Health_Sept16

Fresh Eats
For more information, visit
facebook.com/FarmtoFamilyFlorida
It’s also a tale of overcoming economic mountains
to provide for families in need. Farm to
Family is changing the way the First Coast views
food, and is giving the term “food truck” a
whole new meaning.
The Food Truck
A massive truck is the heart of Farm to Family.
Outfitted with refrigerated cargo bays and filled
with local produce, this food truck aims to sell $7,000
worth of retail products in three days of sales each weekat
competitive prices.
Farmers price their ripe-from-the-field-produce based on
the market, and the food truck is a popular stop with residents
in communities all over St. Johns County who want
to support their local economy and farmers. It has been so
popular that its route expanded to more than 13 stops each
week during its first two months on the road.
Scheduled market stops include Christ Episcopal Church
in Ponte Vedra Beach, library parking lots, and Serenata
Beach Club, where a group of moms there are so excited
to have access to farm-fresh food that they’ve decided to
make it a weekly moms group stop before play dates.
Farm to Family aims to be a self-sustaining program, to
sell at a certain volume in many communities in order to
offset lower sales in “food desert areas.”
The U.S. Department of Agriculture describes a food desert
as “urban neighborhoods and rural towns without ready
access to fresh, healthy, and affordable food.” While Farm
to Family serves communities with ready access to farmers
markets, the USDA reports that St. Johns County has
seven food desert regions, including much of downtown
St. Augustine and rural Hastings. Farm to Family stops in
these areas, and accepts all forms of payment, including
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits,
to bring healthy options to all residents of all economic levels
of St. Johns County.
Community Collaboration
“Every cucumber you’re buying today helps pay a farmer’s
mortgage,” says Executive Director Malea Guiriba.
“Every $1.50 for a tomato goes back into the community.
The impact is so far reaching.”
Guiriba has big dreams and an even bigger heart for the
community. Her desire for sustainable change in underserved
areas is unquenchable and contributes to the success
of this program.
“Ideally, in a pie-in-the-sky world, this food truck is
making nutritional and educational changes for all ages,”
Guiriba says, citing its regular stops in impoverished and
food desert areas.
Her vision is not limited to making healthy food more
accessible. “We affect childhood obesity now,” she says.
“Sixty years from now, this reduces the number of adults
with hypertension. That child we’re getting produce to
now…well, we’ve affected her whole life span. The truck
is not just about food. It’s about access to nutrition, education,
supporting the farmers we buy from - everything we
do is about so much more.”
During a stop one day, Guiriba gestured for a market
ambassador to help a customer grab a second watermelon.
“You can have an extra one free,” she says. “We have plenty.”
“At the end of the day, we don’t waste any of it,” she
says. “We sell it discounted to feed the homeless, help
farm workers and feed 20 homebound senior citizens in
Hastings.”
Food Desert: urban neighborhoods and rural towns without ready
access to fresh, healthy, and affordable food.
healthsourcemag.com 31