Through trucks, Fresh Approach seeks to bring healthy food to underserved communities in the Bay Area, selling locally grown fruits and vegetables at discounts to buyers who receive federal assistance benefits.
“Our mission is to connect local farmers with underserved communities, and we do that through mobile farmers markets. We also have a farmers market and a gardening and nutrition program. It’s supporting underserved communities, and helping them in a comprehensive approach,” Isabel Medina, South Bay Food Access Program Manager, told P360P.
Every Thursday, a food truck with food straight from local farms comes to North Fair Oaks, a city in San Mateo County, where residents can get quality products at very affordable prices.
The routes for these mobile farmers markets are diverse and span the entire Bay Area.
But Fresh Approach does not act alone, as it partners with other organizations with the same mission, to become partners and cover various spaces in places that are easily accessible to everyone, Medina said.
"We go out to events or clinics or various locations every week and sell produce from local farmers, especially those within a 200-mile radius. So these farmers are from the Central Valley and the Hollister area, and we sell it at a reduced price to families who have federal benefits."
The organization serves communities of all ages, ethnicities and income levels. They can be found in health clinics, businesses, municipal governments, churches and community centers.
All products are affordably priced and offer a 50 percent discount to customers participating in CalFresh (SNAP) food stamp program, Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC), Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Medi-Cal and Unemployment Benefits.
For more information about Fresh Approach's matchmaking programs, interested parties can give click here.
"We believe that everyone should have equal access to healthy food and that the health of our communities and the livelihood of our local farmers should go hand in hand," the organization says on its website.
As of 2020, Fresh Approach has served 12 cities in four Bay Area counties, distributing more than 1.3 million pounds of produce and 6.5 million servings of fresh fruits and vegetables.
According to their website, the mobile farmers market hours and locations are:
Tuesday
Antioch: 11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., Antioch Senior Center at the corner of W 2nd St and E St, Antioch
Antioch: 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m., Sutter Delta Medical Center at 3901 Lone Tree Way, Antioch
San Jose: 10 a.m. -11:30 a.m., Valley Health Center at 500 Tully Rd, San Jose
Sunnyvale: 12:30 p. m. to 2 p. m., 665 W Olive Ave, Sunnyvale
Wednesday
Richmond: 10 a.m. – 1 p.m., Richmond Public Library, at Nevin Ave. and Civic Center Plaza, Richmond
Thursday
Redwood City: 10 a.m. – 11:30 a.m., Fair Oaks Health Center at 2710 Middlefield Rd, Redwood City
Sunnyvale: 12:30 p.m. to 2 p.m., Stanford Children's Health Specialty Service at 1195 W Fremont Ave.
However, during 2022, there will be breaks, so they will not provide service from May 30 to June 3; from July 4 to 8; from September 5 to 9; from November 21 to 25; and from December 19 to 30.
To learn about all the benefits services provided by the organization, residents can access the website www.freshapproach.org.
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