Local vendors will sell healthy, affordable food in Wilmington’s Northside community, which has been a food desert for 35+ years

WILMINGTON, N.C., AUGUST 14, 2021 – The Northside Food Cooperative, a community-owned grocery store business planned for downtown Wilmington and organized to ensure food security, grow community through food, and create a self-sustaining business model that will enhance the local economy, will host the grand opening of Frankie’s Outdoor Market on Saturday, August 21st, from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Located in the recently renovated lot at 1019 Princess Street, vendors at the market will sell local meat and produce in an area the USDA has classified as a food desert for over 35 years.

“Our staff, volunteers, interns and vendors have been working hard to bring Frankie’s Outdoor Market to life,” said Cierra Washington, Strategic Outreach and Partnership Coordinator of the Northside Food Cooperative. “We are excited to see where this journey takes us in bringing healthy and affordable food to the Northside community.” 

The new weekly market is part of the Cooperative’s strategic effort to generate a consistent presence in the Northside, increase awareness of and gain community buy-in for the project, and immediately begin addressing food access and security. It also serves as a signal to the community that the Cooperative is serious about providing fresh food and economic opportunity to its neighbors. 

Local vendors will include Freedom Dreams Farm, Master Blend Family Farms, and Willowdale Urban Farm, among others. The Market has already received generous support from the community, including a grant from Novant Health over 420 community-owners. These ownerships are available to North Carolina residents at a one-time cost of $100, and a limited number of $10 ownerships are available to residents that live within a 2-mile radius of the trade area around 10th and Princess Street. In addition to supporting the creation of a grocery store on the Northside, owners have a voice in future and development of the co-op, and will eventually enjoy discounts, deals, and a share in the grocery store’s profits. 

As the Cooperative works toward fulfilling their mission of a grocery store, they are excited for the opportunity to offer the Northside community access to healthy, affordable food through Frankie’s Outdoor Market in the meantime. 

“Change doesn’t happen overnight, but we’re committed to the Northside for the long-haul,” said Evan Folds, Project Manager of the Northside Food Cooperative. “We hope Frankie’s Outdoor Market gives the residents of this community and a chance to get to know us and vice-versa, so we can support one another and create a stronger community together.”  

About the Northside Food Cooperative 

 The Northside Food Cooperative is a community-owned cooperative grocery store planned for the Northside of downtown Wilmington that will ensure food security and end the food desert, generate resilience in our neighborhoods, and create a self-sustaining business model that will enhance the local economy through equity and ownership. For more information, visit https://northsidefoodcoop.com or email [email protected].