Many years ago, people bought food from vendors who pushed carts laden with fresh fruits and vegetables along streets in neighborhoods.
The Jacksonville Transportation Authority and a local nonprofit have taken that idea and added a twist to establish a fresh produce market at the Rosa Parks Transit Station Downtown.
Instead of the food going to the people, the people will be able to go to the food, which will be sold at the authority’s busiest bus station each Friday.
“This will allow people with little or no access to produce an opportunity to purchase fresh fruit and vegetables,” said Betty Burney, founder and executive director of I’m A Star Foundation, which will manage the market in partnership with JTA.
She said the market will help students ages 11-18 who participate in the foundation’s academic and leadership programs learn how to run a business as well as promote healthy eating as a lifestyle and a way to avoid life-threatening conditions.
Larissa Houston, a senior at Raines High School, has been enrolled in I’m A Star for six years. She said the market meets the foundation’s goals to teach young people that if they see a problem, they must solve a problem.
“Our vision is to make Jacksonville one of America’s healthiest cities,” Houston said. “That means eating healthy to live longer and stronger.”
Dr. Kelli Wells, director of the Florida Department of Health in Duval County, said the market will help alleviate “food deserts.” They’re defined as areas where residents lack physical and/or economic access to affordable groceries such as fresh produce, low-fat milk, whole grains and other foods that comprise a healthy diet.
Another definition is living more than 1 mile from a grocery store.
Residents in many neighborhoods rely on convenience stores for their food, which often means high-calorie, high-fat choices that can lead to obesity, along with high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke.
Many residents live in areas where fresh food is not available, or if it is, the cost exceeds what they can afford, even with federal nutrition programs.
According to data from the 2010 U.S. Census, more than 140,000 people — including nearly 26,000 categorized as low-income — live in the 29 census tracts identified as food deserts.
Changing eating habits can improve health, which would benefit not only individuals, but also the community.
“Healthy food is the very best medicine,” Wells said.
Rosa Parks Transit Station was selected as the site for the market because about 40,000 people travel through it each day and many mass transit customers live in food deserts, said JTA CEO Nathaniel Ford.
“Our vision is more than just transportation,” he said. “Good things happen when people pull together.”
The market will be open 10 a.m.-2 p.m. each Friday, beginning next week. Cash, credit cards and EBT cards will be accepted.
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