A local farmers' market that helps the needy is getting some federal attention.

Ed Avalos, USDA Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs, will visit the Arcadia Center for Sustainable Food & Agriculture’s Mobile Market stop at the South County Center Thursday afternoon.

Avalos will visit the popular mobile farmers' market to learn about strategies for developing farmer’s markets in underserved communities and exploring the impact of the Bonus Dollars program on nutrition benefit redemption at farmer’s markets.

The Mobile Market offers produce at below-market rates for those in need. Arcadia accepts SNAP benefits, WIC (Women, Infant and Children checks), and Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program checks, and offers a “Bonus Bucks” program, matching these benefits dollar for dollar up to $10. Bonus Bucks offers $20 worth of food for $10 in SNAP, WIC or Senior FMNP.

The Virginia Bonus Bucks program is made possible by partnerships with Inova and Wholesome Wave. 

Arcadia’s Mobile Market is a retrofitted school bus that distributes fresh vegetables, fruit, milk, eggs and meat from Arcadia Farm and other local sustainable producers. The Mobile Market serves neighborhoods that lack healthy, affordable food options by making scheduled, weekly market stops in targeted areas, including two market stops in Virginia and six stops in D.C. The Mobile Market also provides recipes, nutrition information, cooking demos and resources for how to get fresh produce in the area.

The Mobile Market also provides cooking demonstrations, recipes, nutrition information and resources for how to get fresh, local produce elsewhere in the area, and SNAP pre-screening and application assistance. Twice a month, Inova and Fairfax County provide additional nutrition education and SNAP outreach at the South County Center. 

During the school year, the Mobile Market also visits schools in the D.C. metro area. Students learn about where their food comes from, nutrition, and cooking through games, teaching exercises and hands-on activities.

Photo from The Farmers Market.co