner or soup night, etc... What are some other ideas for "food desert"?