Just Wondering

Jobs---Check.

A store full of fresh fruits and vegetables---Check.

Partnering in key community inititives---Check.

Tax Revenue---Check.

So why can't this Walmart get built?

To The Market I Go

These are the sights I see when I go to the Woodlawn Farmer's market on Saturdays.


Once I hit Dorchester I pass by Apostolic Church. The flowers in the parking medians are just the living end.



As I keep on heading north on Dorchester, around 62nd Street, I was struck by how nice the lawn looked at this house.

So I keep on walking north until I hit 61st Street and the sign welcoming me to the Woodlawn Farmer's Market.

Yeah we don't have alot of booths---yet. Hope springs eternal for next year though.

Crepes in Woodlawn? Who knew?

Tomato Mountain Farms organic Habanero Salsa. If you like hot, I strongly suggest you pick up a jar. It's fire.

Bleeding Heart Bakery. I love them. Their Goat Cheese and Basil croissants are the shit. I wish they would come to the market every week.

Hopefully our little market will be teeming with vendors in '09. Woodlawn needs more fruits, vegetables and flowers too.

A Bargain and a Blessing

I’m being fed by Black Episcopalians.

Thank you Jesus.

Rather I should say Angel Food Ministries is feeding me by way of the Black Episcopalians.

The Ministry started in 1994 as a sort of a food pantry in Monroe, Georgia in response to plant closings in the area.

According to Angel Food’s website “Over the next few years, other churches wanted to get involved and Angel Food began feeding hundreds of families across the southeast. Now, Angel Food feeds over 500,000 families a month in 35 states.”

And boy am I ever grateful.

Say what you will about faith based initiatives but this one is allowing me to eat without spending insane amounts of money.

I’m sure you good folks have seen the effect of fuel prices on the cost of food.

You just wait until the effects of the recent Midwestern floods.

When you all can’t afford to feed yourselves or your families and beat a path to Angle Food’s door you can send me a note of thanks.

The concept is simple and quite straight forward---you pay $30.00 for a basic box of food (heavy on the meat) that is intended to feed a family of four for about a week or a single person for about a month.

Once you purchase the basic box, you can purchase one or more of four specialty boxes that range from a 7 lb. assorted meat grilled box to a fresh fruit and veggie box. In fact, check out what you can get for the month of July:

JULY SPECIAL #1
7 lb. Assorted Meat Grill Box - $20.00
(1.5 lb. New York Strip Steaks (2 x 12 oz.)
2.5 lb. Boneless Netted Boston Butt Roast
2 lb. Meaty Beef Ribs
1 lb. Mild Italian Sausage)

JULY SPECIAL #2
4.5 lb. Steak and Chicken Combo Box - $20.00
(1.5 lb. Kansas City Strips (2 x 12 oz.)
1.5 lb. Bone-In Ribeyes (2 x 12 oz.)
1.5 lb. Bacon-Wrapped Chicken Filet (4 x 6 oz.))

JULY SPECIAL #3
10 lb. Breaded Chicken Breast Tenders - $18.00

JULY SPECIAL #4
Fresh Fruit and Veggie Box - $16.00
6 ears Corn
2 lb. Carrots
2 lb. Yellow Onions
1 Cello-Wrapped Lettuce
1 Pineapple
4 California Oranges
1 Seedless Watermelon
6 Russet Potatoes

Not bad, eh?

And the best part is that there are no income verifications or forms to fill out. They don’t want your personal background---well at least the Black Episcopalians didn’t give me the third degree---all they want to know is what you want and how much.

Like I said, simple.

Now that’s not to say that there isn’t what could be described as tracts or at the very least inspirational messages placed in every food order. While I don’t have a problem with it, those of you who do it’s a small price to pay to be able to eat.

Plus the way the world is going today, perhaps we need to revisit our relationship with a higher power.

I’m just sayin’.

So to paraphrase the Blues Brothers I’m going up north to put the word in the street.

I’m giving you the hook up the same way I gave it to my friend and former co-worker who got laid off with me after getting it from my sister.

