Farmer-Owned and Community-Operated Grocery Store Will Bring Fresh Food to Underserved Neighborhood
Good things happen when great minds think alike—and work together. It is happening in Sunnyside, a neighborhood with limited access to affordable and nutritious food, more commonly known as a food desert.
Ivy Walls of Ivy Leaf Farms and Jeremy Peaches of Fresh Life Organics, both Prairie View A&M University Alumni with deep ties to Sunnyside, work together to help create a sustainable, equitable, and affordable food system in their historically and systemically disadvantaged community.
In 2020 they successfully launched Black Farmer Box, a multi-tiered project that provides the community with fresh food, supports local Black farmers directly through wholesale produce purchase, and creates jobs and opportunities for micro businesses. The next step is an actual fresh food grocery store. As a farmer-owned and community-operated local business, Fresh Houwse Grocery will advance much needed and deserved access to fresh food in Sunnyside.
“We can no longer sit on our hands and wait for change; we have to become the change. Fresh Houwse Grocery is our opportunity to complete the food system and put a high-quality grocery inside our own neighborhood for our neighborhood,” says Ivy.
They saved their profits from every Black Farmer Box to launch Fresh Houwse Grocery but could use our help to go the last mile. Donations will assist in the build-out, purchasing shelving, high-quality fridges & freezers, marketing, stocking, rent/utilities, COVID 19 safety, updating websites, and lastly, helping us set an excellent foundation to remain a solid staple in the neighborhood.
Supporting this effort means supporting the much-needed work inside Black communities across the city, says Ivy: “We hope to be the blueprint for change across the nation.”
The soft opening is planned for November 2021. All donations are welcome, from personal to corporate matching. Visit Black Farmer Box for more information on how to donate, and find examples here:
$25 - Yard Sign + Sticker
$50 - Fresh Houwse Shirt + Yard Sign + Sticker
$100 - Everything Above + Donor Name on Website
$500 - Everything Above + 4 Black Farmer Boxes
$1000+ Everything Above + In Store Shelf Dedication
