E11: Food justice activists build their first grocery store in a food desert in rural Louisiana | Bing Turner, MPH of Bernice's Community Market & Heritage Farmers Market in Cotton Valley, LA

Food justice is at the core of Bing D. Turner, MPH, and his wife Myisha Turner’s, entrepreneurial efforts. After a long career in public health, it was impossible to ignore the gross inequities when it came to having access to fresh, healthy food in underserved communities all over the United States. In 2009, the couple established Heritage Farmers Markets, a non-profit that hosts weekly markets in different communities in Southern California to help provide greater access to fresh, local produce direct from farmers. After visiting Myisha’s mother in Cotton Valley, Louisiana, the couple realized that the nearest grocery story was a 40-mile roundtrip away. This motivated them to spring to action and build their first grocery store. Before they got started they first did a focus group to make sure what they envisioned for Cotton Valley was inline with what the community wanted and needed. It has been an uphill climb but the Turners will soon open Bernice’s Community Market, their first community-focused grocery in Cotton Valley. This market they want to use as a template for future expansion and bring more community-focused grocery stores to underserved communities all over the country so that all people have access to fresh, healthy food without having to leave their community to get it. urbanexodus.com instagram.com/theurbanexodus facebook.com/theurbanexodus Support the show Sign up for Apple Podcasts premium or our Patreon Membership for ad-free listening, rapid-fire guest interviews & our new mini-pod Ditch the City. urbanexodus.com | @theurbanexodus | buy the book