While the summer landscape in Butler County is lush and green, the people of two boroughs are finding themselves in a desert.

A “food desert,” according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's website, is an area where residents are more than 10 miles from a full-service grocery store in rural areas and one mile in large cities.

Consumers in food deserts largely rely on packaged, processed and convenience foods instead of fresh foods.

Since Friedman's Freshmarkets closed its last three stores in January, folks in and around Saxonburg and Chicora are wanting for meat, produce and other items not sold by their local stores.

Richard and Connie Callen of Saxonburg once made the short walk to Friedman's at least once each week to buy groceries.

“Now it's a 14-mile trip for us, one way,” Richard Callen said of the trek to the nearest full-service grocery story.

Connie Callen said she misses zipping down to the nearby Friedman's if she was short an ingredient while cooking.

“You do without until you get to Butler to get it,” she said.

Richard Callen worries about the senior citizens at Concordia Lutheran Ministries, who used to be able to ride a small Concordia bus to Friedman's once per week to get their food.

“It's a shame,” he said of the store closing.

Melinda Berzonski of Jefferson Township owns a coffee shop on Main Street in Saxonburg. She said the closing of Friedman's is still being discussed frequently.

“It's a topic of conversation every day,” Berzonski said.

The lifelong resident of the Saxonburg area now travels to Sarver for groceries. She also worries about the elderly who walked to get their groceries.

“They relied on that store,” Berzonski said.

As a business owner, Berzonski also worries that those who once came to get groceries and stopped to get a coffee, enjoy a meal or browse the shops will no longer have a reason to approach Main Street.

Kayla Jack lives in an apartment complex directly across the street from the Saxonburg Friedman's, but now must pack up her three young children and make a trip to Butler for her groceries.

“I liked it because it was convenient and close,” Jack said. “Now that it's closed, it's terrible.”

She said getting three children ages 5 and younger into the car and through the grocery store is a chore.

“Now I have to drag them the whole way to Butler instead of walking across the street,” Jack said.

She's not the only member of her family who misses living in the shadow of Friedman's.

“I liked shopping there,” said her 6-year-old son, Hayden. “I got all kinds of treats.”

Perhaps worse off than those in Saxonburg are the residents of Chicora and its surrounding neighborhoods.

Elizabeth Parker of nearby Karns City said she makes the long drive to Butler once per week to get groceries, especially items not available at local stores.

“We eat a lot of meat around here, and unless you butcher your own cows, you're driving to Butler,” Parker said.

Because of Friedman's closing, she said the local store is often out of milk, bread and other staples.

“I hope they come up with a deal,” Parker said. “We need something.”

Chicora resident Melissa Codispot also laments having to drive to Butler to get meat and produce.

“Once winter comes, it's going to be hell,” Codispot said.

She said she travels the winding Route 68 every two weeks or so to shop at a grocery store at Clearview Mall.

“A head of lettuce or something? You can't get that out here,” Codispot said.

She guesses that the grocer who buys the former Friedman's will have to sink a significant amount of money into the business.

“The coolers were always breaking down,” she recalled. “You had to watch your meat, and I always bought my ice cream at the dollar store.”

Karen Allen has lived in Chicora for more than 50 years, and always did her shopping at Friedman's.

“This is a great inconvenience,” Allen said. “We so enjoyed our local grocery store and seeing our friends and neighbors.”

She now plans meals ahead, which she never had to do when Friedman's was right around the corner.

“I can't just say 'It's too hot to cook. I'll go get some cold cuts,'” Allen said. “It is just really heartbreaking to not have that store. It's a real loss.”

Like her neighbors, Allen hopes another grocery store moves in quickly.

“It's a wonderful location and it was always busy,” she said.