Ten minutes after the closing time of the Fresh Moves mobile farmers market, a man approaches Timuel Jones-Bey in hopes that he will still have time to shop on the bus before it is full.
But the wheeled farmers market has to get to the other side of Bronzeville in time to start its next stop in just 20 minutes.
“We’re closed,” Jones-Bey says before adding, “but I have a box for you.”
This interaction on a recent Thursday was repeated several more times over the next 15 minutes, and Jones-Bey never stopped leaving a customer with lots of fresh produce.
He knows or at least recognizes almost every customer, and his conversations are full of laughter despite the ticking of the clock. Their knowledge of their personal lives feeds their desire to send each other with at least some fresh food.
“Some people have certain problems,” Jones-Bey said. “Some people have blood pressure issues, diabetes, things like that. So knowing that in advance, when they come when we’re closed, we’re still trying to help them and serve them with what they need.”
Jones-Bey and his other workers were left with a few minutes to reach the final stop of the day. A row of customers was already waiting for the brightly colored bus adorned with images of products and smiling faces.
Urban Growers Collective’s Fresh Moves runs five days a week and makes several stops, all at least an hour, at locations on the south and west sides of the city, including South Chicago, Avalon Park, Englewood and Fuller Park.
Timuel Jones-Bey, right, talks to customer Dan Owen, left, as he walks out to one of the Mobile Farmer’s Market by Urban Growers collective stalls on June 30 at 330 E. 51st St. of Bronzeville.
The affordable market has seen soaring demand for its products. The amount of fresh produce ordered from the local farms he collaborates with has doubled.
Jones-Bey said the jump in grocery prices, combined with persistent food deserts (the lack of stores in some of the areas it serves) has led to a greater need for its services.
“This summer is different,” Jones-Bey said. “We have seen this response because the price of food is very high. In addition, our fears about food security are becoming a reality.”
The “production corridor on wheels,” which gets its fresh produce from eight local urban farms and a local distributor, sells its food at prices that are usually lower than those at grocery stores. For example, Fresh Moves sells an avocado for 50 cents, while some stores sell it for almost $ 3.
Employees say they see about 3,000 customers a week.
A partnership with food company Barilla has allowed Fresh Moves to offer each customer a $ 10 voucher with each purchase.
Joshua Hughes, operations manager at Fresh Moves, said he hopes the nonprofit can purchase a second bus to serve even more customers, ideally one bus for the South Side and another for the West Side.
The bus converted into one of the stops at the Mobile Farmer’s Market by the Urban Growers collective on June 30 at 330 E. 51st St. in Bronzeville.
Several grocery stores have closed on the south and west sides of Chicago in recent months, including an Aldi in Gresham and a Whole Foods in Englewood.
Two stops in Englewood are among the busiest for Fresh Moves. These areas, employees said, desperately need access to affordable, nutrient-dense foods.
More than 63% of West Englewood residents have limited access to food, according to the Chicago Health Atlas, and many South Side neighborhoods have a similar need.
Each stop on the daily bus routes was chosen with accessibility in mind for residents living nearby and often located outside of health centers, community centers and CTA stops.
Customers queuing in turn were eager to enter.
“For my products, I have to come here,” Dan Owen said. “It’s much fresher, cleaner and tastes better. I love its greens.”
Access to food is “the right” of southern and western residents, Hughes said.
“The government should take its needs seriously, but as we can see, the world is not like that,” he said. “Honestly, it’s a cure for the problem.”
Becky Fair, a senior gardener at Bronzeville Garden, one of the mobile market providers, said fresh food should be available to everyone, no matter where they live.
“We don’t have places to eat. We don’t have places to get fresh produce,” Fair said of some communities. “So it’s very important that we have those things for our people and our community that aren’t canned and that have just come out of the vineyard.”
What is the easiest farm to start?
20 most profitable small farm ideas
- Tree nursery. A tree nursery can be a great investment when done right. See the article : East Austin Food Truck Big Mama’s Soul Food Preserves Tradition in a Changing City. …
- Fish farming. …
- Dual cultivation. …
- Dairy. …
- Herb gardening. …
- Bee cultivation. …
- Aquaponia. …
- Micropreen cultivation.
Which farm animal is the easiest to care for? Chickens. Chickens are an excellent introduction to small farm animals. They are durable, easy to care for and do not cost much in terms of configuration.
Is urban farming the future?
Beyond providing fresh local produce, vertical agriculture could help increase food production and expand agricultural operations, as the world’s population is projected to exceed 9 billion by 2050. And by that same year, two out of three people are expected to live in urban areas.
What is the future of agriculture? Future agriculture will use sophisticated technologies such as robots, temperature and humidity sensors, aerial imaging and GPS technology. Read also : What to do with all those missing this fourth of July. These advanced devices and precision and robotic farming systems will enable farms to be more profitable, efficient, safe and environmentally friendly.
Is urban farming increasing?
There has been a growth in urban agriculture across the Americas in recent decades. See the article : USDA Identifies Feeding Families by 2022 Helping Combat Food and Nutrition. In the United States, policies and initiatives vary across states, but projects ranging from vertical hydroponics to community gardens are flourishing across the country.
Will farming be in demand in the future?
In the future, farms will have a growing need for data and information technology specialists, Widmar says. “By 2050, there will be gene-edited crops and it will result in a much wider variety of crops,” Norman says.
Why is urban agriculture bad?
Soil erosion and intensive use of fertilizers and pesticides can also pose risks to the health of urban populations, as well as cause damage to the environment. In addition, both large and small-scale food production is associated with deforestation, drainage of water tanks, and so on.
What are the main obstacles to the success of urban agriculture? Barriers are the lack of clear and inclusive ordinances; zoning; access to land; costs; training and certification; water; and insurance. The seven barriers involve, at least in part, unclear or unfriendly regulations governing urban agriculture.
What are some of the challenges of urban agriculture?
Due to limited resources and pollution in cities, urban agriculture faces challenges related to resource scarcity, such as water, land, labor, accessibility, and pollution. environmental.
What are the positive and negative effects of urban agriculture?
Urban farms and community gardens can have both positive and negative environmental impacts. They can, for example, reduce or increase energy consumption, improve water infiltration and beautify neighborhoods, or produce odors and pollute water.
