Bennington Vt. community getting food co-op - NEWS10 ABC: Albany, New York News, Weather, Sports

Bennington Vt. community getting food co-op

BENNINGTON, Vt. (AP) - The community of Bennington, Vt., is getting a downtown food cooperative this fall.

The Bennington area is one of the few places in the state that doesn't have such a market.

The Bennington Banner reports the market recently became incorporated as a nonprofit cooperative with the state. Officials have been working with existing cooperatives around the state, including the Brattleboro Food Co-op, to help develop it.

Kelly McElheny is a food and natural resources educator who is on the board of directors for the project. She said the Bennington area has been designated a "food desert" by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. That means it's difficult for many people to obtain healthy, affordable food - yet there are many farms and producers in the area.

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