Deserts of Disparity and Co-op Combatants

You’re hungry. Not just any type of hungry either; this is “just worked a whole day and haven’t eaten anything since my morning cereal” hungry. As you ride the W line west from your downtown job, past block after block of shining, new development, it suddenly clicks. You’ve done it again. In a mad rush to make it home, you’ve neglected the situation at hand; your refrigerator is empty, and there is no place to get fresh food once you get home. At least not anything that is within reasonable walking distance. You step down to the platform below and take a second to survey your options. With no grocery store or farmers’ market in sight, you come to a quick conclusion. Fast food or delivery it is…

This is a sobering reality for thousands of residents of Denver. Despite it’s status as a blossoming American metropolis with historically low unemployment rates, Denver is home to several communities which have been designated by the USDA as “food deserts.” In urban areas this means that residents live “more than 1 mile from a supermarket or large grocery store.”

In West Denver particularly, there are a few stretches of “desert” such as the Villa Park and Barnum neighborhoods. While there are options for food, a quick look at the Barnum, or Villa Park neighborhoods on Google Maps will show you that most are convenient stores and national food chains; and none are supermarkets. Surprisingly enough, one of the first King Sooper’s(nationwide grocery chain), was located in the Barnum neighborhood. According to 32 year Barnum resident, April Crumley, “ever since they left, it’s been try, try, try again” when it comes to supermarkets.

Much to the delight of the former President of Concerned Citizens for Barnum, there are a few local organizations with plans to bring fresh produce to neglected neighborhoods just like hers. The West Colfax Food Coop which was founded in 2015, aims to launch an online store soon where member-owners can conveniently access healthy, local food. Their vision of an equitable “community owned grocery store” intends to serve the Barnum and Villa Park neighborhoods, as well as Sun Valley(another USDA designated food desert). While it does not have a physical location yet, they are actively campaigning for membership. Project Manager, Terry Freeman, says “recruiting members” is one of the main challenges for co-ops, but having a “clear, concise vision and mission” will hopefully enable success.

This sentiment of recruiting as vital, was echoed by Jovial Concepts, a lawn-to-gardens based non-profit in West Denver(whom I am a board member of for full disclosure). Executive Director, Kristina Welch, and her cohort recently purchased a space off Sheridan Avenue in the Barnum neighborhood which will be named “The Co-op at 1st.” With the Co-op, Kristina has her sights set not only on empowering “community members to share their goods with neighbors,” but additionally lowering “our carbon footprint by reducing the waste that comes from transporting groceries.”

Similarly, Re:Vision International seeks to create the Westwood Food Cooperative, just south of the Barnum and Villa Park neighborhoods on Morrison and Alameda. Residents of Westwood “suffer from many health risks, with 67% of the community at risk of obesity and diet-related illnesses. As a result, the average lifespan of a Westwood resident is 12 years shorter than surrounding Denver neighborhoods.” While I was unable to get a quote from them before this publication, a gander at their website will allow you to get a sense of what they aim to achieve. When they purchased their site in 2014, it was “the first grocery store in Westwood since the last one shut its doors in the 90’s” and “one of the first grocery stores in the country to be owned by a community living in a food desert.”

Though these projects are all at varying stages, it is important to note their efforts to bring high quality, local food options to areas that would otherwise have few, if any. At least April Crumley is excited by the prospects of food co-ops coming to her long-time home. “We needed something that was fresh. Not potato chips. Not just things to go with beer.” However, as noted by Denver Sustainable Food Policy Council member, Reuben Gregory, creating a co-op can be a logistical challenge to bring into reality. “About 1000 members are needed to justify a brick-and-mortar as opposed to a buying club.” Time will tell if they complete their intended missions, but for now we can all give them praise for “braving the desert alone.”