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Mobile Farmers Market Coming to Four Metro Locations
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Photo: Courtesy Farm to Family Naturally
Beginning next month, locally grown farm foods will be sold once a week at four Metro Transit Centers located in areas where nearby residents have little or no access to fresh fruits and vegetables. Starting the week of March 18, 2012, the Farm to Family Mobile Market will offer affordably priced, fresh foods to customers at the North Hanley, Riverview-Hall, Delmar and Emerson Park Transit Centers as part of a partnership between Metro and Sappington Farmers Market’s Farm to Family Naturally Program.
The Mobile Market, a community initiative program launched by Sappington Farmers Market, will sell locally produced foods such as eggs, vegetables, fruits, and value-added items like jams and jellies under the brand name of Farm to Family Naturally. The four Metro locations will also serve as delivery points for Sappington Farmers Market’s popular Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) weekly food subscription program.
The collaboration between Metro and the Farm to Family Mobile Market will give commuters and neighborhood residents more convenient access to healthier, locally grown foods at the Emerson Park MetroLink Station in East St. Louis, Delmar MetroLink Station in St. Louis, North Hanley Transit Center in St. Louis County and the Riverview-Hall Transit Center in St. Louis. The Mobile Market will connect nearby residents and Metro customers to better health, good nutrition and accessible transportation through locally grown foods supplied by Missouri and Illinois farm families.
“The Farm to Family Naturally Mobile Market at these Metro Transit Centers is a great initiative that not only addresses the deep connection between accessible transportation and healthy food choices, but also provides a proactive solution through community partnership. Metro looks forward to more opportunities to work with organizations to bring economic and social value to our customers and communities,” said John Langa, Metro’s Vice President of Economic Development.
Customers will be able to purchase the healthy options by cash, credit/debit cards, or governmental food assistance programs. A calendar of Mobile Market locations and times, as well as information about nutrition and featured seasonal foods will available in the coming weeks at www.metrostlouis.org and www.farmtofamilymobilemarket.com.
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I posted a previous comment suggesting something along that line, of establishing a connection between Metro’s major transportation facilities and the community by opening more vendor-type establishments. Not only will the community benefit under this program, but commuters who pass thru these transit centers, who do not live in the community, would benefit from the convenience by having the option of stopping off and picking up some items from these vendors during their commute. Also, it’s makes Metro look good in providing this type of PR gesture.
Agreed, Mike, it is a wonderful opportunity to make use of our property and help benefit the surrounding community in addition to providing a service for Metro customers. We are very excited about this partnership!
i love this idea thanks to everyone who made this possible
Very excited about this program, although the timings are not ideal for people with regular day jobs – starts at 9am after the work day begins, ends at noon or at 4pm, except for the two Tuesdays when it ends at 5:30pm. Those leaving work at 5pm will barely get there in time, assuming the Mobile market hasn’t closed up and gone home.
Regardless, I have sent it to my neighbors and transit-oriented friends at SLU, UMSL, Wash U and BJC.
Thanks Anjana! The timing of the mobile markets were decided around several factors, 1) the availability of the truck and staff, 2) density of ridership at these times, and 3) how to balance between the four transit centers. Ridership for several of these stations actually peaks between 3-5, when many students and workers with 7am-3pm or 8am-4pm shifts get off work, but we still had to balance availability of the truck and variability of times as well. In the stations more adjacent to surrounding neighborhoods, Farm to Family Naturally intends to work with local associations and businesses to improve market advertising and use.