“They’ve been coming here for a few years now,” Tillman said of the Mobile market, “even during the pandemic.”
During the COVID-19 lockdown, produce was distributed via drive-thru, she said.
The recipes are usually easy to make, McDuffie said.
“If you can make it here on your table, you can make it at home,” she said.
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Credit: Miguel Martinez
Credit: Miguel Martinez
The Fulton Fresh Mobile Market visits six locations in Fulton County that qualify as “food deserts” according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s definition of a food desert: an area with more than 100 households living more than a half-mile from a supermarket without transportation, or an area with 500 people, or one-third of the population, living more than 20 miles from a supermarket.
This is the fourth week of the first summer session, which runs through June 27. The second session runs from July 9 to August 8. There is no fee to attend and it is open to the public with no registration required.
Participants will have the opportunity to take part in nutrition classes, food preparation demonstrations and bag fresh, in-season produce, which will be featured during the demonstration.
An hour-long event at a southwest Atlanta church regularly draws about 100 people, as does an event at the Roswell Adult Recreation Center, said Cecelia Tran, Fulton County agent for the University of Georgia Agricultural Extension Service. Other mobile market locations draw 60 to 80 people each time, she said.
Inside the church, Phyllis Cain, Lazavia Greer, Deborah Mallory and Tran stood behind an upholstered table. All four work at the Fulton County office of the University of Georgia Extension Service. Mallory told the crowd about food preservation and nutrition tips while others mixed ingredients in large metal bowls. Then the recipes began.
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Credit: Miguel Martinez
Credit: Miguel Martinez
“Today I’m making a spinach, romaine and strawberry salad,” says Tran, R.D., a registered dietitian who adds spinach, onion and strawberries to a bowl of lettuce.
“Here’s poppy seed dressing, here’s plain nonfat Greek yogurt,” Tran says, as she explains how to top up on protein and possible substitutions and additions.
Greer handed out a short survey.
“This is your ticket for free produce,” she said. You must return the ticket in exchange for your bag of fruits and vegetables.
Greer also handed out cards with the day’s recipe for a salad and dressing, which serves six people and costs less than $12. Several attendees said they made last week’s turkey and squash recipe. Past recipes and more information are available at www.FoodTalk.org, Greer said.
Kane then distributed the finished salad in plastic sample cups to the audience.
“To anyone who’s tried this recipe, did you like it?” Greer asked after a few minutes. The crowd erupted in unison in approval.
“Well, great news, we have strawberries for you today,” she said.
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After completing the survey, spectators filed out to the truck. Shirley Dodd, coordinator for the Fulton Fresh Mobile Market, said participants typically receive 10 to 12 pounds of produce. Tuesday’s bags included a box each of strawberries, Vidalia onions, peppers, tomatoes, apples and bananas.
“There’s a lot of variety. It’s different every time, but they’re nice bags,” McDuffie said.
McDuffie said she valued information about healthy eating and watching her salt and sugar intake. Tillman agreed, saying that in addition to carefully checking labels on canned vegetables, she’s also learned to wash them to remove excess salt.
Living in Atlanta is fairly expensive, so it’s easy to assume that residents throughout the region have easy access to groceries, Tran said.
“That doesn’t happen in a place like this,” she said.
Credit: Miguel Martinez
Credit: Miguel Martinez
Doctors recommend that people eat healthy, but that advice doesn’t automatically grant access to healthy foods, nor does it mean that the foods available are better quality or cheaper, Tran said. Rather, people spend their limited grocery dollars on foods that last longer, she said.
The Fulton Fresh Mobile Market is helping to increase access to fresh, nutritious fruits and vegetables.
“But we can only bridge that gap for a short period of time,” Tran said.The University of Georgia Extension Service is working with the Maida Atlanta Food Consortium and other partners to try to provide similar assistance year-round, Tran said.
Tillman said the number of participants shows the value of the program.
“People are food insecure and this is a blessing for a lot of us,” Tillman said.
Fulton Fresh Mobile Market locations through June 27:
Tuesday
10 a.m.: St. Mark AME Church, 3605 Campbellton Road SW, Atlanta
1 p.m.: New Springfield Baptist Church, 2560 Sylvan Road, East Point
Wednesday
10 a.m.: Palmetto Neighborhood Senior Center, 510 Turner Ave., Palmetto.
1 p.m.: Mount Calvary Missionary Baptist Church, 2044 JT Alexander Ave., College Park
Thursday
10 a.m.: Eastpointe First Mallalieu United Methodist Church, 2651 Church St., Eastpointe.
1 p.m.: Roswell Adult Recreation Center, 830 Grimes Bridge Road, Roswell
2nd session, July 9 to August 8:
Tuesday
10 a.m.: New Beginnings Senior Center, 66 Brooks Drive, Fairburn.
1 p.m.: Mount Olive Missionary Baptist Church (Dorothy’s Helping Hands Inc.), 2685 Burge Road SW, Atlanta.
Wednesday
10 a.m.: St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 306 Peyton Road SW, Atlanta
1 p.m.: Gladys S. Dennard Library, 4055 Flat Shoals Road, South Fulton.
Thursday
10 a.m.: Bethel United Methodist Church, 1215 New Hope Road SW, Atlanta
1 p.m.: Decision Point Ministries Church, 5450 Campbellton Road SW, Atlanta
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