CATTARAUGUS — Residents of Cattaraugus and surrounding communities who have insufficient access to fruits and vegetables have a new way to shop for fresh produce.
Saving Grace Outreach now has a Farm Market truck coming to the public parking lot, on the corner of West and Main streets, every first, third and fifth Friday from 9:30 to 10:15 a.m.
This is good news for area residents who don’t have the convenience of a grocery store or produce stand in their community, or may not be able to afford the items when purchased at a traditional grocery store. Now, everyone has the opportunity to stop by the truck to purchase fresh, healthy produce at very affordable prices.
Outreach Director Elizabeth O’Neill said 22 families came the first day, May 2, to pick up produce, and she’s excited to see how many will show up in the coming weeks.
“This is a resource we have needed for so long. It was really cool to see all the families that showed up the first week, and the kids who got excited about the produce,” she said.
“It’s beautiful and very affordable,” O’Neill continued. “The quality is like what we see at Wegmans. When local produce is in season, we will get corn, berries, western New York’s wonderful tomatoes and other produce that New York is known for.”
For the shoppers’ convenience, the truck has a special drop-down counter to display the produce. O’Neill said the produce slides out in little baskets, much like in a grocery store, and it has an awning so people won’t get wet if it’s raining. She recommends shoppers bring their own grocery bags to make it easier, but the market truck has bags as well.
According to a flyer circulated by FeedMore WNY, the Farm Market accepts payment by SNAP cards (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program); Fruit & Veggie RX Produce Bucks; FreshConnect checks; Double Up Food Bucks New York; credit and debit cards and, of course, cash.
O’Neill said the Farm Market is planned to take place year round. The public parking lot, located next to the railroad tracks, is very visible and has ample space for both the market truck and customer parking. She said the market truck also goes up to North Collins, which is why it has to leave at 10:15 a.m. for their next stop.
THE FARM MARKET is a program of FeedMore Western New York. O’Neill said it started as a pilot program in Erie County but, in the beginning, FeedMore WNY didn’t have enough drivers to cover a larger area. She kept reminding FeedMore to let her know when the program would be available for Cattaraugus and her perseverance finally paid off.
“That’s why we were the first ones to get the farm market,” she said. “I’m sure funding, getting another truck and more drivers was part of the holdup as well.”
O’Neill said she’s been trying to get a farm market going in Cattaraugus for three years because the immediate area has no grocery stores or produce stands. She said they are very blessed to have the truck come to Cattaraugus, and she believes Saving Grace is the first in Cattaraugus County to have it.
“When this Farm Market truck first came out, I thought, ‘This is wonderful.’ Not only is it helping farmers and offering local produce when in season, it brings fresh produce at good prices that people can afford,” she said. “I signed up for it right away because I knew Cattaraugus desperately needed fresh produce. I thought it would be a nice gap-filler for a lot of people that can’t get to Walmart or bigger grocery stores to get it.”
O’Neill said the Farm Market is open to the public. She said this is a service for anyone from any town, whether Cattaraugus, Otto, East Otto, Gowanda, Little Valley or other surrounding communities.
“It’s nice to chat with people and get some ideas about what you can do with produce if you have too much of it, how to store it and recipes,” she said. “It’s a really nice resource and, again, it’s for anybody.”
Unrelated to the Farm Market acquired by Saving Grace, O’Neill said a mini-flea market will be held the second and fourth weeks across the street. She said local farmers will bring in fresh produce when it’s in season, and there will be some craft vendors.
Saving Grace Outreach has been an independent 501©(3) since 2011. For more details about the farm market and other services offered by Saving Grace, call (716) 229-2008, email jcjeanoneill@yahoo.com or find Saving Grace Outreach on Facebook. Additional information can be found by calling (716) 822-2002 or online at feedmorewny.org.
