SPRINGFIELD, Mass.( WWLP) – Go Fresh Springfield’s new Mobile Farmers Market vehicle was launched Friday morning with help from Mayor Domenic Sarno.
The Go Fresh Project enters into its sixth season of bringing fresh, local produce to low income neighborhoods throughout Springfield.
PVTA donated a small bus, PeoplesBank awarded Go Fresh Springfield $17,000 and STCC Foundation awarded them $4,000 that helped add awnings and racks to the bus.
The design for the Mobile Farmers Market vehicle was led by Joseph Krupczynski of the UMass Department of Architecture and Design. He collaborated with the Go Fresh leadership team.
The leadership team is made up of Springfield Department of Elder Affairs, Partners for a Healthier Community, Gardening the Community, New Lands Farm, Common Capital, Springfield Partners for a Healthier Community, and Springfield Housing Authority.
The Go Fresh Project has partnered with Nuestras Raices to be the operator for the 2016 market.
The partner farms of the project, which provide the Mobile Market’s fresh produce, are Gardening the Community in Springfield, New Lands Farm in West Springfield, Nuestras Raices in Holyoke, and Next Barn Over in Hadley.
The new bus includes an awning and racks that attach to the outside of the bus and make shopping easier for customers. The purpose of the bus is to make it easier to bring fresh, local produce to low income communities across Springfield.
Simbrit Paskins, gardening the community told 22News, “I think this is huge for Springfield. One of the women was just saying that we’re always saying that eating healthy is really important, but the food isn’t provided for people. So I think having the van that is moblie is providing access. It’s making it easier for people to get healthy produce.”
The go fresh market runs Wednesday through Saturday every week, from July 6th to October 29st.
