AmigosNAZ staff report
FLAGSTAFF — Market on the Move, a farmer’s market-style program where community members can get up to 60 pounds of fresh produce for a $15 donation, will return to Flagstaff on Wednesday, Dec. 17, Chris Nez, Health Promotion Program manager for the Family Health and Wellness Center / Native Americans for Community Action, reported in a media release.
The market will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Elks Lodge, 2101 N. San Francisco St. It will then return to the Elks Lodge on Feb. 18, March 18, April 15 and May 20.
“I want to personally invite you, your co-workers, family, friends and community members to our first Market On the Move (MOM) series here in Flagstaff,” Nez said. “…MOM events that will be held every 3rd Wednesday of the month (except January 2015) starting this month in December 2014 and will run through May 2015. This event series is in partnership with Hermosa Vida, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Flagstaff and other various non-profit organizations in the Flagstaff area.”
Market on the Move first appeared in Flagstaff on May 7 to a long line of people who were eagerly awaiting the 2:30 p.m. opening at Killip Elementary School. One semi truck arrived in Flagstaff from Phoenix with 36,000 pounds of produce which could service up to 600 families.
“it was a huge success with over 430 families who received fresh produce. Therefore, we have made it possible to bring this event series to our community and surrounding areas,” he said.
The program was started in 2010 as part of the Phoenix-based 3000 Club, a nonprofit organization. Most of the food, about 70 percent, comes from Nogales, Mexico and usually goes to produce brokers who distribute it to local supermarkets. Produce that is rejected because it is not the right shape or is out of demand is usually sent to the landfill. Instead, the rescued produce is loaded on semi trucks and has been distributed to residents in the greater Tucson and Phoenix areas at local churches and other business and community locations.
Organizers report the program rescues more than 30 million pounds of fresh fruits and vegetables from going to waste each year, helps distribute produce to more than 460,000 families in need, feeds nutritional fruits and vegetables to about 920,000 children and helps prevent diabetes.
Click here to see a slideshow of the Market of the Move event in May 2014.