Getting your daily dose of fruits and vegetables just got cheaper and closer to home thanks to mobile produce stands rolling into Vancouver neighbourhoods.
Curbside Fresh Market is the latest pilot program launched by the Greater Vancouver Food Bank Society to expand affordable access to fresh produce. For the next three months, 24 varieties will go on sale at low prices on Mondays at Skeena Terrace and Thursdays at Collingwood Neighbourhood House. Due to the food bank’s large orders with suppliers, it can purchase bulk quantities at wholesale prices.
Food bank communications director Kay Thody says besides emergency food relief, the food bank is exploring long-term solutions to address limited access to fresh foods.
“The Collingwood neighbourhood was one of the areas identified where it could stand to benefit from an increase to affordable fresh produce,” says Thody. She emphasized the program as a learning project for the food bank and that it is constantly evolving with customer feedback.
Renfrew-Collingwood resident and market operator Norman Hill saw a diverse group of buyers in the first week. Having volunteered at the neighbourhood house, he’s especially sensitive to selecting veggies for different ethnic populations.
“I also try to have, especially for Collingwood because it’s my community and I know there are awful lot of Asians-Canadians there, so [I] try to have Asian greens and Chinese eggplant, that sort of thing.”
Hill, who transports the produce in his truck and sells them from under a tent, estimates the produce he sells are at least 20 per cent cheaper than conventional stores and says the market’s main appeal is its insistence on locally grown produce.
“They [customers] definitely like the B.C. produce. For example, we sold out of B.C. corn, we sold a lot of B.C. garlic, peaches, apricots, that sort of thing. So they really appreciate the focus on B.C. produce.”
Zain Mohammed, who lives a few blocks from the neighbourhood house, hasn’t heard of the initiative and would prefer to have organic options. However, he believes seniors would benefit most from the program.
“In this community pricing of things are important because people here — not a lot of them make a high income so they make ends meet and having good food, fresh things, at a price they can afford — I’m sure they’ll go for it.”
Although the program could be perceived as limited to low-income individuals, it’s open to everyone. Three more locations will be added to the program once the permit process is complete.
Hours at Skeena Terrace, 2298 Cassiar St., are Mondays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Hours at Collingwood Neighbourhood House, 5288 Joyce St., are Thursdays from 1 to 6 p.m.
