Macon Magazine

APRIL/MAY 2022 | maconmagazine.com 127 COMBATING FOOD DESERTS Lacey Resch ran Macon's Mulberry Market, which operates from 3-6 p.m. Wednesdays, for almost 10 years and took Daley up on an early offer of help and advice. Daley worked closely with her and the market for several years and served as its manager briefly when Resch took on other duties with its operator, Community Health Works. "Jodi is the real deal and helped the market a whole lot," Resch said. "She shared our desire to see wholesome food made available economically to those most needing it." One method included the Georgia Fresh for Less program whereby those receiving SNAP/EBT dollars could get twice their money's worth of healthy produce. $10 would gain them an addition $10 more in healthful "free" produce. "Technically, much of Georgia outside Metro-Atlanta is considered a food desert," Resch said. Daley said food deserts essentially have to do with nourishing foods not being readily available in neighborhoods, typically poorer neighborhoods. She said the availability of truly healthful food is critical for the wellbeing of any community or individual. "That's one of the reasons Jodi worked so hard to find new farmers and bring good products to the markets," Resch said. "And frankly, it can be hard to do with so few actual small farms in our area. Macon and Warner Robins were the first to become partner markets to leverage and promote our markets and get low-income programs." Resch said she and Daley always saw the markets as business incubators and that when Daley points to businesses launched from them, it's not out of personal pride but pride in what others accomplish. "I guess what's driven me professionally is the challenge and learning aspect of it all," Daley said. "The markets and now the restaurant bring new challenges every day, especially after COVID, and the need to learn something new only grows. And it makes me happy to see others happy, to see people get good food and small-business people succeed." C O M M U N I T Y F O U N D A T I O N of Central Georgia HONORING HISTORY through the Historic Linwood Cemetery Endowment Fund By partnering with CFCG, the Macon Cemetery Preservation Corporation established an endowed charitable fund to accept donations to support preservation efforts at Linwood Cemetery, the resting place for many of middle Georgia's most prominent African-American citizens. Your gift to the Historic Linwood Cemetery Endowment Fund ensures the cemetery can be preserved and that this important piece of the city's history is shared forever. DONATE TODAY: 577 Mulberry St., Ste. 1600 Macon, GA 31201 cfcga.org | 478-750-9338 'THE MARKETS AND NOW THE RESTAURANT BRING NEW CHALLENGES EVERY DAY, ESPECIALLY AFTER COVID, AND THE NEED TO LEARN SOMETHING NEW ONLY GROWS. AND IT MAKES ME HAPPY TO SEE OTHERS HAPPY, TO SEE PEOPLE GET GOOD FOOD AND SMALL-BUSINESS PEOPLE SUCCEED.' — JODI DALEY

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