Many of Macon’s most impoverished live in Southside, which includes 4 of the most highly distressed census tracts in the county. 90% black, 40% without a high school diploma, the statistics reflect a community that still struggles to gain equal education and economic opportunities. USDA defines a food desert as a place with no supermarket and no public transportation within a one mile radius. In Southside Macon the distance is over four miles. As recently as 20 years ago, Southside Macon was home to gardens, mini-farms, and multiple options to purchase fresh produce.