The Veggie Van study is designed to help understand the best strategies for running mobile produce markets. We are partnering with 9 current mobile market programs across the country to refine our mobile market toolkit as well as with new mobile markets interested in support to get started. We will complete a comprehensive evaluation process across all 9 Mobile Markets. Community members in each community targeted by the mobile markets will become active participants in the research process, assisting with recruitment and data collection. After one year of implementation of the Veggie Van model, we will measure the change in fruit and vegetable consumption for participants as well as use data and feedback to refine a Veggie Van toolkit to establish “best practices” for future mobile market projects.
The innovative mobile produce market study has announced funding for nine organizations — including two in Buffalo — across four states that it will partner with over the next few years. The UB Veggie Van will help each organization either start or expand a mobile produce market. Each of the nine partners will operate their markets in up to four neighborhoods in their area for a total of 32 community sites that will be studied.