Now that I look back on how she and I got on the subject of Angel Food it’s quite comical.

My Sister: Yeah, I need to marinate my T-bones before I put them on the grill.

Me: (Sputtering) T-bones? Heffa, even though my income has been
severely cut, I know I still make more money than you. I can’t
afford a can of Spam but your trifflin’ ass is eating T-bones?
What gives? Did you get a better job?

My Sister: Oh, did I not tell you about the hookup?

Me: Hell no---spill it.

My Sister: Let me hip you to the deal---Angel Food Ministries.

And from that conversation I went to the website and found the Black Episcopalians.

Who, might I add, are a hoot.

More on them later.

Go feed yourselves.

Don't Forget

Woodlawn's first ever Farmer's Market happens on Saturday the 17th starting at 9:00 AM til 2:00 PM at the Experimental Station located at 61st & Blackstone.

Break out your grocery carts and cloth bags, real food (not Flaming Hot Cheetos) have come back to the 'hood.

You'll recognize me by the loads of fresh flowers I'll be carrying.

Fresh flowers---who knew?

Woodlawn stand up!

Oasis

Apparently someone has heard our cries in the food desert.

Woodlawn is getting it’s very own Farmer’s Market starting Saturday, May 17th at Experimental Station home of Blackstone Bicycle Works.

So I’ll be able to walk to purchase reasonably priced fresh produce AND shop for a reasonably price eco friendly, weight controlling form of transportation.

Note the emphasis on walk, reasonably priced and fresh.

AND they’ll take the LINK Card. Not that I have one or anything. Apparently I made too much money when I was on unemployment.

It’s too good to be true.

But Woodlawn isn’t by itself----Bronzeville and Englewood are getting their own farmer’s markets as well.

Because we’re on the south side it wouldn’t surprise me if the markets were sponsored by McDonalds.

I predict that many poorly stocked, high priced corner grocery stores and mini marts will be feeling the pain of reduced business.

I’m very interested in seeing the selection of produce we get in the ‘hood. Since I’m a big fan of the market at Federal Plaza I have a pretty good idea what’s what.

I am beyond thrilled with this---see how the squeaky wheel gets the grease when enough people question the status quo.

South Side stand up.

I’m Down With HPP

That’s Hyde Park Produce.

With six months of unemployment and semi-exhausted financial resources I have to be a tad creative with critical necessities.

Read: Food

With the Co-op closing and Peapod becoming un-affordable, I turned to the semi-new kid on the block, HPP.

HPP just moved to a new space in Kimbark Plaza on 53rd Street. I had gone in previously with friends and was duly impressed.

But be being impressed doesn’t keep money in the bank account.

So when I rolled up to them on Monday, I made sure I brought along my Peapod list and kept the receipt for a fair price comparison.

Behold the tale of the tape:

Peapod

8 oz. Package of Mushrooms $1.99
5 oz. Organic Salad Greens $3.49
5 oz. Organic Spinach $3.99*
1 Green Pepper $ .99
1 Yellow Pepper $2.49
1 Red Pepper $1.99
1 Bunch of Broccoli $1.99
4 Bananas $1.16
1 Bunch of Cauliflower $2.49
20 Head of Garlic $8.00
16 oz. Package of Strawberries $4.99


HPP
8 oz. Package of Mushrooms $1.49
5 oz. Organic Salad Greens $2.99
5 oz. Organic Spinach $2.99
1 Green Pepper $ .33
1 Yellow Pepper $ .69
1 Red Pepper $1.25
1 Bunch of Broccoli $1.10
4 Bananas $ .69
1 Bunch of Cauliflower $1.78
20 Head of Garlic $3.29
16 oz. Package of Strawberries $2.99


Totals Peapod: $33.57
HPP: $19.59

Difference: $13.98

Note: The price for the Peapod spinach is for a 6 oz package and the HPP package was 5 oz. But what’s an ounce between friends?

