Yolo County's Mobile Farmers Market expands to include more rural communities, ease access to fresh food
YOLO COUNTY — An agency in Yolo County is on a mission to nourish its neighbors in new ways, making it easier and more affordable for everyone—even those living in the most rural communities—to have convenient access to fresh food.
The Mobile Farmers Market, put on by the Center for Land Based Learning (CLBL), has been successfully serving West Sacramento communities for more than three years.
There, community members have come to rely on the food that is basically brought to their doorstep, especially seniors who are served through the program.
"It is not only making produce more affordable but convenient. We are literally going into the neighborhoods that need us most," said Susie Sutphin, community food program manager for CLBL.
The food trailer is driven to its designated location and serves as a booth like you might see at your standard farmers market, where customers simply come up, shop and pay.
For the first time this summer, the Mobile Farmers Market has now expanded to making weekly stops in Woodland, Knights Landing and Esparto.
"In a town like Knights Landing that doesn't even have a grocery store, we are bringing that grocery store," Sutphin said.
The new market stops have only been up and running for three weeks, but they already have some repeat customers.
Those who stopped by the Knights Landing location near the community center Wednesday afternoon told CBS13 that now that they know it is here, they're excited to use it more.
It's a community where this service is greatly needed.
"Yolo County is the most food insecure county in all of California, placing one out of three Yolo County residents as food insecure," Sutphin said.
Most of those households struggling to keep food on their table are home to people who keep it on yours: farmers and agricultural workers.
Approximately 65% of the Mobile Market's customers use SNAP benefits to purchase their produce, which also allows them to get a 50% discount on all the food.
However, the market is for everyone. All shoppers are met with affordable prices for locally grown produce. Those sales are also helping support small, local farms.
The CLBL has been working to help people pursue careers in agriculture and the environment for the past 30 years.
"As those farmers grow and build their business. They need an outlet to sell their produce. That was one of the first impetuses for the Mobile Farmers Market was to give the farmers that we grew an outlet," Sutphin said.
Plate by plate, they're filling bellies with healthy food and fulfilling a mission to make sure no one goes without.
The markets are in partnership with Yolo County and the local municipalities in each of the cities served, as well as the Health Education Council, Yolo County Health and Human Services, and CalFresh.
To see the schedule for where the Mobile Market stops and when, visit their website.