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CDC's fresh take on fruits, vegetables garners national, local attention

DETROIT — It may be a humble little store that sells fresh produce in Detroit’s Northend neighborhood, but that didn’t stop Peaches & Greens from becoming the center of attention for national and local media, and state and city leadership this summer.

Governor Jennifer Granholm shares a laugh with Kim Trent,director of the governor's Southeast Michigan office, while Central Detroit Christian Community executive director Lisa Johanon addresses the crowd during a recent news conference.

The 1-year-old operation that makes fresh vegetables and fruit available in an area in which transportation and supermarkets are in short supply was, suddenly and surprisingly, big news. During August, major daily newspapers and TV networks based in Washington D.C., New York and other urban areas were featuring stories about the Peaches & Greens approach.

Locally, Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm and Detroit Mayor Dave Bing were seen boarding the Peaches & Greens produce truck for a ceremonial ride along its delivery route after introducing a state pilot program in the store’s small parking lot at 3rd and Hazelwood. That new project, MI Neighborhood Food Movers, will help expand the Peaches & Greens model to two other areas of Detroit, providing easier access to fresh fruit and vegetables to more than 130,000 residents.

By September, the intense spotlight had faded. Although it was welcome while it lasted, the challenge now is to harvest that goodwill and incorporate it into a sustainable plan for distribution of fresh, nutritional foods throughout the year.

“I hope the larger issue of access to healthy produce is one that will continue to receive notoriety. When you have kids who think that fruit comes from a can, that’s a problem. When we have kids who aren’t going to school with proper nutrition, how can they learn? The drum has got to be beaten a lot louder, and hopefully this is just the start and not the end of it,” said Lisa Johanon, executive director for the Central Detroit Christian Community Development Corporation (CDC), which administers the Peaches & Greens program.

Johanon describes the mission as one of access, education and advocacy. The produce truck and year-round operation of the Peaches & Greens store are making fresh, affordable produce accessible in a neighborhood in which many seniors and families with young children lack adequate transportation.

It can be an uphill battle to get a child to choose an apple over a candy bar, and that’s one reason that education plays an important role. It’s evident everywhere you look in the store and in the operation of the CDC’s two community gardens. You can’t buy a cucumber, a mango or anything else at Peaches & Greens without noticing displayed information on how it will benefit you. In the back, teens teach others how to cook simple recipes from the fresh produce available in the store. But, as Johanon says, the lessons in the garden are especially rewarding.

“We had kids gardening all summer, ranging in age from 8 to 18, and they had a blast,” she said, adding that the efforts of the young people are at the heart of advocacy initiatives. “The teens have done all the work, they’ve done all the invoicing, they approach the liquor stores, they set up the produce, and they collect the money. So it’s been very empowering for them.”

With the summer schedule of route deliveries by the Peaches & Greens produce truck not yet a viable option in cold-weather months, the organization is working to convince owners of the 23 liquor stores in the target area, a five-mile radius that extends from the New Center area to Highland Park, to make fresh fruits and vegetables available for sale.

“Fifty percent of the people in this neighborhood don’t have transportation. How are they going to get to the supermarket? The liquor stores are the first and closest places to go,” said Jerry Jackson, marketing director for Peaches & Greens. “People are surprised to find fresh produce in the liquor store, but every week they’re buying more and more.”

Liquor store owners can benefit through increased sales and compliance with the state’s food assistance program.

“We’re in the process of getting approved by WIC, so people will be able to come with their
WIC coupons,” said Johanon. The State of Michigan has strongly recommended that liquor stores carry fresh produce, but she believes that it needs to become a requirement.

There’s no shortage of other ideas for giving Peaches & Greens a strong presence in the community when the produce truck routes are curtailed in the winter.

“We’re going to see if we can do some kind of a modified route. We’re also identifying senior centers and helping to build a trusting relationship so the seniors will know the truck will be there and fresh produce will be readily available to them,” said Johanon. Places of worship, health fairs and consistent promotion of the all-season store are other venues and methods of distribution being explored.

Many things seem possible when gardens are overflowing and the produce truck is winding through neighborhoods and being welcomed by residents on each block. The humble little store, as Johanon described it, has come a long way in a short time, making strides with support from The Skillman Foundation, the Helen Kay Foundation, the Trinity Evangelical Presbyterian Church in Plymouth and other funders. Now, after capturing the attention of state and local officials and the media this summer, Peaches & Greens puts its focus on keeping a good thing growing in every season.

“If it doesn’t become a sustainable model, it’s gone,” said Johanon. “We can’t let that happen. We’ve got to do this right, and have good business sense. You struggle with being capitalized enough to have this food available, to get to the point where we bring in enough revenue so we don’t run out.”

Families and seniors in Detroit’s Northend Neighborhood have shown that there is a demand for affordable fresh produce. With continued teamwork and fresh ideas for supply and distribution of fruit and vegetables, Peaches & Greens aims to permanently fill a void and promote a healthier community.

More information about Peaches & Greens is available by visiting the store, 8838 Third Avenue (at Hazelwood), or by calling 313.870.9210.

— By John O’Donnell

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