Austin Harvest produce market opens on West Side, run by students and operating in a food desert

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Minutes before the grand opening of Austin Harvest, a new produce market, the youth-led staff took great care to make sure the fruits and vegetables look their best. Their pride and excitement is evident as the students are determined to fill a need on the West Side, widely recognized as being a food desert.

"Currently in Austin, we only have two grocery stores in a 10-mile radius, and that's not cool for a community as large as Austin," said Keith Tankson, Austin Harvest.

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Students with the By the Hand Club created Austin Harvest during the pandemic. It was originally planned a single season pop-up open air market. But overwhelming support for the community prompted the students to network and fundraise for a permanent structure which will be operated year-round.

Rodney Williams, the director of entrepreneurship at the By the Hand Club, said everyone wins when students are taught to be resourceful.

"We shouldn't be calling this place a food desert in 10 years because we're raising entrepreneurs who should be able to start their own business and hopefully plant their own businesses in the same community," he said.

Austin Harvest features 2,200 square feet of space, state of the art refrigeration, and a hand-painted mural covering one of the walls. It's open Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, with students responsible for planning, staffing and inventory management.

The produce comes from Jewel-Osco, which also gives students lessons on how to run a business.

"How to keep produce. How to display it. How to stock it. How to set it up," said Jennifer Gresham of Jewel-Osco.

All revenue generated at Austin Harvest is invested back into its operations and student stipends.