NCFST Mobile Market

The Northern Community Food Security Team (NCFST) is partnering with Ripe for Revival to offer a mobile grocery store on the second and fourth Thursday of each month from 3-5 p.m. across from the Northern Regional Center, 350 E. Holding Ave.

The mobile market offers fruits, vegetables, meat and dairy from local and regional farmers on a pay-what-you-can scale.

How it Works

Ripe for Revival utilizes its network of farmer and food industry relationships to narrow the gap between farm excess and food access.

The organization partners with local farmers to bring their extra produce to communities that need access to fresh fruits and vegetables. 

The company purchases “retired” city or school buses, renovates them to include refrigerators and freezers, and transforms them into Mobile Markets that can drive into communities impacted by food insecurity. 

Pay What You Can

Open to everyone, the pay-what-you-can Mobile Market aims to make fresh and local produce, proteins, dairy, eggs, and other food products accessible and affordable to all, regardless of their budget.

The Mobile Market posts ‘suggested’ prices on all items on the bus. Once the shopper has gathered the food they want, they will ring up at the register and receive a ‘suggested price.’ If the shopper can afford to pay the full amount they may, if they cannot, they can choose to ‘pay what they can.’

When shopping, there are some limits on the amount of protein, dairy and eggs a consumer can purchase, but no limits on produce.

At checkout, shoppers will be given a suggested total. Shoppers can then pay the full amount, a portion of that amount, or nothing at all.

Both cash and card payments are accepted, along with Android/Apple Pay.

Pricing

Suggested prices for the food featured on the Mobile Markets are subsidized by donations and community partners, and average about 25 percent less than retail grocery store retail prices.