Pine Ridge = "food desert"

Stuck in 'Food Desert,' Pine Ridge Locals Look to Subway to Meet Nutrition Needs

By Astrid RodriguesAn area the size of Delaware and Rhode Island combined, the reservation is considered a "food desert," defined by the U.S. Department of Agriculture as a low-income community without ready access to healthy and affordable food. Ecoffey, who is also the Bureau of Indian Affairs superintendent for the Pine Ridge Agency, tells ABC News that healthy foods like fresh fruits and vegetables are unavailable because of what he says are limited resources.

"The opportunity just doesn't exist for many people across the reservation," he said.

Ecoffey said Subway offers that opportunity.

Tashina Banks, a member of the Cheyenne River Sioux tribe, is the hiring manager at the Pine Ridge Subway. She shared with ABC News the story of an elder woman from the community who was moved to tears during the store's grand opening week.

"She came in here and literally was crying because of what having this kind of a store or food restaurant in the community meant," Banks said. "Not only because you see people investing in our own community, but also because, she said, 'I haven't eaten a cucumber in years because they're so expensive.'"

There's only one large supermarket and typically the price of staple items across the reservation are more expensive because of its remote location.Comment:  This article appeared before ABC's Children of the Plains special and my trip to South Dakota, but I just came across it.

For more on the subject, see Economic Development on Pine Ridge and Poverty Porn in Children of the Plains.