A food desert is not just a place where the grocery store is far away. It is a place where getting there — without a car, with children, after a long shift — is its own barrier. A store four miles away is a store many people cannot reliably reach.
Local spokes — production sites placed within 2–5 miles of the communities they serve — bring growing and distribution into walking distance or a short transit ride. The regional hub, operating across a 20–75 mile radius, supplies volume, processing capacity, and distribution for a wider region. Together they form a food system that meets people where they live.
This is the practical logic behind why local food access has to be designed, not merely hoped for.