ABOUT THE MARKET

In 2013, a Food Assessment for the City of Reading was conducted to evaluate food access and insecurity. The assessment revealed that Reading has fewer grocery store establishments per 100,000 people compared to the rest of the state and the country. To address this gap in access to healthy, fresh foods, it is critical to continue strengthening and promoting the farmers’ market network within the city.

Since 2018, the Greater Reading Chamber Alliance had managed the Penn Street Market as part of efforts to support and expand the local food access network. Weekly offerings at the market have included local fresh food vendors, community partners, entertainment, volunteers, and educational programming.

In partnership with the Greater Reading Chamber Alliance, The Food Trust has taken on the management of the Penn Street Market in 2025 to continue the essential work of increasing food access and building relationships within the community.