Story in Brief
The DeKalb County Fresh on DeK Mobile Farmers Market targets communities without access to grocery stores within a one-mile radius. Fresh on DeK also provides an opportunity to learn healthy eating habits and make better decisions about the food that DeKalb County citizens consumes. Due to social distancing and food-handling guidelines during the pandemic, Fresh on Dek provided fresh produce at no cost to various strategic drive-through locations, including recreation centers, senior communities, public libraries, churches and Headstart centers. Residents received a range of pre-bagged produce including sweet potatoes, apples, oranges, corn, broccoli, plums and more. Fresh on DeK moved all in-person educational teachings to online food demonstrations and digital healthy-living handouts. Throughout the 16-week 2020 farmers market season, Fresh on DeK Mobile Farmers Market provided fresh produce to 4,319 residents. This equates to the distribution of about 51,000 pounds of fresh fruits and vegetables at nine community sites around DeKalb County. Fresh on DeK reached 10,181 residents with free produce, online educational opportunities and 16 digitally shared recipes. Fresh on DeK estimated around $50,000 of money saved for families, based on average produce prices.
