New Community Marketplace Battles Food Insecurity

A new organic produce market has begun providing the residents of South St. Petersburg with organic produce in an effort to alleviate the impact of living in a food desert.

Since Walmart Neighborhood Market in the Tangerine Plaza closed over four years ago, south St. Pete has been plagued with food insecurity and a large food desert. Many residents have been forced to travel miles using bus lines and ride sharing apps to access fresh fruits and vegetables.

When the Coronavirus emerged, food insecurity in the Tampa Bay area doubled. Feeding Tampa Bay, an organization that provides food deliveries to insecure families, increased their weekly deliveries from 1 million to 2 million meals.

“Everyone who lives here knows that this is basically a food desert,” said Nikkol Patton. “I personally live in this area and I’ve searched for fresh vegetables.”

Patton, 53, a South St. Pete resident and former police officer, realized during the COVID pandemic that residents desperately needed a place to find healthy foods. That is when she decided to open the South St. Pete Marketplace, a non-profit, full service farmer’s market, in the parking lot of the Historic Manhattan Casino on 22nd Street South.

“I think it’s great that our community is starting to band together and work to solve these issues. It’s about time we did something proactive instead of just waiting,” said Allona Haynes, a local St. Pete resident.

The South St. Pete Marketplace came to fruition in November of 2020 with a variety of vendors, live music and food trucks. Life Farms, a local farm from Clearwater, provided some of the organic produce found there.

The market runs every Tuesday from 4 to 8 p.m. year round. Goods can be purchased with cash, card and even with SNAP-EBT benefits.