Chicago is soon to get a lot more fresh food options for its locals.  With both Get Fresh Produce and Forty Acres Fresh Market making their presence in the region, Chicagoans are now almost spoilt for fresh produce choice.

Get Fresh Produce has recently been added by IF&P Food distributor in Chicago.  According to President and COO of Indianapolis Fruit, Greg Corsaro, this is just the start and over the  next few years the firm intends to implement a “pretty aggressive growth plan that includes bringing on additional companies.”

IF&P is one of Midwest’s largest food distributors and has been in business since 1997 with a staff count of 750 mainly local-based employees.  Get Fresh has approximately 375 employees and has facilities in Bartlett, Chicago and Whitestown, Indiana.

When Liz Abunaw moved to Chicago seven years ago she noticed a gap in the market, in particular in Austin.  She found that the area was severely lacking in fresh, locally-produced fruit and vegetables.  But she really liked the area, referring to it as “the most unique, vibrant, weird, but completely awesome [section of Chicago. Her] ultimate vision is a convenient place where people can walk to in their neighborhood for those fill-in trips between the big pantry loads – as well as maybe some prepared foods.”

Given all these factors, Abunaw decided to create a local food market, but with a specific goal of serving the predominantly black population. And so Forty Acres Fresh Market was born, in reference to “the promise of reparations for freed slaves after the Civil War.”  Located on 5051 W Chicago Avenue, the pop-up store is open the second weekend of every month (Friday, Saturday and Sunday).