Living in an inner city with a limited income can create many barriers to accessing affordable organic food options. If you don’t own a vehicle, it becomes extra difficult. In Newark, NJ, which is where I was born, raised and currently live, Question Mart/ ?uestion Mart has opened to fulfill the need for local access to organic products.
I discovered Question Mart/ ?uestion Mart after launching a complaint on my personal Facebook page about the lack of organic foods in the city. Stop & Shop was two bus rides away from me, and the local Pathmark only carries very limited organic produce, which is very over-priced. I, often, had to call in a favor to get a ride to the nearest supermarket with ample organic produce, which is a 25-30 minute drive from my house. I was super excited when a friend mentioned Question Mart/ ?uestion Mart, and I decided to talk a walk from my house in the Ironbound section of Newark to Question Mart/ ?uestion Mart. It was a nice, warm day and a great opportunity to take my daughter for a walk in her stroller, get some light exercise, and see what Question Mart/ ?uestion Mart had to offer my taste buds.
Located at 392 Broad Street near the heart of Newark’s business district, Question Mart/ ?uestion Mart is easily accessible by walking. You can also take the Newark Light Rail to the location from Newark Penn Station and get off near the Newark Main Library. The market is located near the entrance/exit for route 280 on Broad Street by the Newark Bears’ Stadium. It is also easily accessible by bus since many lines run on Broad Street. The hours of operation are 8:00 am to 7:00 pm Eastern Time on Monday thru Friday, 9:00 am to 7:00 pm on Saturday, and 9:00 am to 6:00 pm on Sunday.
When I first walked in to Question Mart/ ?uestion Mart, the first thing I noticed was a single step to get into the supermarket, which I required that I lift up my daughter’s stroller. It was easy enough for me to do so, but I imagine this could pose a problem for someone in a wheelchair or with a disability. I would recommend that the owners put a ramp where the step is to make it wheelchair accessible.
Personally, I judge a market by its availability of produce. I prefer to eat fresh produce in every one of my meals. I do eat some grains, but I avoid boxed, packaged, and canned food. I do consume them on occasion, but I try to eat food as close to its natural state as possible. Question Mart/ ?uestion Mart’s produce section was very small for my preferences (see Figure 1), but it did carry some staple items. There were broccoli, carrots, corn, nectarines, apples, pears, watermelon, and a few other items. Not all items, however, were organic, which is not necessarily a problem on its own. I will talk more about the politics of organic labeling in a future post. There were quite a few locally sourced produce items, but all in all, the produce section was quite small for my taste. It lacked ample greens, which are my favorite thing in a market. However, with a farmers’ market located a short walk away during the summer months, this is not a real problem for me.
Figure 1
I was very excited to see environmentally friendly household and personal products (see Figure 2) at Question Mart/ ?uestion Mart, which are things I usually have to travel 20+ minutes away to get, as well. I will definitely consider going to Question Mart/ ?uestion Mart when I need to restock on household products.
Figure 2
There is no shortage of packaged organic goods, which I know many people are a fan of for reasons of convenience. I purchased a package of flour to bake vegetable bread for my daughter. I noticed that Question Mart/ ?uestion Mart carries a mix of both organic and conventional products. You will see Eden Organics side by side with Goya products (see Figure 3).
Figure 3
The freezer section (see Figure 4) also has a mixture of organic and conventional products. As a vegan, it was great to see that the store carried vegan items as there tends to be a shortage of vegan options in Newark. There were also quite a few drinks in the refrigerator, including one of my favorite coconut waters by Harmless Harvest (see Figure 5).
Figure 4
Figure 5
While I wish that Question Mart/ ?uestion Mart had a much larger produce section for the winter months and for days when the farmers’ markets are not in Newark, it is definitely a step forward in this wonderful Renaissance City. Question Mart/ ?uestion Mart gets the Organic Melinda stamp of approval for being one of the first markets to actively promote organic produce in Newark, NJ and for carrying affordable options that are easily accessible to the Newark population as well as the wonderful and friendly customer service that I received. Thank you Question Mart/ ?uestion Mart for doing your part to end food insecurity in our great city.
All photos taken by Organic Melinda (Melinda Gonzalez).
Organic Melinda 