Living in a big city definitely has its drawbacks—pollution, noise, extra heat in the summer—but one thing I am thankful for is my options, especially when it comes to grocery stores. I can easily get to Sprouts, Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods or Sunflower markets. I have ethnic grocery stores to choose from, and can visit mom-and-pop natural markets. Then, there are the supermarkets of Fry’s, Albertstons, Safeway, and Bashes’ to name a few. Even Wal-marts and Targets have groceries in Phoenix.

So, it’s easy for me to overlook the small towns, affected by the economic recession, that are increasingly losing grocery stores.

An article in the Associated Press last week by Betsy Blaney, tells the sad story of Turkey, Texas where Craig Chancellor was forced to close the Turkey General Store, leaving the town without a grocery store. The article noted this story is not unique as many rural town stores face competition from larger supermarkets in nearby cities and dwindling budgets. Smaller grocery stores may also find it difficult to find distributors who will fill small orders in out-of-the-way places.

Shutting of grocery stores can lead to population declines, the article said, because most people don’t want to move to a place without access to food. The article said the elderly and disabled small-town residence are greatly affected by these closings because they are less mobile, and may find it difficult to travel to a nearby city’s supercenter.

This is how “food deserts” start, which now account for 13 percent of the nation's more than 3,100 counties, according to a 2007 study. However, the article noted the federal government is trying to battle this problem with the Healthy Food Financing Initiative, which proposes spending 400 million a year to bring grocery stores and other healthy food retailers to underserved urban and rural communities.

The article citied three towns described as food deserts —Cody, NE; Bement, IL; and Ohatchee, AL—that have received federal grants to open grocery stores. As an uplifting conclusion, the article noted Chancellor in Turkey said he might apply for a grant to reopen his store.

As sad as these stories are, they must be told. If your store is in a rural area and you face these challenges, I encourage you to let your shoppers know about the difficulties and implore them to continue to shop locally. Thank them and let them know you appreciate their business. If you must close, please know federal grants are available to help you reopen so you can help ensure all have access to healthy food.