SHEBOYGAN - Imagine if Sheboygan had produce stands at bus stops, or if people bought more of their produce from local farmers than grocery stores. Imagine if people used more space in their own yards to grow vegetables, rather than grass.
If those ideas became reality, maybe food access wouldn't be the problem it is for downtown residents like Betty Klub, who pays a neighbor $10 for rides to the store, or Stacey Childs, who said she gained 100 pounds because she can't find nutritious food she can afford within walking distance.
Grocery stores have become scarce in downtown Sheboygan. There are no full-service stores within a mile's walk of downtown, where many of the city's elderly and people without vehicles live. Some would even consider it a food desert. But without buy-in from large grocers, city leaders say, Sheboygan will need to get creative to improve food access for its residents.