As we’ve all seen by now, the food truck movement has done wonders to launch the inspiration for many a mobile venture. The success of packaging your product inside an attractive large van to peddle in city streets and events has lead to the creation of mobile Fashion Businesses, Barber Shops, and of course even more food trucks. Once more this yields not just a fun and interesting new concept in the world of food delivery, but something pivotal within the health of a community.
For once we don’t have to specifically get all our amazingly fresh, local farmed produce specifically from farmer’s markets and decent co-ops. Fresh Produce Food Trucks are now popping up in various cities, parking in city streets and outside businesses to offer bunches of fresh fruit, veggies, herbs, or whatever produce is on hand. Some even come with chefs and menus to offer delicious lunch/dinner options created from these offerings, a complete double-threat! But these trucks do more than just excite us with their almost hipster-esque concepts and good food, quite a few now and many in the future are being developed and researched to deal with one of the bigger social issues that we’ve more recently discovered has been plaguing cities throughout the country, what are being called “Food Deserts.”
For those not yet aware of this phenomena, it basically refers to the many urban cities that contain absolutely nothing in terms of Supermarkets, Co-ops, Farmers Markets, or any source of business where they can acquire produce, meats, frozen food, canned food, really any kind of proper food source within a LARGE radius, keeping residents away from affordable and healthy food options. Often the only way they can get food without having to embark on more intense travel means is through gas stations/convenience stores filled with junk and restaurants, or which really just ends up meaning fast food. They are poor, horrible communities that have lead to bad living conditions and even worse health and nutrition issues for people who would probably kill to get a decent chance at acquiring real food every now and then.
But with the rising trends and popularity in food trucks, the idea and ability to create ones focusing on being a mobile marketplace is now feasible. These veggies-on-wheels startups can now drive straight into these communities to give them what they need, majorly helping to deal with this crisis and inspiring others throughout the country to research it themselves.
With baskets filled of fresh options and wonderful employees looking to make a difference, these trucks are rolling out to the delights and benefits of many. Here’s just a few examples of those helping to drive this movement.
Mill Village Mobile Market
A full farm-to-trailer in Fort Worth rather dedicated to the Food Desert issue, also setting up at local farm fresh events.
Real Food Farm
An interesting operation, the Real Food Farm grows its own produce on a six-acre plot and ships it out as a mobile market in multiple trucks, its Baltimore business has slowly grown in the past seven years, and even hosts field trips for area youths to the farms.
Fresh Truck
Boston’s market-in-a-bus, customers can actually walk in and through it where everything is on display for the benefit of the populace.
FoodShare’s Mobile Good Food Market
Another fleet of mobile market trucks, these ones tackling the food deserts that have popped up in Toronto, Canada.
It’ll take some time to see the effects, but we definitely hope that this trend is one that STAYS and grows to as big a movement as the original food trucks were. And with some of these places having been going strong for a few years, it doesn’t seem that unlikely. Who knows, maybe you’ll be the next person in line to change your community and make a living with a vegetable van. Don’t forget to save some extra carrots for us!
If you’re considering a build for a mobile grocery truck, don’t hesitate to reach out to us at 904-397-0246 with questions.
