As rural areas lose grocery stores, some towns have responded by opening cooperative groceries

The interior of Market on the Hill in Mount Pulaski, Illinois (Investigate Midwest photo by Darrell Hoemann)

Rural towns "have lost grocery stores while dollar-store chains have been on the rise, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The departure of food stores leaves residents, especially those in areas with high poverty rates and dwindling population, with fewer options to buy food," Amanda Perez Pintado reports for Investigate Midwest and Report for America. "With the closure of grocery stores, rural populations are forced to drive longer distances to purchase food. This may be a larger issue for low-income residents who are not able to afford transportation to get groceries. In 2015, according to a USDA report, about 5 million people who lived in rural areas had to drive 10 miles or more to reach the nearest food store."

The story explores the trend with a portrait of Mount Pulaski, Illinois. The town of 1,500 lost its last grocery store in 2016, and locals found it so difficult to continue that a local farmer spearheaded the creation of a grocery cooperative. Market on the Hill, which opened in June 2020, has "fresh produce, meat and deli items. Many of the goods in stock are locally sourced," Pintado reports.