Obviously this is the subtotal without the ridiculous Cook County Sales tax. Naturally it won’t seem ridiculous if Mr. Stroger has his way and we’re due for another hefty tax hike---again.

Oh I’m sorry, was that out loud?

And yes, I like garlic. It keeps a sister healthy.

Savings and affordable fresh produce? Sign me up for the Christian jubilee.

The Real Cost

While the fate of the Hyde Park Co-Op is still being decided, the fall out from this dustup has a real price.

If the Co-Op is shuttered, their employees will lose their jobs and benefits with no severance package to speak of.

There’s a happy new year for you.

One would think that the former Co-Op employees would be able to apply for positions at the new store. Rumor has it that either a Treasure Island or Dominick’s is coming to the 55th Street space.

Still it’s an uncertain future for a lot of hard working people.

As I’m going on my fourth month of unemployment I completely understand what these good folks may be facing.

It would have been nice if the former leadership of the Co-Op would have based their decisions not only on the health of the store but on it’s impact of the employees.

25 year lease indeed.

The Desert Gets Drier

I found out that the owner of the Stony Island Food Mart at 83rd and Stony recently died and his family closed the store about a month ago.

My condolences to the family on their loss.

It’s bad enough to lose a dedicated small business owner but it really hits home to lose one of the few grocery stores serving the south side.

If memory serves me correctly an independent, black owned business at that.

It makes you wonder what’s next for the shuttered grocery store.

Anyone have any news or information?

Oasis

I’ve hipped you to the deal about the food desert.

I was devastated when Cub Foods closed.

Frankly if it weren’t for Peapod, I would have starved to death by now.

It would appear that my fellow south siders in zip code 60615, 60616, 60637, 60643 & 60653 are in on the secret too.

In an article published in the April 1st Chicago Tribune, Peapod deliveries to those zip codes have dramatically increased since 2002.

I was a huge fan of Peapod when I lived on the north side but when I moved south of Madison Street I became persona non-grata.

That’s when I discovered Cub foods and made the trek to purchase my groceries. I mean if the same person with an established account can’t get the love, I interpret that as my money’s no good.

So I boycotted them for a few years.

Now I’m not sure when Peapod changed their tune but we went back on speaking terms about a year and a half ago.

These days if you don’t place an early order for your grocery delivery, you’re screwed.

As I read the article several things stood out. I liked the fact that the following trend was identified:

“More than half a million Chicagoans live in a food desert, according to a study conducted last year, but a new analysis by the study's author, done at the request of the Tribune, underscores what Peapod users already know: Not everyone in a food desert is poor.”

“Of the 203,369 households in the desert, clustered on the South and West Sides, 31 percent have an annual income of $50,000 or more, study author Mari Gallagher found.”

Well duh.

I'm not rolling in the big dough but I have a few pennies to rub together (sometimes).

Shopping in the 'hood is not only frustrating but in a way highly entertaining.

I'm used to people looking at me like I’m some kind of freak when I ask for the refrigerated pesto?

Morningstarm Farms veggie burgers? Fugetaboutit!

Can a sister get some brie up in this bitch?

Probably not.

You'd think all south siders (read: black people) consume is Yoo-Hoo & Pork Rinds.

Food

Familiarizing herself with her surroundings, Patty Cake went to a few local grocery stores in search of a place to pick up a few items if she ever ran out of something.

She was amazed by the lack of nutritious food.

She saw no bottled water, fresh fruit or vegetables----milk that wasn’t flavored?

Fugetaboutit!

“Woody all of the food is shit. It's high calorie, high fat junk food. There’s nothing in these stores to eat.”

I just looked at her.

What was I supposed to say?

The ‘Cake lives in a food desert.

The nearest “real” grocery store that I could think of is The Jewel at the corner of 76th & Stony Island.

Note: a “real” grocery store is a store with fresh produce, meat and milk. Not one who’s entire shelf space is stocked with flaming hot cheetos, yoo-hoo and hog head cheese.

The Jewel was over 12 blocks west as the crow flies.

