How Mobile Farmers Markets Impact Communities Across The United States

How Mobile Farmers Markets impact communities across the United States

by Frederic Laforge

Sure you’ve seen food trucks on TV, or even downtown, but have you ever seen a farmers market on wheels? What makes mobile farmers markets different from food trucks, or even your typical farmers market or stand?

Providing fresh, healthy food directly to food deserts is their goal.

Mobile markets make an economic impact by providing local producers with more retail outlets. They celebrate a culture of healthy cooking from scratch. And they’re a cost-effective way to increase fresh food access for people with the greatest need.

Some mobile markets offer only fruits and vegetables. Others also offer dried staples and frozen meats.

Many mobile markets provide nutrition education through cooking demonstrations, marketing campaigns, and recipe sharing.

A “social enterprise” is a sustainable model for a lot of mobile farmers’ markets. Social enterprises generate revenue, which they use to create social programs in the community.

Mobile Markets’ effect on health and wealth

Food deserts are a challenge in both urban and rural areas where fast food and convenience stores are plentiful. This leads to a false impression about food access: where people are left with little choice but to consume empty calories.

Meanwhile, grocery stores and farmers’ markets tend to be miles away, meaning some sort of transportation is needed.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), lowincome households are more often in underserved areas: 4% of U.S. households are at least half a mile from a store and without a vehicle.

Lack of access to healthy food and abundant fast food contributes to the obesity epidemic. In the U.S., 1 in 5 children, and 1 in 3 adults, are obese.

Fast food is just that – fast, convenient, and cheap. The instant reward of a juicy cheeseburger without prep work or dirty dishes is usually enough to overlook the real cost.

That $1 cheeseburger might seem like a good idea in the moment. But most people don’t think about the $1.7 trillion in lost productivity and healthcare costs because of obesity.

Fortunately, mobile farmers markets are part of the solution. They offer a cost-effective way to bridge the gap in food deserts and to affordably deliver fresh, healthy food.

Food sold at mobile markets is usually competitively priced, with an average markup of only 30%. Not only is it good for consumers’ wallets and their bodies, it helps the economy, too.

Mobile Markets help the larger community

As the saying goes, a rising tide lifts all boats. Consumers are empowered when they can buy fresh, local, healthy food. And they know that much of their money will go back into their community.

Research suggests that on average, 48 percent of each purchase at local independent businesses recirculates locally, compared to less than 14 percent of purchases at chain stores.

That number goes up when mobile farmers markets obtain food locally.

The challenge is that not everyone has equal access. According to Feeding America, 1 in 8 Americans lacks the money to buy basic food staples.

Thankfully, there are programs to help food-insecure Americans, such as the USDA’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

SNAP participants double their dollars through state incentive programs to buy fruits and veggies. This makes it a lot easier for people to make healthy choices instead of processed food from a chain store or restaurant. It’s a win-win for everyone!