Food America: More bang for your buck?
July 29, 2010
Location: St. Paul, Minnesota
Located directly on a bank of the Mississippi River, downtown Saint Paul maintains the Minnesota outdoorsy spirit. In the land of 10,000 lakes, the capital city has its share of them, as well as many public beaches and parks, with great walking and biking paths.
Among other things, the city is known for its skyway system, a five-mile enclosed pathway covering over twenty-five city blocks, which allows people to remain indoors while traveling from building to building – a big plus during Minnesota winters. As a native of the area, Saint Paul to me is walking around the Capital dome taking pictures for an art project, heading to the Xcel Energy Center for a Minnesota Wild hockey game, or the place to go to try a recommended restaurant.
At this urban area grocery store, the cost of a gallon of milk increases as the fat content increases. Skim is the least expensive at $3.59, 1% is $3.69, 2% is $3.79 and whole is $3.89. I am not aware of why this is. Perhaps the store is providing an incentive for customers to purchase healthier options, or taking advantage of consumer preferences. Maybe these numbers are reflective of production costs? I would definitely be interested to find out! Across the board prices at this location are just slightly above average.
The people of St. Paul are served by the Second Harvest Heartland food bank. Second Harvest Heartland is the Upper Midwest’s largest hunger-relief organization, helping to feed 77 percent of the hungry in 59 counties throughout Minnesota and Western Wisconsin.
Food America is an ongoing series that illustrates the different costs of food low-income people face from coast to coast. We’ll feature pictures of the price of common food items across the country at convenience, grocery and wholesale stores, everywhere from urban to suburban to rural areas. Want to show us how much food costs in your neighborhood? Snap a picture and send it to us at blog@feedingamerica.org.
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