Officials with the Danish Villages Improvement Organization (DVIO) aim to change the so called “Food desert” for the Danish Villages of Elk Horn and Kimballton. A “food desert is an area where access to affordable, healthy food options are limited or nonexistent because grocery stores are too far away. DVIO Board Member Klare Chapman says the need became obvious, after results of a survey confirmed it was a top issue for the community.

Theo Ramsey of Ramsey’s Market/Fresh Out of the Box will be speaking at a meeting of the Danish Villages Improvement Organization (DVIO) on Wednesday, August 18th, 7pm at the Kimballton Town Hall. The public is encouraged to attend and learn more. Theo will be discussing his innovative grocery locker system which brings groceries and hardware to small towns across Southwest Iowa. They are a rural company focused 100% on rural needs. Theo and Bonnie Ramsey currently own and operate brick and mortar grocery stores serving Lennox & Manning and are now expanding to serve communities throughout the region by providing next day grocery and hardware delivery, 7 days a week, to refrigerated and frozen lockers located in each participating community. Currently, Shelby and Walnut have the lockers in place, with Griswold adding theirs in November.

DVIO, which serves both Elk Horn & Kimballton is considering whether or not the Fresh Out of the Box locker system would be a good fit for the Danish Villages.

The locker will work like this:

• You place your grocery order online.
• You will get a notification your delivery is ready and a code.
• You punch in your code into the screen on the locker and the lights above the doors your order is in will light up.
• You open the doors and take your groceries.