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How To Eliminate a Food Desert

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In 2005, the last grocery store left in our next guest’s Lowcountry community closed and suddenly she found herself living where a lot of South Carolinians live: in an urban food desert.  But rather than relocate, she accepted the challenge and helped organize a local nonprofit that has not only brought a grocery store back to the community but is creating economic development opportunities through sustainable farming programs and healthier onsite grocery services.  And it’s spreading across the state.

Mike Switzer interviews Germaine Jenkins, co-founder and CEO of Fresh Future Farm in North Charleston, SC.

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After almost 20 years, Mike Switzer retired from Wells Fargo Securities in 2001 as Senior Vice President/Investment Officer and Certified Portfolio Manager. In 1999, he and his wife, Maggie, purchased and operated for eight years the Baskin Robbins ice cream store on Forest Drive in Columbia. They grew the store from a bottom-tier operation in the Baskin Robbins franchise system to one in the top 5% nationwide within three years, tripling sales along the way. While operating the ice cream store, Mike and Maggie received patents for a portable ice cream sink and fold-down sneezeguard they invented and in 2002 started Magnolia Carts, an ice cream cart manufacturing company, which they sold in 2013.