PETERSBURG, Va. (WRIC) -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture has called Petersburg a food desert, but plans are in motion to bring locally grown produce to shelves, a big step for the city. The owner of Montpelier Farm 1750 in Surrey is in the process of constructing Field to Fork Provisions on Gro ve Avenue in Old Towne Petersburg. The future retail store, event space and kitchen combination will be stocked with fresh produce from the farm and other local suppliers. Owner Leigh Ann Bacevich has been selling those products for years at the nearby farmer's market and decided to establish a permanent location in the heart of the city. "I think that having us move into Petersburg, bring a steady local food source and a community space," Bacevich said. "Is really tying the past to the present." The future shelves of Field to Fork Provisions will be stocked with local dairy, fresh-baked bread from Magnolia Bread Co., farm-raised turkeys and lambs, wine, herbs, fruit and much more. "Fresh vegetables directly from the farm, into Petersburg," Bacevich said. "Will stock the shop. But then we'll offer a CSA, which is a community share program." Under the CSA, customers will pay a set price to be guaranteed a bag of fresh vegetables once a week that they can pick up from the shop. "It will all be Virginia produce," Bacevich said. "I'm a no-spray farm. It's all heritage, heirloom, and it's what I feed my family. It's what I have always fed my family. So what I buy for my children is what will be in that store." The USDA considers Petersburg to be a food desert, or a community where the poverty rate is at least 20%, and at least 33% of residents live more than a mile from a grocery store in urban areas. That factor made it even more important for Bacevich to bring the store to Petersburg. "Finding food without having to get in a car is not always easy," she said. "And, I think that's changing in Petersburg, and we're very pleased to be part of that change." Bacevich said the store will accept EBT cards from customers who receive federal nutrition assistance. She hopes to have the store up and running by the end of the year. ...read more read less