Hope Moran surveyed a small selection of brightly colored vegetables at the Julia M. Carson Transit Center on Friday. She picked up two mini eggplants and looked them over.
"They look so good!" she said. "Aren't they cute?"
The pair of violet veggies was just $1.
"The prices are so good," Moran said, "that just about anyone can afford something here."
Redneck? Not so much: He just plays one on Facebook
Bloomington: Not quite the best college town in America
Moran was among the first customers at the market, a pilot project from the City of Indianapolis, IndyGo and non-profit Growing Places Indy, in an effort to make it more convenient and inexpensive for people to eat healthy.
"Access to nutritious food cannot, must not, be a luxury, available only to the few," Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett said at a news conference to announce the market Friday. "Access to nutritious food is a morality that we must maintain in the city of Indianapolis for all of our residents.
"All residents of this great city we call home, Indianapolis, need healthy food options at affordable prices."
The program, called "Food in Transit," is paid for by a $6,300 Community Development Block Grant, and another $15,000 is invested for next year. The market will be open from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. every Friday until the end of October.
Produce such as cherry tomatoes, leeks, lettuce, kale, red peppers, radishes, herbs and jalapenos were available at prices ranging from $1 to $3 each.
The vegetables are grown at local urban gardens, most a few miles away, Growing Places Indy Executive Director Linda Cook said. Having food available at the hub of bus traffic, where more than 500,000 pass through monthly, will allow people who live in food deserts to have easier access to healthy food.
"Hopefully they can purchase some of this produce and take it to wherever they're going and have it that night," Cook said.
The market is open to everyone, but a quick, free registration process is required before shopping. Food in Transit accepts cash, credit and EBT. About 50 people had registered during last week's soft opening.
"We know that food deserts are a big problem," IndyGo President and CEO Mike Terry said. The market's placement was chosen based on foot traffic and "just the accessibility to thousands of people who use our transit center."
After the pilot program, the organizers will review what worked, and what didn't, but expect to reopen it in the spring.
For bus rider Shelia Brooks, who takes the bus too and from work daily, the market is a convenient stop for a snack, but it won't replace grocery shopping.
"I already have a place," she said, "but I was just going to grab a bite if they have a banana."
Call IndyStar reporter Amy Bartner at 317-444-6752. Follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "You can now buy inexpensive and healthy food before (or after) getting on the bus"
Post a Comment