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I saw an article about a “food desert” in a city near me.

It was bunk. The article included a map showing the “desert” part of the city.

There is a good-sized supermarket right in the middle of the “desert.” I haven’t been in that particular store but it’s part of a chain. I am quite sure that it probably doesn’t sell a lot of high-priced “gourmet” foods but it does sell a decent variety of basics, including fruits, vegetables, and meats.

There’s also a Wal-Mart not that far away, and the “food desert” is served by public transportation, which gives residents access to any type of shopping they need or want.

There are a couple of dollar stores in the area. I don’t think they are going to put the supermarket out of business.

One thing I have noticed: if the local food bank is giving away food, most people find a way of getting there.

You are absolutely correct about the actual location of food deserts. I live in a small rural town which has managed to maintain a local grocery store. Two other small towns in my area no longer have grocery stores. One of them had a small grocery store which closed after being robbed blind by its own employees, or so I was told. One town has a gas station/convenience store; the other has that plus a dollar store. When the grocery store closed, the dollar store started selling a limited amount of perishable foods.

Not having a grocery store in a town isn’t ideal but so far, not a single person has starved to death, either.

You don’t have to be “low income” to appreciate having a dollar store nearby. Prior to the one in my small town opening, the nearest stores selling anything besides basic food items was 15 miles away. I don’t depend on either the dollar store or the local grocery store, but I purposely support both to help them stay in business.