I'd bet the isn't a single town that was brought into existence by Walmart. Before Walmart, you had a variety store, hardware, auto parts, and a grocery. After Walmart you'll get a dollar store in its place.
As to why small communities can't seem to solve the fresh produce problem, I'm at a loss. I live in a rural farming community and we can't get fresh produce. I can't decide whether to order produce delivered from Austin or start a local produce delivery myself. Currently we make a weekly trek to civilization and fill our minivan to bursting with food and supplies.
"I'd bet the isn't a single town that was brought into existence by Walmart."
I don't think that was the parent comment's point. The factories and mines created the towns and thereby generated the demand for the Walmart. Now those factories and mines no longer exist, so Walmart is no longer needed.
A rural farming community doesn't produce year-round goods managed through greenhouses and southern hemisphere producers and a cold warehousing and shipping industry. It produces a couple weeks of huge quantities of one or two kinds of produce a couple times a year.
You might be surprised. I'm on the Gulf Coast where the growing season is long. We have rice, cotton, corn, soy, locally as well as two large vegetable farms with I don't even know how many acres of greenhouses. The large vegetable farms sell most of their produce to chain-grocer warehouses and restaurant suppliers. They will sell to the public, but don't really seem to like doing so.
As to why small communities can't seem to solve the fresh produce problem, I'm at a loss. I live in a rural farming community and we can't get fresh produce. I can't decide whether to order produce delivered from Austin or start a local produce delivery myself. Currently we make a weekly trek to civilization and fill our minivan to bursting with food and supplies.