Now for Patty Cake that isn’t a big deal as she has a car and can strap Baby Cake in the car seat and go about her business.

For those of us who don’t have a car or a willing chauffeur, public transportation is the only other option.

Let me tell you that keeping your perishables cold while waiting 30 minutes on a bus during a sweltering day can be a bit challenging.

Good luck toting around over $200 worth of food to the crib with sketchy characters mulling around.

But for God’s sake protect the beer at all costs.

Now remember that’s if you can plan a trip to the nearest grocery store and have the wherewithal to drag your groceries home.

At times, some people (read: me) pay for taxicabs or the store may have an in house livery service that ferries patrons back home for a modest fee. Unfortunately due to insurance reasons most of the larger chain stores have done away with this time honored tradition.

So what’s a person to do when they live in a food desert or they’re older with mobility problems or they just live too far away from the nearest grocery store?

They rely on the small local stores that thrive in both my and The ‘Cake’s neighborhood.

In turn their captive patronage is greeted by inadequately stocked, unattractive stores that do little to nurture the neighborhood literally or financially.

Now it’s one thing to charge three times the price for an item and justify it by saying that you can’t purchase at the same rates like the large chain stores, but it’s quite another to take all of your profits out of the community.

You make money off of the hoody hoo but can’t sponsor a Little League Team?

I’m sorry I didn’t mean to go all Marcus Garvey on you kids---I’ll get off my soap box now.

Oft times the unfortunate fact of living in a food desert is that the small independent grocery stores are usually owned by people whose only connection to the communities that they serve is a business license.

Let’s not even get started on the quality of the “food.”

Methinks if The ‘Cake runs out of milk for the baby, it just might be worth the investment in a dairy cow.

At least she’ll know the milk is fresh.

Paradise By The Dashboard Lights and the Big Box---The Reality

From what I’ve been able to surmise Woodlawn has jack shit when it come to retail.

And no, fast food restaurants and chicken places don’t count.

Since there is no grocery store, dry cleaners, hardware store, or Laundromat within walking distance of my house, I spend 99.9% of the money I earn outside of my neighborhood.

Bus ride to Hyde Park to the Co-Op shopping center are pretty much the norm.

Note: That’s a full ten city blocks away from my home.

Quite frankly as a urban dwelling south sider, I’m lucky to have that option.

At least a grocery store, hardware store and drug store are in a tight grouping which allows me to save on time and in most cases money.

I honestly can’t think of anywhere I can do that in Woodlawn proper.

Moreover the existing retail that I’ve had the opportunity to patronize is piss poor.

The few Mom and Pop stores that managed to survive are now run by folks who live outside of the community. That in and of itself isn’t a deal breaker.

What chaps my hide is the fact that people who live outside of the community not only offer substandard goods and services but they in turn barely support the community with charitable efforts.

A for-profit business has no obligation to participate in any type of goodwill, charitable or not. Nonetheless I was always under the impression that creating goodwill often meant creating and keeping new customers.

Now I’m sure what I don’t know about the business community in Woodlawn would fill volumes. But as I’m reminded at work from time to time perception is reality. And from where I stand dusty cans of clinged peaches and rotting cabbage do not a quality store make.

Don’t even get me started on which large Chicagoland grocery store in my neighborhood just started carrying olive oil.

Moo and Oink has olive oil and you mean to tell me this particular grocer can’t get a bottle of basic olive oil on the shelves until 2006?


Bullshit.

One of my neighbors who shops at the store on a regular basis was shocked when she didn’t have to go to another store to find her cooking staple.

So when you combine the lack of commerce, the abundance of need along with faltering competition, our little hood is ripe for a big box retailer.

After all south siders spend money too.

Oh before I forget---Paradise my friend if I didn’t have to take public transportation, trust me I wouldn’t.

The fact that I have to walk everywhere has nothing to do with being concerned about the environment or some high purpose---I simply can’t afford a car.

I’ve had enough shitty CTA service, indifferent train operators and bus drivers while rubbing elbows with shady characters to last a lifetime.

