imagine if it took three hours to go grocery shopping just so you could make a healthy meal for your family.

this is a reality for 23.5 million americans, and that’s what a resident in the nation’s capital told us when we asked her about how she gets fresh produce.

a food desert is an area that has poor access to healthy food because a lack of supermarkets, farmer’s markets and grocery stores.

typically, food deserts are found in cities and the options surrounding residents are limited to fast food chains and small corner stores that do not supply healthy, nutritious options, perpetuating a cycle of chronic illness and obesity.

but what if a food desert area started growing its own food? that’s the solution stan jackson, president of the anacostia economic development corporation (aedc), was on the search for when he came across an opportunity to partner with brightfarms.

brightfarms will build an urban farm in ward 8 and partner with retail stores around the city (like giant) to sell produce. about two to five percent of the one million pounds of produce will go back to the residents of ward 8.

tackling the food desert problem in dc will not be easy – check out our infographic for more on what food deserts are and a map of how bad the problem is in dc – but this upcoming urban farm, which will use less water and produce higher and more stable yields, could be part of the solution.

do you or someone you know live in a food desert? are there food deserts in your community? join the conversation and let us know how long it takes you to get healthy food.

asthaa chaturvedi is a senior majoring in international affairs at the george washington university. jenny rabago is a senior majoring in journalism and biological anthropology at the george washington university.