Urban Growers Collective (UGC), a leader in urban agriculture and environmental social justice in the Midwest, continues to operate its Fresh Moves Mobile Market during the health crisis, making nutritional food more accessible for communities of color on the South and West Sides of Chicago. In addition to offering fresh, organic produce from the non-profit’s eight urban farms located throughout the city of Chicago, the offerings have been extended to meet additional needs by partnering with local BIPOC makers and farmers to expand offerings on the “produce aisle on wheels.” The now one-stop-shop reduces public transit times and helps lower the risk of exposure to COVID-19 by lessening trips to multiple grocery stores. Also introduced during the pandemic, each visitor receives a $10 voucher to use towards the purchase of food to help increase food security.
Led by co-founders Erika Allen and Laurell Sims, Urban Growers Collective’s mission is to make nutritional food more accessible and affordable; create economic opportunities; and break systemic patterns by using urban agriculture to support health, economic development, healing and creativity. Since its debut trip with UGC in 2018, the Fresh Moves Mobile Market has delivered 60,000 pounds of Chicago grown produce, as well as 1500 pound of wholesale produce weekly, to over 20,000 Chicagoans residing in North Lawndale, Austin, Garfield Park, Washington Park, Englewood, Roseland, Woodlawn, Grand Boulevard, Fuller Park and South Shore.
Since launching the $10 voucher program in November 2020, the Mobile Market has distributed over $34,500 in free produce to consumers. In 2020 alone, Urban Growers Collective distributed 1.5 million pounds of food to historically divested neighborhoods most vulnerable during the pandemic. As the need for a healthy diet is exasperated during the health crisis to build a strong immunity, The Fresh Moves Mobile Market makes weekly stops to strategically planned locations throughout Chicago communities where grocery stores are not within a reasonable travel distance or have permanently closed, resulting in a shortage of healthy dietary options for
families residing in those areas.
“Lack of fresh food access disproportionately affects Black and brown communities on the South and West Side of Chicago. Urban Growers Collective’s mission has always been to provide the city’s most vulnerable with healthy, healing food, but through the Covid-19 pandemic this work has become more important than ever. Our aim is to address the inequities and structural racism that exist in the food system and in communities of color. The Fresh Moves Mobile Market is an important piece in fulfilling our mission of providing nourishing, culturally affirming fresh produce,” said Laurell Sims, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer Finance.
In addition to the local produce grown on the Urban Growers Collective plots located throughout the city, with the largest being 11-acres in South Chicago, the team has partnered with local BIPOC organizations and locally sourced farmers to expand its offerings throughout the pandemic including all-natural, handmade soap from EINNEM Soap, coffee beans from Chicago French Press, as well as purchased toilet paper and hand sanitizer.
UGC also supports Chicago farmers, many starting their careers by participating in Urban Growers Collective’s farmer incubator program, which offers techniques and educational advice on how to grow produce rurally, by purchasing their produce to sell on the mobile bus. A few that contribute to offering on the bus include: Fresher Together stocks shelves with oatmeal, polentas, red and black beans; Urban Eden harvests sweet crisp salad, as well as spicy microgreen mixes; Freshly baked bread from Bungalow Bread/Middle Brow in Logan Square; Wholesaler Midwest Foods has continued to expand its partnerships with local farms so that UGC is able to receive fresh organic produce here in the Midwest; and Gotham Greens’ Chicago Headquarters provides the bus with an assortment of hydroponically grown greens such as butterhead lettuce, romaine, tropicana green leaf, red oak leaf, and arugula.
Regularly from UGC, residents can expect to find a wide variety of household favorite produce including kale, spinach, honey, beets, collard greens, celery and more, all organically grown from seedlings to harvesting on the farms. During growing season, about 70% of the produce available on the buses is harvested from UGC’s farm, and purchased from wholesalers in the winter.
The Fresh Moves Mobile Market visits 15 locations on a weekly basis. The full schedule can be found here.
In addition to the current $10 voucher offer, customers receiving a free box of pasta through the generosity of Barilla US. Cash, credit card and Farmers Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) coupons, as well as SNAP/LINK benefits are accepted. SNAP/LINK purchases are eligible to receive up to $25 in double value matching funds to use on future purchases on Fresh Moves and participating LINK UP Illinois markets.
Supporters and interested volunteers can find more information about UGC events and opportunities on Instagram @urbangrowerscollective, or on the website urbangrowerscollective.org.
About Urban Growers Collective
Urban Growers Collective is a leading non-profit organization in Chicago urban agriculture and food policy that cultivates nourishing environments that supports health and economic development in Chicago communities. UGC works closely with more than 33 community partners to create employment opportunities and safe spaced for youth and to mitigate food insecurity by increasing availability and access of fresh, healthy, and culturally appropriate produce in each worked-in community. UGC owns seven urban farms that operate on 11-acres of land predominantly located on Chicago’s South Side. These farms are production-oriented with staff who integrate education, training, leadership development and food distribution into the organizations core programs. Each farm utilizes organic growing methods and intensive growing practices that maximizes space and year-round production strategies.
Urban Growers Collective’s offices are located at the Bridgeport Arts Center (1200 W. 35th Street), while the farms are located throughout Chicago’s South Side including Roosevelt Square Urban Farm, Educare Preschool Farm, South Chicago Community Farm at Schaffer Park, Commonwealth Edison, Grant Park: Urban Agricultural Potager Farm, Jackson Park Urban Farm and Altgeld Gardens Farm. For more information, urbangrowerscollective.org or call 773-376-8882.