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The Daily Utah Chronicle

The University of Utah's Independent Student Voice

The Daily Utah Chronicle

The University of Utah's Independent Student Voice

The Daily Utah Chronicle

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Want your voice to be heard? Submit a letter to the editor, send us an op-ed pitch or check out our open positions for the chance to be published by the Daily Utah Chronicle.
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13th Market Street Waters the “Food Desert” on Campus

(Photo by Dane Goodwin)
(Photo by Dane Goodwin)

 

The 13th Street Market, which sits just one block below President’s Circle, offers U students a 10 percent discount on groceries to encourage sustainable, local shopping near campus.

RELATED: U KEEPS FOOD BANK TRADITION ALIVE

But the owner Jenny Zemp said food isn’t the only benefit.

“The market should increase foot traffic through the area, decreasing environmental impact, bolstering the local economy and promoting strong community interactions,” Zemp said.

According to the United States Department of Agriculture, the university neighborhood, which stretches from 1300 East to Fort Douglas, is a food desert. There are convenience stores and restaurants, but residents aren’t within walking distance of stores with affordable, healthy groceries.

Tyler Nelson, a senior in mathematics, and Jack Lawless, a senior in finance, both live near campus and have cars. They see the appeal of the market, but said they probably won’t shop there.

“It’s cool if you live in the area, if you don’t have a car,” Lawless said.

Nikol Yonemura, an undecided freshman, said even with a car, getting groceries to the dorms is difficult.

“Even if you have a car, it’s still annoying because you need an A pass to park [nearby],” Yonemura said.

Janie Saviers-Steiger, a freshman in biomedical engineering, lives in the dorms and doesn’t have a car. Saviers-Steiger is excited about a sustainable market nearby, but says it doesn’t address all of her grocery shopping needs.

“If it’s more expensive even with the discount, it might not be worth it,” Saviers-Steiger said. “It’d be great if they had some sort of store in the heart of the dorms.”

To address these concerns, the 13th Street Market offers a grocery delivery service to students.

“Our weekly delivery service is still running, and it’s a great option for those living on the other side of campus,” Zemp said. “We are moving to a next-day or possibly even a same-day grocery service very soon.”

Students can sign up and learn more by going to startthemarket.com.

[email protected]


@SeymourSkimmer

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