With my non-profit, I have been learning a lot about urban agriculture, the new Detroit food market, and offering healthy options to the residents of the city. Although there has been a lot of growth and development in food availability with the creations of urban gardens and local food markets, I personally don’t think these methods of purchasing food are practical and viable options to most people in Detroit. I know the Whole Foods in Detroit is cheaper than Whole Foods in Ann Arbor, but is it really a practical place for a working mother to feed her family? Maybe younger people can afford to shop there, since they have fewer expenses, but I find it hard to justify spending $3 on lettuce and $5 on cereal.
I have been working in Eastern Market for my non-profit, and I try to stock up on my healthy produce there. However, getting other common grocery items are a. not available in a farmer’s market or are b. priced completely out of a reasonable range. So this leads to my question. How do you expect a busy parent with a full time job (or even multiple jobs) and children to go to multiple places to get their food for the week for their family while staying on a realistic budget?
Recently, I have been hearing a lot about a new Meijer opening in Detroit. I found this surprising, because I didn’t know there was one in the first place. The Meijer that is in Detroit city is on the very edge out on Woodward and 8 mile and to me, this does not seem to be a very convenient location. The new one is going to be closer to Brightmoor, which is still kind of far from Midtown, Downtown, Mexicantown, etc. it is a step in the right direction. I’m kind of hoping this will be a substantial movement for offering more affordable shopping options closer to the city, therefore making it a more realistic place for people to live.
I might not know a lot about politics and urban structure, but I feel like especially here in Detroit, a huge change that needs to happen is to be able to make the city a much more livable place. Of course, this includes better education, safety, transportation, etc. but food and health should be just as important. Obviously, these issues can create bigger problems in the long run, but I think many people are realizing that it is important here and now as well. I am curious to see how this has an effect on the city in the long run, and what may come of this new store opening up in Brightmoor to residents there and in nearby areas of Detroit.
Also, if you didn’t see the hyperlink for Meijer, that’s the article. I tried being clever aha
I like all of the points that you’ve made. Yes, it is true that the Whole Foods here in Detroit is cheaper than the one in Ann Arbor and more affordable for me. But you made a great point that just because it’s more affordable for some people, does not make it affordable for all Detroiters and there are still plenty of people who need even more affordable food options in all areas of Detroit.