In the News

Mayor Sarno and Go Fresh Springfield Launch New Mobile Farmers Market

Mayor Domenic J. Sarno helped to launch Go Fresh Springfield’s new Mobile Farmers Market vehicle this morning as the Go Fresh Project enters into its sixth season of brining fresh, local produce to low income neighborhoods throughout the city.

Mayor Sarno said, “Like the song says – ‘taking it to the streets!’ First of all, I’d like to thank Health and Human Services Commissioner Helen Caulton-Harris, Elder Affairs Director Jan Denney and all our generous collaborators – the Department of Elder Affairs, Partners for a Healthier Community, Gardening the Community, New Lands Farm, Nuestras Raices, Common Capital and Springfield Partners for Community Action – for their continued belief and investment in the City of Springfield. Great to have these healthy and nutritious fresh food options made available to those who might not be able to access them.”

The donation of a small bus by the PVTA, and awards of $17,000.00 by PeoplesBank and $4,000.00 by the STCC Foundation, helped to add awnings and racks to the bus for an easier shopping experience. Additionally, these donations advance the city’s efforts through Mass in Motion and Live Well Springfield to increase access to healthy food and active living options across Springfield.

“PeoplesBank has a strong commitment to the environment which we usually describe by the three LEED Certified offices we have built and the more than $97 million in sustainable energy projects we have financed,” stated Matthew Bannister, Vice President of Corporate Responsibility at PeoplesBank. “We are happy to support the Go Fresh Mobile Farmers Market, because it gives us the ability to literally put our green values on the road.”

"The STCC Foundation was a generous contributor to the retrofit of the Go Fresh Mobile Market and the college is thrilled that the Farmers' Market at STCC is a healthy stop on the mobile market's journey to bring local, affordable produce to our campus community and surrounding neighbors," said STCC Vice President of Administration/CFO Joe DaSilva.

The design for the retrofit was led by Joseph Krupczynski, of the UMass Department of Architecture and Design, who worked with Agnoli Sign Company of Springfield to make the design a reality. He collaborated with the Go Fresh leadership team, made up of representatives from the City of Springfield Department of Elder Affairs, Partners for a Healthier Community, Gardening the Community, New Lands Farm, Common Capital, Springfield Partners for a Healthier Community, and Springfield Housing Authority.  The Go Fresh Project has partnered with Nuestras Raices to be the operator for the 2016 market.

The partner farms of the project, which provide the Mobile Market’s fresh produce are Gardening the Community in Springfield, New Lands Farm in West Springfield, Nuestras Raices in Holyoke, and Next Barn Over in Hadley.  This project is also supported by funds from the Tufts Health Plan Foundation, Health New England, Davis Foundation, Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture, Boston Medical Health Net Plan, and Beacon Properties. 

Please see the attached Go Fresh Mobile Farmer’s Market 2016 season schedule. For more information, please visit www.livewellspringfield.org or contact Kathy Wicks of Partners for a Healthier Community at (413) 794-2546 or (413) 320-2726.

*Additionally, Mayor Sarno was happy to meet Dr. John Cook, newly-named President of STCC, at this event.

 

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Page last updated:  Tuesday, March 1, 2022 01:32 pm