Blink and you’ll miss it. That’s a common phrase you’ll hear from residents of Whittier, Iowa. The unincorporated town, 13 miles northeast of Cedar Rapids, only has one stop sign but the new owners of Whittier Market are hoping to put the community on the map. Teresa Williams and Keith Lacy bought the Whittier Market, […]
Blink and you’ll miss it.That’s a common phrase you’ll hear from residents of Whittier, Iowa. The unincorporated town, 13 miles northeast of Cedar Rapids, only has one stop sign but the new owners of Whittier Market are hoping to put the community on the map.Teresa Williams and Keith Lacy bought the Whittier Market, located at the intersection of County Home and Whittier roads, from Knight Farms in September 2023 and plan on making it a destination.“We were looking for something to do that would occupy us and keep us busy a little longer, and this just kind of fell in our lap,” said Mr. Lacy.Gary and Kathy Knight bought the market – a former storage unit for postcards – in December 2009 to have an outlet for their farm produce, a boon for a community located eight miles from the nearest grocery store. Besides their famous sweet corn, the Knights sold asparagus, zucchini, cucumbers, tomatoes and watermelons. If you came in early enough, Ms. Knight had fresh, homemade cinnamon rolls waiting on the counter.“It's nice having the store here,” said Tony Evens, resident of Whittier, in a comment on the Fans of Whittier Iowa Facebook page. “They have just enough things that make it possible for me not to drive to other towns to get what I need.”
Food deserts
Many Iowans are accustomed to the commute from rural areas to grocery stores in nearby towns, but with the inflation taken into account, these commutes begin to add up – and if a resident doesn’t have access to transportation, access to food becomes a major obstacle.Food desertsare areas without access to fresh, healthy and affordable food.According to the USDA, access to a grocery store or supermarket is considered low when the nearest store is more than one mile away from an urban location or more than 10 miles from a rural location. Whittier doesn’t quite meet the criteria for a food desert, but it comes close. The nearest grocery store is eight miles away.In 2019, approximately 27.5% of the Linn County residents were considered to have low access to a grocery store or supermarket, a situation that can lead to diets with less healthy food – such as fresh fruits and vegetables – which leads to conditions like diabetes. Iowa has a 9% diabetic rate.“When communities don't have access to nutrient-dense produce and nutritious food, we have a tendency to see those diabetes levels rise fairly dramatically,” said Emmaly Renshaw, executive director of Feed Iowa First.Linn County has 324,507 acres in agriculture production, with only 312 acres in production for vegetables and fruits. It’s an ironic situation for a primarily agricultural state.“We have a tendency to eat a lot of processed food,” said Ms. Renshaw.Iowa imports much of its produce, most of which are picked prematurely and spend a week in transit, resulting in a short shelf life. “We have so much food waste in our system because things traveled so far,” said Ms. Renshaw, “that's one of the benefits of buying locally, especially if you're a restaurant or a store. You just have a longer shelf life, because it's been harvested within – typically – a couple of days before you get it.”
Future plans
In addition to selling fresh produce, the Whittier Market has also played a role in representing local agribusinesses. The market sells cuts of meat from Edgewood Locker, Edgewood; Tiny but Mighty popcorn from Shellsburg; O’Brien’s Own Gourmet Granola from Center Point; Clear Creek Orchard jams from Collins; Deja Vine wine from Springville; and, local to the Midwest, cheese curds and chocolate milk from Homestead Dairy in Waukon, Wisconsin.Ms. Williams and Mr. Lacy plan on keeping most of the current offerings at the market, with the addition of honey from Kalona, Verona Street coffee from Dubuque and on-site baked cinnamon rolls and pizza.The business partners previously owned the Godfather’s Pizza locations in northeast and southwest Cedar Rapids, and sold the locations in 2022. After nearly 20 years in the business, Ms. Williams and Mr. Lacy wanted to tackle something different, a project that would keep them occupied without the stress of a franchise. The Whittier Market seemed like the perfect fit.“We just want to have fun with it,” said Mr. Lacy. “We've done our hard work all our lives.“We got it with the intent of expanding it, putting more local stuff in. We're trying to focus on U.S.-made stuff, local stuff, Iowa made. We're trying to make it a little more gift shop, a little more food, and then a lot more fun.”While the partners aim to appeal to the general public, they are hoping to draw in the muscle and antique car crowd, a group that likes to cruise on the weekends and make pit stops along their route. With some strategic advertising, Mr. Lacy and Ms. Williams hope to make Whittier Market a pit stop on the loop from Cedar Rapids to Stone City.“Our goal for the market is to make it a destination,” said Ms. Williams. The market will sell items typically found in a gift shop – keychains, t-shirts, bumper stickers and coffee mugs, with products emphasizing the Whittier community and the car crowd. Future plans are to sell camping equipment and have a smoker for brisket and pork.
Feedback
Current and former residents of Whittier are glad the market plans to stay open.“I used to live near Whittier, so (I) come back intermittently throughout the year and always stock up on Clear Creek Orchard jams – especially Marion Blackberry and Triple Berry,” said Alice Hampton, on the Fans of Whittier Iowa Facebook page. “(I) often get fresh produce, and some meats (like) bacon. Absolutely love supporting the place!”Ms. Williams and Mr. Lacy said they have met several current customers already. They said they appreciate the strong community connections.“This is why we're looking forward to Whittier, because it seems like everybody knows each other,” said Mr. Lacy.
