BOISE — The Boise Farmers Mobile Market has been up and running for five years now, and with two new locations and lots of produce, not enough people are using the program to get access to fresh foods.
The Boise Farmers Mobile Market is exactly what it sounds like, a farmers market on wheels, delivering fresh local produce to people around the Treasure Valley in locations across Boise and in Nampa and Garden City.
The volunteers have five years under their belts and the wheels on the bus are still turning.
"It is a converted passenger van that's been turned into a mobile grocery store," said Tamara Cameron, Interim Market Manager of the Boise Farmers Market.
It’s a mobile store that picks up fresh produce from local farmers on Saturday during the farmers market, then it takes it around the valley Monday through Thursday.
"This is not the leftovers from the farmers market. This is fresh food straight from the farms," said Cameron, who also gave the reason behind the mobile market, "Not only to support our farmers by giving them another outlet for fresh produce. But the real focus is to bring food out to the people who can't make it to the real farmers market."
It really is a market for everyone, with a focus on those in low-income housing, people who are homebound, and those with disabilities.
And the market accepts SNAP Benefits and EBT. If you use SNAP or EBT and you spend $20, the Boise Farmers Mobile Market will give you $20 back to use at the farmers market.
It’s a great resource for anyone who isn't able to make it to the Saturday farmers market. It’s a bus full of produce, eggs, honey and herbs, and they want it empty at the end of the day. The Boise Farmers Mobile Market makes 16 stops throughout the week in Boise, Nampa, and Garden City.
You can find more information on where those stops are here.
