Birmingham – November 10, 2026 -- Fountain Heights Farms Cooperative (FHFC), a Black-owned urban farm cooperative, opened We All Eat Market on Saturday, Nov. 7, ending a nearly 70-year absence of grocery retail in Birmingham's Fountain Heights neighborhood.
Market opens inside Heart of the Farm facility serving 3,000-plus residents
The store operates inside Heart of the Farm, FHFC's new market and community kitchen in the historic neighborhood. The facility was designed to serve more than 3,000 residents in an area with limited access to fresh, affordable food. Much of the produce sold is grown locally, down the street from the store.
The opening comes as rising grocery prices and SNAP interruptions have made food access less certain for many families, according to the cooperative.
Birmingham City Council approved $150,000 agreement in 2025
The Birmingham City Council unanimously approved a $150,000 agreement with FHFC in 2025 to support the project. Mayor Randall L. Woodfin described the market as an investment in residents and neighborhood revitalization, stating that access to fresh, healthy food should not depend on a ZIP code.
Co-op scaled from a single garden to 16 farm plots
FHFC has grown from one garden into 16 farm plots. Its We All Eat Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program was the first in Alabama to accept EBT and participate in the Double Bucks program.
Co-founder M. Dominique Villanueva said families have had to leave the neighborhood to buy groceries, and every dollar they spent left with them. The cooperative's model keeps growing, selling and ownership within the community.
Cooperative hires neighbors and opens commercial kitchen to local food entrepreneurs
FHFC is hiring neighborhood residents to run the store. The community kitchen offers local food entrepreneurs affordable commercial kitchen space.