Personally if I could afford a car and driver at my beck and call you bet your boots I’d be hightailing it to Target on 87th Street in a quick hurry.

Paradise By The Dashboard Lights and the Big Box---The Theory

Frequent reader Paradise left a comment about my last post concerning the new Walgreens that opened around the corner from my home.

While his (or her) theory is sound and very well thought out, unfortunately the intent of my post was to illustrate the lack of goods and services in my immediate neighborhood and throughout Woodlawn.

In short P., if a Target or Wal-Mart plopped down in the middle of Stony Island right now, I’d do the happiest of the happy dances.

Normally I don’t shill for the man. Both superstores are well oiled corporations that know how to squeeze a buck out of everything they do.

But Woodlawn, and in my opinion most of the south and west sides of the city, are in an entirely different situation than the north side and most of the suburbs.

I think it’s nice to wax on about the “unsustanibility” of big box retailers and how their car dependent focus affects everything from the “walkability” of a city to the effect on mass transit. The truth of the matter is that affordable quality shopping options are few and far between where I live.

I used to be the biggest Wal-Mart hater you could find. From what I’ve read, they are not the best corporate citizen and they tend to treat their workers poorly.

I railed against the machine until Wal-Marts started plopping down in and near my hometown of South Bend, IN.

I continued to rail as my sister found her way to their doors and started to shop there.

I held my nose aloft until my sister put it in terms I could understand:

“I can’t feed three kids on principle. Unless you’re going to start buying my groceries, shut your cakehole.”

Whomp there it is.

I know P. is right. I’m smart enough to see the forest through the trees but corporate disdain is for those of you who have options. When you have none (or fewer than most) those absolutes aren’t so absolute.

Railing Against The Man

An Open Letter To The Pinheads at Cerberus Capital Management:

You suck.

Now I know that there are levels of business that are way above my fuzzy little head but the eventual gutting and closing of Cub Foods on 87th Street cannot be one of your company’s finest moments.

In fact, rumor has it that all of the Cub Foods in the Chicagoland area will be closed within a year. Would that have anything to do with Cerberus’ involvement in a group to purchase the Jewel supermarket chain? Or has that already happened?

Now forgive me if my conspiracy theory addled brain is working overtime but south siders have very few shopping options.

South siders without cars have even fewer.

Taking away a high quality affordable option for groceries while owning the high cost alternative is like putting the rat in charge of the cheese don’t you think?

Because I’m sure it never entered your mind that when taking away Cub Foods would drive most of your consumers south of Madison Street to Jewel.

It’s not like the prices at Jewel weren’t ridiculous to begin with. I’m sure this significant reduction in competition will lead to those going down---right?

If you jokers think that my brie eating, chardonnay swilling ass is going to knuckle under to this under performing store bullshit you’ve got another thing coming.

I pissed and moaned about going miles away from home to get decent food at a decent price and I put the jinx on all of us.

Jewel may be a place where I can get chittlins AND veggie burgers at the same store but you cats ain’t the only game down here.

While Save-A-Lot and Food 4 Less may not have the selection, they definitely have the deals. I also hear that Ultra Foods is the bomb diggity.

I’m going to go to Cubs for as long as I can or until their stock runs out but don’t think I won’t be shopping at these other places for the best deals until I find my new grocery shopping home.

Don’t also think that I won’t be activating that dormant account at Peapod. They come down to the ‘hood as well.

The most egregious part of this whole thing is that a quality shopping center which are few and far between on the south side is losing an anchor store with nothing slated to fill it’s spot in the near future.

Like we need another unlit boarded up place with an unpatrolled parking lot for the Jenkins Boys to hang.

Bravo, Cerberus---the neighborhood, the whole of the south side and a soon to be former customer thank you for attempting to take the area back economically twenty-five years.

I’ll soon be hitching rides to Trader Joes to buy my Brie and chardonnay there.

So nuts to you.

Warmest Regards,

The Woodlawn Wonder