Mobile Farmers Market Begins on Campus

UC Merced’s Dining Services is bringing Produce on the Go, a mobile farmers market, to campus from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. every Wednesday, beginning April 1.

The truck will sell fresh, local and sustainably grown fruits, vegetables and dairy products and hand out simple, affordable recipes and preparation tips. Produce on the Go will be located near the other food vendors between the Social Sciences and Management Building and Student Services Building and will accept cash, debit and credit cards, EBT, and CatCards.

During the kickoff on April 1, there will be free tote bag giveaway, food tastings and prize drawings.

Formed under the 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization Make Someone Happy, Produce on the Go has been making stops throughout Merced County since 2013 with a mission of connecting lower-income and underserved community members with the resources that they require to thrive.

Management and business economics major Christopher Bernal, who is an intern at Produce on the Go, has been instrumental in bringing the mobile farmers market to campus by building relationships with campus leaders and spreading the word through marketing efforts.

Making a farmers market accessible to the campus community is in line with the University of California’s Global Food Initiative. Introduced in 2014, the initiative harnesses systemwide resources to address issues of food security, health and sustainability.