BING D. TURNER, MPH
Bernice's Community Market and Heritage Farmers Market
Bernice's Community Market is nearing completion but they still need people to contribute to their capital campaign to get their doors open.
To contribute please visit their GOFUNDME
It was such an honor to speak with Bing D. Turner, MPH on the first episode of the second season of the Urban Exodus podcast!
Food justice is at the core of Bing D. Turner, MPH, and his wife Myisha Turner’s, entrepreneurial efforts. After a long career in public health, it was impossible to ignore the gross inequities when it came to having access to fresh, healthy food in underserved communities all over the United States. In 2009, the couple established Heritage Farmers Markets, a non-profit that hosts weekly markets in different communities in Southern California to help provide greater access to fresh, local produce direct from farmers.
Heritage Farmers Markets
After visiting Myisha’s mother in Cotton Valley, Louisiana, the couple realized that the nearest grocery story was a 40-mile roundtrip away. This motivated them to spring to action and build their first grocery store. Before they got started they first did a focus group to make sure what they envisioned for Cotton Valley was inline with what the community wanted and needed. It has been an uphill climb but the Turners will soon open Bernice’s Community Market, their first community-focused grocery in Cotton Valley. They hope to open this June!
This market they want to use as a template for future expansion and bring more community-focused grocery stores to underserved communities all over the country so that all people have access to fresh, healthy food without having to leave their community to get it.
Bernice's Community Market
Follow Bernice's Community Market and Heritage Farmers Market on Instagram.