The Garden Kitchen, a University of Arizona Cooperative Extension program, provides whole health seed-to-table education in multiple fields like gardening, cooking, nutrition, and physical activity. Now, there’s something new rollin’ around town and it’s called PLAZA Mobile Market.
On Wednesday, January 10, the farmers market on wheels is hosting its big kick-off event at the Valencia Library (202 W. Valencia Rd.) from 10 a.m. – noon. Then, you can expect the PLAZA Mobile Market to be there every Wednesday until February 28.
“We will be buying the produce primarily from the International Rescue Committee New Roots farmers and selling it at discount prices in neighborhoods where there’s limited access to fresh, local produce,” said Meredith Glaubach, Community Outreach for The Garden Kitchen. “Accessibility is really important to us, so we’ll be accepting SNAP-EBT as well as FMNP (Farmers Market Nutrition Program) coupons.”
The PLAZA Mobile Market — the word “PLAZA” stands for Promoting Local AZ Agriculture — came to fruition after many conversations with participants about the lack of fresh, local, and affordable produce in certain areas.
The Garden Kitchen then ran a series of focus groups to understand more specifically what the needs of different populations were and ran two pilot programs at Tucson House. After diving into the data from our pilot programs, it was crystal clear — folks wanted a mobile market with a variety of affordable produce options.
Before they knew it, the program was up and running on four wheels inside of a slick refrigerated van.
“We’re starting with the one location (Valencia Library), but over the year, we’re hoping to add more weekly sites,” said Glaubach. “In the next month, we’ll be posting about it on our social media and our website. That’s where information about changes in schedule will be posted going forward.”
The PLAZA Mobile Market will be set up at the Valencia Library, 202 W. Valencia Rd., every Wednesday from January 10 – February 28. Stay tuned for future locations. Meanwhile, keep up with the latest by following The Garden Kitchen on Instagram and by visiting thegardenkitchen.org.
Article written by:
Matt Sterner
More about MattAt a very young age, Matt Sterner was gifted with the artistic ability to masterfully roll a burrito to the highest of standards, but the wrapped medley of delicious innards wasn’t his first love. Matt’s first true love was a combination of reading, writing, and creating. He grew up reading comics, the ingredients list of his shampoo and conditioner bottles, choose-your-own-adventure books, and the Scrabble dictionary — something he found useful when challenging his grandmother to a game.
He attended college at New Mexico State University and graduated with a degree in Digital Filmmaking. One of his favorite classes was screenwriting because he became responsible for the story’s birth before it came to life on-screen. After school, Matt took on numerous positions at a local television station in Tucson. From dealing out stories about heartbreak to producing “fluffier” content for a lifestyle broadcast, he learned what it takes to adapt to the many emotions the world of media can stir. Since 2017, Matt has dabbled in the culinary world of Tucson as well as San Diego, California from time to time.
If you’re in the mood for strange stories, head over to his pride and joy, wonkytimes.com. And in case you’re curious — yes, after all of this time, he still manages to roll a killer burrito.
