This summer, The Food Trust and Hayday Farms co-hosted a pop-up farm stand at the Firehouse Active Adult Senior Center, an old fire station repurposed as a senior center in West Philly. We had the opportunity to serve 45 seniors who were able to purchase almost $500 dollars in fresh produce, mostly using their vouchers from the Farmers Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) and Food Trust-issued Food Bucks nutrition incentive coupons.
The seniors loved having their “very own farmers market” which had been heavily promoted by Tyra Elam, the activities director at Firehouse. We served many individuals with mobility issues, for whom it would have been challenging to walk to our nearest farmers market at 52nd and Haverford next to Spectrum Community Health Center. This event was also a fantastic opportunity to raise awareness of the Spectrum market and cooking demonstrations hosted by The Food Trust. At this pop-up market, seniors were able to see the produce, the prices and forms of payment, which created quite a buzz. Some quotes from the seniors in attendance included:
“This is fun!”
“What a gorgeous tomato!”
“When are you coming back?”
As to the last question, we’re happy to report that The Food Trust and Hayday Farms will be returning to Firehouse on Wednesday, October 16, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tomato season may be over by then, but we look forward to providing this lively group with a fall bounty of delicious, nutritious produce!