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From Food Desert To Well-Fed
In the small Delta town of Altheimer, Well Fed has been working alongside the Altheimer Foundation for the past three years to create a new kind of solution to food deserts.
Acting as a food aggregator—a grocery delivery platform that connects local grocery stores and farms with customers—Well Fed brings healthy, affordable food directly to residents who otherwise lack nearby grocery options.
Each month, participating families receive around 40 pounds of fruits, vegetables, proteins, and shelf-stable goods sourced from small, minority-owned businesses like K-Hall & Sons Produce.
"We can’t get fruits and vegetables sometimes because they sell out at the beginning of the day so you have to go to the grocery store early. This program helps us get the fruits and veggies that would otherwise be hard to get."
This innovative program unfolds in three phases designed to build empowerment and sustainability.
In the first phase, groceries are provided free of charge; in the second, participants make a small investment; and in the third, they invest in a membership to the local mobile grocery market with considerably discounted produce through our wholesale purchasing model.
Throughout every stage, the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension offers nutrition and cooking education to help families learn how to prepare healthy meals with confidence.
The results speak for themselves:
- 93% of participants report increased confidence in eating healthy
- 90% say the program improved the quality of food they cook with
- 80% say they’ll continue to need this support to maintain a healthy diet.
It’s a wonderful program because it helps bring food to people that don’t have a way to get to Pine Bluff and brings food to [Altheimer]. I’m a diabetic so this program helps me get the nutritional food I need.
Programs like this demonstrate what’s possible when local collaboration meets innovative design. If you’re part of a community-based organization interested in starting a program like this in your small town, contact Well Fed to learn how we can help bring healthy, sustainable grocery access to your community.