Urban Growers Collective’s goal is to bring the benefits of healthy, locally grown produce and other foods to Chicago’s communities while supporting the growth of Chicago’s urban farmers.

Urban Growers Collective’s Fresh Moves Mobile Market uses converted city buses as mobile farmers markets. ‘The produce aisle on wheels’  works toward closing the ‘food access’ gap by bringing produce to schools, community and health centers — places that folks already frequent — to help customers easily buy nutritious produce. Customers board bus and fill their bags with delicious local vegetables, produce and fruit.  Produce is priced to be affordable for all and fair return for the farmers. 

Fresh Moves has the renewed opportunity to support healthy dietary choices and through access to consistent good food, support and information and health and school partners to provide a web of support to reverse diet related diseases and health disparities. Connecting with children and their families is a critical concern.

Fresh Moves is made possible by our generous sponsors: Barilla US, the Rosenthal Foundation, the Conagra Brands Foundation and customers like you.

Keep us on the move by donating here!

Covid-19 ‘No-Contact’ Produce Pick-up

Urban Growers Collective is offering a no-contact produce pick-up at the South Chicago Farm. We are offering a rotating selection of farm fresh produce, which may include spinach, spring onions, chickweed, and lettuces. There is also a selection of produce from Marano’s Wholesale Market, our Fresh Moves Partner, which includes items that will store longer in refrigeration. Urban Growers Collective is matching purchases with donations to our Fresh Moves Mobile Market customers.

For produce selection and ordering details, please click here.

Fresh Moves Mobile Farmers’ Market

Please note that the Fresh Moves Mobile Market is temporarily suspended during the mandated state-wide “Stay in Place” order.  We are donating produce to those organizations with residents living on site. To make a donation to provide produce to these residents, please donate here.

FRESH MOVES MOBILE MARKET SCHEDULE

During the winter months, find us inside!

MONDAYS:

• 12:00pm – 1:30pm: Trina Davila Community Service Center, 4300 W. North Avenue
• 2:00pm – 3:30pm: North Kostner Health Center, 1520 N. Kostner Avenue

TUESDAYS:

• 11:00am – 1:00pm: Thresholds South & Howard Brown Health at Thresholds, 718 W. 47th Street
• 2:30pm – 4:00pm: Claretian Associates: Villa Guadalupe Senior Services, 3201 E. 91st Street

WEDNSEDAYS:

• 10:00am – 11:30am: Chicago Family Health, 9199 S. Exchange Avenue
• 1:00pm – 3:00pm: Howard Brown Health, 63rd Street, 641 W. 63rd Street

THURSDAYS:

• 12:00pm – 1:30pm: King Center, 4314 S. Cottage Grove
• 3:00pm – 4:30pm: Komed Holman Health Center, 4259 S. Berkeley Avenue

FRIDAYS:

• 11:00am – 1:00pm: Heartland Alliance, 5501 S. Halsted Street
• 2:30pm – 4:00pm: Howard Brown Health, 1525 E. 55th Street

Follow us on Instagram: @FreshMovesChi

Watch our work at the Howard Brown Center!

A little Background into Fresh Moves Mobile Market

Fresh Moves was formerly a program of Growing Power, Inc. and Food Desert Action, Inc. Below is the press release from 2015.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Growing Power Chicago Director Erika Allen announced a $100,000 federal grant to launch mobile markets in Chicago with two Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) buses no longer in service. This investment will enable Growing Power to provide locally-grown organic and sustainable foods to ten neighborhoods on Chicago’s south and west sides. In June 2012, Mayor Emanuel and USDA Secretary Vilsack announced a first round of federal funding to completely retrofit an out-of-service CTA bus into a fully-operational mobile market.

“Public and private investments in programs like Fresh Moves Mobile Markets are helping to ensure that all Chicago families have access to affordable, fresh and healthy food, neighborhood services and the investments in infrastructure, education and public space that create the vital communities of tomorrow,” said Mayor Rahm Emanuel. “I thank Secretary Vilsack for recognizing the efforts Chicago is making towards our goal to reduce the number of Chicagoans that live without easy access to fresh, healthy food, and thank Growing Power which continues to be a vigilant partner in these efforts.”

This investment means that Growing Power can expand mobile markets into some of the most underserved communities on the west and south sides of Chicago, including North Lawndale, Austin, Garfield Park, Washington Park, Englewood, Roseland, Woodlawn, Grand Boulevard, Fuller Park and South Shore. The buses will make stops at health clinics, schools, day care centers, farmers markets, parks, housing complexes and other community sites to bring fresh, locally grown produce to community residents.