Dutchess Outreach- Grand Re-Opening of Poughkeepsie Plenty Fresh Market

Description

Imagine living in a place where access to fresh vegetables and fruits is severely limited. Does it seem remote? Third World? Believe it or not, there are many people in the City of Poughkeepsie and the mid-Hudson Valley who live in so-called “food deserts,” where access to fresh food on a regular basis just isn’t in the cards. Dutchess Outreach and its
partners have taken a giant leap toward ending that trend with the second season of the Poughkeepsie Plenty Fresh Market this summer. “According to a Dutchess County Health Department survey, one out of four City of Poughkeepsie residents reported difficulty accessing healthy food, and more than half of those people said such food was too expensive,” said Brian Riddell, executive director of Dutchess Outreach. According to research disseminated by Poughkeepsie Plenty, more than 1 in 4 households in Poughkeepsie do not own a vehicle.

“Too many residents live more than a mile from a supermarket without reliable transportation. In this context, corner stores are an important food source, where healthy options are often extremely limited and can be quite expensive,” said Susan Grove, who led the Poughkeepsie Plenty research team. “There is clearly an opportunity to bring affordable, fresh food to Poughkeepsie’s
neighborhoods.”