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Local groups partner to bring affordable, healthy food to Mattapan with mobile farm stand

Print | Comments () Posted by Patrick Rosso August 2, 2012 10:55 AM

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(Image courtesy BR+A+CE)

A rendering of BR+A+CE's mobile food stand.

By Patrick D. Rosso, Town Correspondent

Tackling obesity, diabetes, and healthy eating is always a challenge, but through a very creative solution Building Research + Architecture + Community Exchange, or BR+A+CE for short, and the Mattapan Food and Fitness Coalition hope to bring affordable, nutritious, accessible food to the doorsteps of its neighbors.

The two groups recently partnered to build a mobile farmers’ market stand with the hope of making good food easier to find.

BR+A+CE, a non-profit group, whose members were behind the Big Hammock on the Rose Kennedy Greenway, hopes to fabricate, from scratch, a food stand that can quickly pack up and cycle a few blocks to its next destination.

“Our interest was to bring community arts to the public and increase awareness,” said Hansy Better Barraza, co-founder of BR+A+CE and professor at the Rhode Island School of Design. “After the success [ of the Big Hammock] we created BR+A+CE and for our first project we thought we would cover health and nutrition.”

The mobile stand, which will sit on the back of a modified bicycle, will be able to transport pounds of fresh vegetables from Brookwood Community Farm across the neighborhood, which lacks full-service grocery stores within close proximity.

Though the design of the cart is important, accessibility and ease of transport are where the project really shows its prowess.

With foldout boxes displaying food and the ability to ride through the neighborhood, visiting parks, elderly homes and MBTA stations, the market is a one-stop shop.

“I think the simplicity of it is what’s important,” said Barraza. “If people can’t get to fresh foods, we want to bring it to them. We believe that an interdisciplinary approach uniting art and design professionals with community members ultimately results in a more functional and sustainable project.”

The project, which has been a creative outlet for many of the designers who work as architects, graphic designers, and engineers to pay the bills, will be a major boost for Mattapan and its residents as well.

“We want to make it easier to access healthy nutritious food and make it easier, more affordable and fresh,” said Vivian Morris, chairperson of the Mattapan Food and Fitness Coalition. “On multiple levels it’s a plus for Mattapan. We want to make eating vegetables exciting and accessible.”

The project is still in the works, but the neighborhood is getting excited and Morris said the group is already working on stops for the market, including the Foley Senior Residences on River Street and the Mattapan Square MBTA station.

"This stand will really have three big benefits: visibility, affordability, and employment,” said Morris.

The mobile stand, like traditional farmers’ markets, will accept Bounty Bucks, WIC, and EBT benefits and will be run by a crew of two local youth.

But there’s a catch: the group needs $7,743 to finish the project, which they expect to have completed by mid-August, just in time for the end of the season.

Currently the group has raised roughly $2,000 and has six days left to get all of the money to build a creative tool for tackling health and wellness.

Those interested in contributing or finding out more information about the project can do so by clicking here.

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Email Patrick D. Rosso, patrick.d.rosso@gmail.com. Follow him @PDRosso, or friend him on Facebook.