Fresh produce is sold every Saturday morning from June 5th to October 30th at Ruggles Park, Old Second Street in Downtown Fall River, and Kennedy Park in the City's South End. However, for many people in the city, getting to those markets is a challenge. In an effort to make access to healthier foods easier for people living in Fall River Housing Authority locations, Healthy City Fall River has piloted a "Veggie Mobile" concept where individual farmers go directly to housing locations to sell produce. The first such pilot took place at the Mitchell Heights apartment building at 2100 South Main Street. "The nearest market with fresh produce is almost half a mile a way and up hill on the way back," noted Healthy Market coordinator Kristen Gunderson. "Bringing fresh produce to people's doorstep will increase the likelihood that they will include healthier food items in their diet." Gunderson is planning to bring more farmers to different Housing Authority locations throughout the City by the start of next summer's growing season. Click here for the Healthy Neighborhood Market locations. For more information, contact Market Coordinator Kristen Gunderson at 508-324-7900.

(Top row) Benny Rapoza and another resident, Lillian, are two of approximately thirty residents who came to the lobby of Mitchell Apartments to look over what Maria and Anthony Coutinho of Coutinho Farms in Berkley, MA, have brought at the end of the season, including apples, onions, potatoes, and squash. (Middle row, left) Healthy Market coordinator Kristen Gunderson exchanges SNAP EBT card benefits for $1 tokens that Lillian can use to make her purchase. (Middle row, right) Maria points out what she has to offer to has to offer to one of the residents. (Bottom row, center) Kristen displays some of the surveys that she distributed to the residents to learn more about their access to fruits and vegetables.