Student Showcase: Amy Yates

For my exit requirement, I am interning with the SIUE Successful Communities Collaborative (SSCC) in partnership with the Goshen Market Foundation. Many people in the Edwardsville area know the Goshen Market as the Saturday Farmers' Market held downtown, but the Foundation is much more than that. It also operates the Beet Box, a mobile farmers' market that delivers locally grown produce to low-income communities throughout the county. Board President Jessica DeSpain, PhD, and the rest of the Board of Tomatoes would like to expand the Foundation’s reach into St. Clair County.

That’s where my research comes in. I have been working to identify where all retail food establishments are in both Madison and St. Clair Counties. I have also identified what type of establishment they are, such as a large chain grocery store or a produce stand. I compared this information to the USDA food access map to determine where federally identified food deserts are located. The combination of these data gives us a real-world picture of access needs that people have allowing the Foundation to better assist those in need.

In addition to identifying where access needs are, the data also provide information to the Foundation on locations of additional area growers. The Foundation is mindfully working toward being more representative in all aspects of the organization, including those that collaborate with the Beet Box. Its goal is to develop mutually beneficial relationships such that Beet Box clients are served and local growers are supported. 

My research has also been very personally fulfilling. Food access is an issue that has always been near and dear to my heart and something I have witnessed and experienced myself at times. The real-life application of the project and my research make it that much more interesting and important for me.

Amy Yates
Second Year MA Student