Joseph Mercy Ann Arbor, with additional support from Washtenaw County Public Health and Superior Township. In 2016, the farm stand is sponsored by St. The farm stand began as a grant from the state of Michigan’s Building Healthy Communities program and a partnership with Washtenaw County Public Health. Fridays from 10:00am-1:00pm at Growing Hope Center, 922 W.Thursdays from 4:00pm-7:00pm at the corner of MacArthur and Harris in Superior Township (across from the Superior Township Public Library).Thursdays from 11:00am-2:00pm in the courtyard of the Human Service Center, 555 Towner Street, Ypsilanti (where DHHS, WCPH, WIC, and CSTS have offices).The Ypsilanti mobile farm stand takes place in three weekly locations from June 16 to early October in 2016: These include SNAP/EBT, Double Up Food Bucks, WIC, Senior Project Fresh, Market Fresh, and Prescription for Health. The farm stand provides local produce to all income levels and, like their Ypsilanti farmers markets, accepts many ways to pay beyond cash and credit card. Local non-profit Growing Hope runs the mobile farm stand and sources all produce from area farmers and its own urban farm located at 922 West Michigan Avenue. “I know many of the residents enjoyed stopping at the stand to buy fresh food last summer, and I believe it will make an even bigger impact this year.” “I’m very excited that the mobile farm stand will return to Superior Township this year,” said Brenda L. In addition, this same zip code has one of the highest rates of obesity and diabetes in the county and is considered to be within a food desert, according to the United States Department of Agriculture. According to new data from the Washtenaw Community Health Survey, zip code 48198-where the farm stand is located-has the least amount of vegetable consumption in the county. The mobile farm stand aims to bring affordable, local produce to areas of our community that have limited access to fresh fruits and vegetables, and act as an outreach arm for Growing Hope’s Ypsilanti farmers markets. Piloted in 2015, the farm stand saw over 1,300 visitors and brought in $3,713 worth of healthy food to its customers in these communities in its first year. Growing Hope’s Ypsilanti Mobile farm stand returns to Ypsilanti and Superior Township to provide healthy, affordable fruits and vegetables to low-access communities.
By Erica Bloom, Program Director, Growing Hope, Ypsilanti, MI
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