Farmington's only grocery store
shutters, leaving thousands without
immediate access to food
KSTP-TV [Minneapolis St. Paul],
by
Kirsten Swanson
Original Article
Posted By: voxpopuli,
12/22/2019 10:43:58 PM
Ahead of the busy holiday shopping weekend, the Family Fresh Market closed its doors at the Farmington, Minnesota, location for the final time Thursday afternoon.
In November, the store's parent company announced it was pulling out of Farmington, a city south of the Twin Cities with a population of more than 21,000 people. It was the only grocery store in town.
As the staple shuttered, community partners rushed to find ways to fill the gap to help thousands of vulnerable residents.
Reply 1 - Posted by:
Northcross 12/22/2019 11:00:27 PM (No. 269510)
These poor people are going to starve. Oh wait. There are at least ten major grocery stores within 3 miles. The fact that one is not within the city limits when Farmington is bounded on all sides with other cities is not a real issue.
36 people like this.
Reply 2 - Posted by:
Vesicant 12/22/2019 11:07:36 PM (No. 269513)
Maybe it was the San Francisco problem (cleanup on aisle 5).
16 people like this.
Reply 3 - Posted by:
Safari Man 12/22/2019 11:22:03 PM (No. 269518)
"Access" means free, no?
16 people like this.
Reply 4 - Posted by:
DVC 12/22/2019 11:45:01 PM (No. 269525)
Fake News, again.
16 people like this.
Reply 5 - Posted by:
wilarrbie 12/22/2019 11:51:02 PM (No. 269528)
Not even a curious question, like, um...so what happened? Maybe we'll have to implement a gov't program where drones deliver, cook and serve the meals, and do the dishes for them after.
16 people like this.
Reply 6 - Posted by:
Trigger2 12/23/2019 12:15:14 AM (No. 269539)
All the city has to do is set up a bus route to the local Targets, Walmarts and other grocery stores all within a ten minute drive from Farmington. I'm sure the city wastes plenty of money elsewhere in their budget.
9 people like this.
Oh no. Maybe MOOoochelle can send the Fresh Bus. I actually saw one parked in the ghetto. Never out in the community.
Should have loved them more.
4 people like this.
Reply 8 - Posted by:
Strike3 12/23/2019 4:01:11 AM (No. 269564)
OP gives us a big part of the back story. It would be very interesting to find out why a store has a near monopoly on so many people yet closes its doors. Seniors hit hardest. Who doesn't have access to a car these days? What state doesn't waste money on paying drivers to drive around in those empty little buses all day long? This Kirsten child wouldn't know a true crisis if it tapped her on the head with a wooden spoon.
11 people like this.
Reply 9 - Posted by:
MainelySane 12/23/2019 5:23:36 AM (No. 269580)
I have a hard time believing that a city / metro area of 21000 had only one grocery store. It makes no sense to me. I guess they need to define "grocery store"....
7 people like this.
Reply 10 - Posted by:
jj1319 12/23/2019 5:44:50 AM (No. 269581)
I know a woman who does ALL of her shopping at the gas station. True story.
5 people like this.
seems to be a lot of data missing from this story. In our little town of 11000 there are 6 major markets, WalMart and various dollar type stores. Plus a Toonerville Trolley bus line that serves the neighborhoods. and we're in the "country". Nearest larger town is 30 miles away.
5 people like this.
Reply 12 - Posted by:
JackBurton 12/23/2019 8:40:38 AM (No. 269708)
There's an Aldi four miles up route 3.
4 people like this.
Reply 13 - Posted by:
earlybird 12/23/2019 8:59:26 AM (No. 269729)
I took a look on the map. This place is considered part of Greater Minneapolis-St. Paul. Not that far from city center by major highway. Near other towns. What is this woman whining about? A chain grocery “pulls out” of a small town. Those who live in Farmington apparently didn’t find it essential enough for them to patronize it and keep it open.
6 people like this.
Reply 14 - Posted by:
ROLFNader 12/23/2019 9:06:26 AM (No. 269735)
Further@ #11's comment- I know a family that has every Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner at 7/11. It's just a tradition that they love for some really strange reason.
1 person likes this.
Reply 15 - Posted by:
earlybird 12/23/2019 9:07:08 AM (No. 269736)
Here’s an article from a more local source. This store was part of a chain. A full-service supermarket with a pharmacy. Read about it and Farmington here.
https://www.hometownsource.com/sun_thisweek/free/farmington-s-only-grocery-store-family-fresh-will-close-dec/article_ef16fb80-0794-11ea-810c-634155f49e45.html
0 people like this.
Reply 16 - Posted by:
DVC 12/23/2019 9:31:46 AM (No. 269776)
The solution is to do NOTHING, let the free market decide 1)if there even is a problem and 2) what might be a good solution.
3 people like this.
Reply 17 - Posted by:
Submariner 12/23/2019 10:07:21 AM (No. 269828)
Americans:
1. Cured Polio
2. Lifted millions out of poverty
3. Invented the telephone (OK, a transplanted Scotsman)
4. Invented the airplane
5. Invented the computer and internet
6. Invented the transistor and semiconductor
7. Cannot drive 3 miles to buy groceries.
4 people like this.
Reply 18 - Posted by:
Chuzzles 12/23/2019 10:13:04 AM (No. 269837)
Much ignorance on display today. Target's products are way over priced and much of it is subject to recall on any given day. Walmart isn't too bad, but they are in the same predicament. This store could have closed after the holiday, and it would have been better for their public image as well. We nearly had the same problem pop up with the Safeway store chain years ago. They have a location that is rather small, doesn't produce much revenue, but as the case was made, it serves many in the neighborhood who would otherwise be without store access.
0 people like this.
Reply 19 - Posted by:
Pegmo 12/23/2019 10:15:11 AM (No. 269840)
Oh baloney. I see many others already commented on the false nature of this story. There are so many food outlets in this area that no one is without options. I know that the Hyvee chain recently announced another one of it's super stores coming to Farmington. Sounds like they couldn't hack the competition. Go free market. Down with fake news.
4 people like this.
Reply 20 - Posted by:
Krause 12/23/2019 10:52:58 AM (No. 269884)
Did she blame it on Trump?
0 people like this.
Reply 21 - Posted by:
jacksin5 12/23/2019 11:05:51 AM (No. 269892)
Think back, how many grocery chains have come and gone in your lifetime? Might as well lament that newspapers don't print 3 editions a day.
2 people like this.
Reply 22 - Posted by:
msjena 12/23/2019 11:21:26 AM (No. 269903)
The store closed because everyone was doing their grocery shopping at Walmart. And still will!
2 people like this.
Reply 23 - Posted by:
Faithfully 12/23/2019 4:38:19 PM (No. 270064)
11, Would that be Honey Boo-Boo's mama?
0 people like this.
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Comments:
yellow journalism at its best.. girl reporter fails to not that there are Targets, Walmarts and other grocery stores all within a ten minute drive of this SUBURB of Minneapolis.. THOSE stores are probably where all the Farmington people shop, instead of the local grocery.. girl reporters.. what DON'T they know..