Where's the Food?

My husband forwarded this article to me, which basically underlines the findings of my first graduate degree program regarding cities and basic living conditions: the less wealthy an area of town is, the fewer grocery stores there are. 

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/361235_foodvoid01.html

My study, conducted in LA, showed worse findings. There were actually small grocery stores peppered throughout some of the poorest neighborhoods of L.A., but I found the produce to often be nearly inedible. I volunteered to put together more than 100 boxes of food, medicine, and basic hygiene packages and deliver them to needy families. Some of the produce we bagged were wilted green vegetables, slightly moldy oranges, and spoiling strawberries, all donations from "local" stores. We went door to door, delivering these care packages to places that didn't even look like homes: a cardboard "door" over an opening in an abandoned building, for example. I felt a mixture of shame and distress. What is someone ate this food and became sick? The coordinator of the program laughed at my concern. He said that many of the people receiving the food had not had vegetables in many days, and would gladly eat it, after cooking everything thoroughly. Still, my mind was seared with the vision of sickly near-homeless people eating what I would easily throw to the trash. 

This article talks about West Seattle, but not the area where I live. My area is inundated with grocery stores: within walking distance, I have a Safeway, a PCC, and a short bike ride away is Metropolitan Market. In a year, I'll also have a QFC and Whole Foods within a five minute walk from my doorstep. Not true for the residents of South West Seattle, where there is no market for miles. 

One little gem is Tony's market on 35th and Barton. Tony's doesn't advertise. They don't have a webpage. But they have produce consisting of locally grown and regionally grown produce, and some organic produce as well. Their prices are reasonable, and their produce is fresh. My husband and I buy from there every two weeks, since the Alaska Junction farmer's market does not have much produce to offer, only flowers. 

Does your neighborhood have a gem like Tony's? If so, tell us about it, and tell everyone where it is. Help support your local markets, and guide others who are pinched in the recession towards healthy but reasonably-priced food.