Giving Compass' Take:
- Elena Seeley reports on CornerJawn's efforts to stock corner stores in urban neighborhoods with food options that are both healthy and convenient.
- How can nonprofits in urban communities across the country take inspiration from CornerJawn's approach to improving access to healthy food options?
- Learn more about key issues in food and nutrition and how you can help.
- Search our Guide to Good for nonprofits focused on food equity in your area.
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The Pennsylvania-based farmer Christa Barfield is reimagining stocking corner stores to provide communities with healthy, convenient food options.
CornerJawn takes a Food is Medicine approach to corner stores, stocking them with nutrient dense produce in urban neighborhoods.
Inspiration for CornerJawn struck during the COVID-19 pandemic, Barfield explains. She became curious if corner stores, which are often more accessible than larger supermarkets, would carry more than a few items of produce that might be needed to round out a recipe.
While on a walk, Barfield stopped at several corner stores around her neighborhood to ask owners if they would consider stocking more variety. At each one, she received the same answer: No.
“It was a business decision purely, and that made sense to me,” Barfield tells Food Tank. “You’re not going to buy something that’s going to die on the shelf.” She realized that a mindset shift would need to take place, and wanted to offer a model that demonstrates what corner stores can be.
At CornerJawn, Barfield strives to create a shopping experience where eaters can learn about the produce they’re buying and the nutritional benefits they offer. She also wants them to feel comfortable with the options available.
“It’s very important for us to stop limiting food options, but at the same time, keep things culturally relevant for the communities that we’re in,” Barfield tells Food Tank. “I want to make sure that nobody feels like nutrient density is above them.”
Barfield thinks deeply about eaters’ connection to their food, reflecting on the impact of stocking corner stores with healthier food options. “I want people to see the quality of food relates back to their health,” Barfield says. And she sees this relationship between food and wellbeing extending far beyond the individual. “How you eat now isn’t just about you. Food is about lineage. It’s about everyone in your bloodline before you and the ones that are coming after you.”
Read the full article about stocking corner stores with healthy food by Elena Seeley at Food Tank.