I first heard about Chicago Market wanting to open up in Uptown Chicago, which immediately got my attention. After a little more research, I found out that this would be a Coop--meaning community based. I'll come back to this.

After 10 years of working for a grocery chain, I discovered what my passion is--that is learning about cultures and serving people. Food tends to be a key in opening up one another to the similarities and differences that we have culturally. When we sit down at a table, historically, food and drink have been a sort of natural way to bond and put one another at ease (think of business meets, parties, family functions).

In recent decades, the quality of food and the access to food has deteriorated considerably. The way in which we eat, as a society, has likewise changed to adjust to the fast-pace convenience we look for to complement the lifestyle in which we now live. The topic of healthy eating has since resurfaced as we adjust to this new way of life, but the availability of it is not quite as evenly distributed and affordable.

This shift in our food pattern has led us in some cases to overlook some people. Hence the reason I support Chicago Market and its community-based approached. It's important to have a voice that represents the varying members of society. It's also important that we address the level of affordability of certain "local" and "healthy" foods. If the Chicago Market is positioned in Uptown, there will be pressure to be a unique, culturally-diverse food supplier to the Chicago community; faced with a slight pressure to find a happy medium on pricing to the community.