In the early 1900’s, most people got their food directly from the farm. Then, in 1916, Mr. Clarence Saunders opened the Piggly Wiggly in Memphis, Tennessee. This innovative grocery store not only provided the urban community with the convenience of purchasing farm raised food items right in the city, it also allowed shoppers to serve themselves rather than handing their shopping list to a clerk.

Today, unfortunately, the convenience of farm fresh foods is not available to many urban neighborhoods as many of the modern grocery store chains are not located conveniently to meet the basic food shopping needs of these communities. The citizens of these communities live in what’s called a “food desert”; an isolated area with no major grocery stores and a lot of fast food on practically every corner. Most have plenty of access to fried foods and very little access to fresh fruits and vegetables.

Local Matters works with underserved, urban communities in Columbus to grow their own food by planting large scale, edible food gardens and helps coordinate the efficient use of resources among these gardens. We also act as a resource for communities who want to plant, or have already planted edible food gardens by connecting them with other potential resource outlets, including the farm community and small business that can creatively fill the missing grocery niche.

We envision a network of shared resources among these large, edible food gardens and visualize them as a first step in the battle of obesity and diabetes that plagues many of these communities.