Veggie Mobile Showing Urban Kids What a Vegetable is
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 05.26.07
There are no downtown supermarkets in worn-out cities like Troy, Schenectady and Albany, so the poor living in these areas don't get fresh vegetables. This year, the Capital District Community Gardens, a nonprofit agency, started showing up in the Veggie Mobile, which according to the New York Times, cruises the streets on a rotating schedule three days a week, selling freshly grown local produce. On one additional day, it offers samples and gives away fresh fruit and vegetables, hoping to get people to expand their food choices.
“We’re trying to give people in inner-city neighborhoods access to affordable fresh produce,” said Amy Klein, executive director of the community gardens.
But they are being careful about their carbon footprint while they do it- "Our UPS- style step van that will be retrofit with refrigeration and shelving units to store produce being sold. The refrigeration units will be powered by photovoltaic cells and the truck itself will run on biodiesel, making it a truly green machine. To make the Veggie mobile charmingly conspicuous it will be colorfully painted and outfitted with a sound system that will announce our presence before we arrive. " ::Capital District Community Gardens via ::New York Times
Are your really serious, Troy, Albany and Schenectady have NO downtown supermarkets.
This is especially surprising in the case of Albany - one would think the legislators would take notice
This is a really awesome idea. I go to school at RPI in Troy NY.
However, there actually are fantastic options for local and organic produce if you know where to look.
Troy has a wonderful year round farmers market every Saturday.
There is a Troy Food Co-op opeing in the fall that will be open all week long.
In Albany, the Honest Weight Food Co-op is great.
I am offended by this post. "There are no downtown supermarkets in worn-out cities like Troy, Schenectady and Albany, so the poor living in these areas don't get fresh vegetables." Please do your research or visit the area before you label these cities worn-out!
LA: from the new york times:
"According to an informal survey in 2005 by the Capital District Community Gardens, a nonprofit agency, not one of the seven urban neighborhoods in Troy and in nearby Schenectady and Albany that the Veggie Mobile serves had a supermarket within four miles."