Communities

Healthy food for food deserts

USDA official visits successful grocery co-op in Old North St. Louis

Dr. Roger Beachy, (2nd from left), director of USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), chats with neighborhood children during a visit to Old North St. Louis Grocery Co-op in February 2011.

USDA official visits successful grocery co-op in St. Louis (MU Extension) (Video)  |  "Food deserts" and nutrition: A Q&A with USDA's Roger Beachy (Audio MP3)

Old North St. Louis Grocery Co-op
A collaboration between MU Extension and Old North St. Louis Restoration Group developed a strategy to close the food gap in the Old North St. Louis neighborhood. Residents lived in a food desert, an area lacking access to healthy, affordable foods year-round. In July 2010, that changed when the Old North St. Louis Grocery Co-op opened. It is the first co-op to open in a predominately low-income neighborhood in Missouri as a way to increase access to healthy foods, link urban consumers to rural producers, and support a neighborhood through economic and community development.

Videos:

• 2010 Opening of Old North Grocery in St. Louis (Mo.gov, 7/22/10)
• USDA official visits successful grocery co-op in St. Louis (MU Extension)  

In the media:

• "Food deserts" and nutrition: A Q&A with USDA's Roger Beachy (Audio MP3)

St. Louis Healthy Corner Store Initiative

A Healthy Corner Store pilot program is bringing fresh fruits and vegetables to people in local food deserts, where's limited access to healthy foods. Three St. Louis corner stores are in operation in the 21st and 25th wards. The program is a joint effort of MU Extension, the City of St. Louis, and the St. Louis Development Corporation.
In the media: Corner Store Sells Fresh Produce, The Northsider, by Sylvester Brown, Jr.

Neighborhood Leadership Academy

Neighborhood Leadership Academy provides hands-on leadership training emphasizing community building principles, organizational leadership and management practices, and personal leadership skills. The program connects resources at University of Missouri-St. Louis (Community Partnership Project, Nonprofit Management and Leadership Program, and MU Extension) to residents and neighborhoods wanting to create more livable communities.

Local Government Partnership

The Local Government Partnership is a cooperative effort between University of Missouri-St. Louis, MU Extension and East-West Gateway Council of Governments. The program provides technical advice to local government, conducts training programs for local officials, encourages collaboration and cooperation with local governments, teaches and advises students interested in local government careers.

UMSL Community Partnership Project Seminar Series

The UMSL Community Partnership Project Seminar Series links UM-St. Louis faculty research and practice and promotes sharing of information and ideas on issues impacting the St. Louis region. Ask to have your name added to the e-mail distribution list.

Contact: Kara Lubischer

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