Being able to drive five to 10 minutes to a grocery store is a luxury many don't think about, but in several rural and low-income communities across the country, grocers are permanently closing, making access to healthy foods more difficult.
This has been the way of life for decades in Jackson, Mississippi. It's the state's largest city, yet it has one Walmart, one Kroger and one Whole Foods covering a 100-mile radius. Smaller grocers come in and out of the area as the economy fluctuates.
"This is just the way of life here," said lifelong Jackson resident Perry Thomas. "We just deal with it as the days go by."
The latest departure is a Food Depot in West Jackson, which closed in mid-May, putting several neighborhoods at risk of becoming food deserts unless another grocer moves in.
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The next closest grocery store is the Kroger, which a 5.6 mile-drive on the interstate from the closed Food Depot. It would be a nearly two-hour walk.
"It's just terrible," Thomas said. "We have convenience stores on every corner. We need more grocery stores."
With limited food access, the United States Department of Agriculture says 1 in 5 people in Jackson are considered "food insecure."
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The reasons stores leave town are complex. In some cases, there are crime and security concerns at the location while mismanagement or low profits are the concerns at others.
A recent study from the Institute for Local Self Reliance poses another possibility, claiming dollar stores are to blame for pushing larger grocers out of urban and rural areas.
"Through predatory tactics, the dollar chains are killing off grocery stores and other local businesses, leaving communities with fewer jobs, diminished access to basic goods, and dimmer prospects for overall well-being," the report says.
In Jackson, there are 39 dollar chain stores.
"You can't get fresh vegetables there," said resident Norma Michael.
A Dollar General and a Family Dollar operate right next door to the closed Food Depot in Jackson. However, this DG location does not sell food. The Family Dollar sells a limited option of produce, canned vegetables and meats, snacks, and quick meals.
In a statement to Fox Business responding to the report's claims, Dollar Tree Inc, which also owns Family Dollar, says in part:
"Our food products are meant to compliment - not replace - full service grocery stores. In fact, the majority of our stores can be found within a few miles of a full service grocery store in highly diverse, urban, suburban and rural markets."
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A response from Dollar General says in part:
"With approximately 75% of the U.S. population currently living within five miles of a Dollar General store, we are uniquely positioned to serve millions of Americans who may not otherwise have nearby access to affordable food and household essentials… We serve our communities as a general store… often in communities where other retailers cannot or choose not to serve."
Both dollar chains also assert their stores are not grocery stores.
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Meanwhile, Michael isn't letting circumstances keep her or her neighbors from having healthy food options. Three years ago, she started a community garden on her block.
"God told me to start it," Michael said. "I had never gardened before in my life."
She purchased a small lot on her street for less than $500. Now the plot of land has flourished into a thriving garden with squash, cabbage, strawberries, peppers and tomatoes – just to name a few.
"It's hard for some of my neighbors to get to the grocery store," Michael said. "One of my neighbors is 91. This way it's more convenient. I take things to everyone on the block."
