In an area where fresh foods are not readily accessible, the opening of a new supermarket is music to the ears of residents in the East Baltimore community near Broadway and North Avenue.Six years in the planning, this weekend marks the grand opening of the new Apples and Oranges.Owners are positioning the market as one that will not only offer healthier foods but will serve as a resource on how to eat healthier as well. Community leaders hope this will attract other businesses to the city.

State officials are launching a pilot program to encourage food stamp recipients to eat more fruits and vegetables. Starting in June, food stamp customers at select grocery stores in Minnesota will get a $5 coupon for fruits and vegetables. They'll be able to use that coupon during their next visit to the grocery store. Human Services Commissioner Lucinda Jesson expects the incentive will encourage people to try produce they haven't tried before.

In a dismal week for the U.S. economy featuring debt-ceiling drama in Washington and the threat of a double-dip recession on Wall Street, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) delivered some powerhouse statistics demonstrating the public's demand for healthy, organic food: The number of farmers markets in the country increased 17 percent in the last year. "There's a yearning for the 99 percent of Americans who are no longer connected to the farm to reconnect," Kathleen Merrigan, deputy secretary of the USDA, said.

The number of farmers’ markets in the U.S. has nearly doubled since 2004, to more than 7,000, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, throwing a lifeline to struggling family farms. Though only about 2 percent of farm sales in the U.S. are retail, the USDA estimates that consumers spent $1 billion at farmers’ markets last year. While the rising popularity of locally sourced food is contributing to the increase, competition from agribusiness is also spurring small farmers to reserve a spot at the local market.

A group of advocates for healthy living walked to the only grocery store downtown in an effort to bring attention to the food desert in their area. The Tennessee Obesity Task force walked from Legislative Plaza to the H. G. Hills Urban Market on Church Street to illustrate the difficulty that Tennesseans living in food deserts face in buying healthy foods.

Dahl’s Foods introduced snack stations for its youngest customers. For a donation of a quarter, kids can choose a snack from a rotating selection — including items like bananas, raisins, oranges, fruit leather or organic chocolate squares. The chain has long offered Brach’s candy for a quarter per three pieces, but wanted to bring in healthier options for children.

City officials say too many Houstonians don't have access to fresh food in their neighborhoods and they're looking at ways to bring supermarkets into underserved communities. The city says it's an issue of both economic development and public health.

Greensboro is aiming to create a co - op grocery in their area, which is considered a food desert area.  They are hoping that the site will entice other businesses like pharmacies or delis to open within the surrounding area. 

Circle Food Store is set to open in mid to late summer of 2013. New owner Dwayne Boudreau spent years lining up the $8 million needed to repair the damages from the post-Katrina flood.