The Guilford College Bonner Center has been operating the Mobile Oasis Farmers Market in Greensboro, North Carolina officially since 2017 when the project was transferred from the Guilford County Department of Health and Human Services who started the project in 2014. It was felt that since Guilford College had 3 cultivated acres of land and the needed infrastructure in place, they would be better fit to run the mobile market. In addition to this, Guilford College being a Quaker founded institution aligned well with the mission of the market, which was to take local, sustainably grown produce and sell it at a subsidized rate in communities with low access to grocery stores and farmers markets. When the project was received, Guilford College Bonner Center staff and volunteers were operating under the Farmers Market Promotion Program Grant through the USDA, going to two different neighborhoods and two different county offices weekly. After the 2-year grant was completed in 2018, Guilford College Bonner Center had more autonomy to change the market sites and set up in communities with prior relationships. Now, after the being accepted to the Veggie Van Grant, Mobile Oasis spends their time by operating weekly at a thriving neighborhood market they have been a going to for 5 years as well as beginning research and outreach to the new communities involved in the study.
The Guilford College Bonner Center plays a vital role in supporting the mobile market while meeting its mission and purpose of providing a practical, liberal arts education through which students, faculty, and staff also make a positive impact on communities. Guilford College offers several programs and services related to food production, aggregation, distribution and cooking/nutrition education. Programs include the Quaker Cupboard, an on-campus pantry, and the Newcomer’s School Garden that provides garden education program for newly arrived youth from immigrant or refugee backgrounds, and a weekly produce drop off in a community consisting of mostly low-income immigrants and refugees. In addition to this, the Guilford College Farm serves as a living, learning laboratory for the Guilford College community and supplies the majority of the produce for the Mobile Oasis Farmers Market.
Follow Guilford College and the Mobile Oasis Mobile Market at their website and social media: Instagram: @mobileoasis Twitter: @gsomobileoasis
Urban Fruits & Vegetables has been operating a mobile market in Buffalo, New York since 2015. The market serves approximately 5000-5500 in underserved communities throughout Western New York. Urban Fruits & Veggies provides additional services that include a Fruits & Vegetables Prescription Program (FVRx) recipes, cooking demonstrations, and a corporate wellness program.Urban Fruits & Veggies has its own urban farm to source the produce for the mobile market but will also source from local farmers. Follow Urban Fruits & Veggiesat their website and social media: Website:https://www.urbanfv.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/urbanfruitsandveggies/ Instagram: @allisondehonney
Community Food Initiatives
Community Food Initiatives (CFI) has been operating the Donation Station in Athens, Ohio since 2008. The Donation Station addresses food insecurity by providing immediate food access while simultaneously supporting the regional food system and reducing food waste, ultimately working to support an equitable regional food system. CFI receives monetary donations that are reinvested to purchase produce from regional growers. In addition to purchased produce, CFI distributes donated produce to food access partners. Additional CFI programming includes educational outreach through cooking and gardening workshops, community and school garden management/support, and food access mapping. Follow CFI and the Donation Station at their website and social media: Website: https://communityfoodinitiatives.org/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CommunityFoodInitiatives/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/communityfoodinitiatives/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/AthensOhioCFI
Massachusetts Avenue Project
Massachusetts Avenue Project (MAP) has been operating a mobile market in Buffalo, New York since 2009. MAP offers additional programs that further support their mission to nurture a diverse and equitable Western New York food system, promote local economic opportunities, access to affordable, nutritious food and social change education. These programs include an urban farm, youth leadership programs, cooking and nutrition education, and food justice advocacy. MAP prioritizes partnerships with local farms to source fresh, affordable produce that is sold at multiple sites in underserved communities throughout the City of Buffalo. MAP’s new Farmhouse and community food training center also provides an expansive space for programming and cold storage. Follow MAP at their website and social media: Website: https://www.mass-ave.org/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MassAveProject Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/massaveproject/?hl=en Twitter: https://twitter.com/MassAveProject
Feast Down East
Feast Down East (FDE) has been operating the Local Motive Mobile Farmers Market since early 2019 in the Wilmington region of North Carolina. The mobile market supports residents living in areas suffering from food insecurity by providing access to fresh, healthy, local food. In partnership with the Wilmington Housing Authority, the mobile market operates year-round at weekly pop-up farmers markets in a total of ten public housing neighborhoods and at various community events and institutions. FDE also operates a Food Hub that supports farming in the areas surrounding Wilmington by providing educational resources and classes, seasonal crop support, and aggregates and distributes products to restaurants, grocery stores and local institutions for farmers. Follow Feast Down East and Local Motive Mobile Farmers Market at their website and social media: Website: https://www.feastdowneast.org/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FeastDownEast/https://www.facebook.com/localmotivemobilefarmersmarket Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/feastdowneast/?hl=enhttps://www.instagram.com/localmotivemobilefarmersmarket/?hl=en Twitter: https://twitter.com/FeastDownEast