In 2009, six women shared a vision of providing members of the Savannah, Georgia, community an inclusive place to purchase locally grown food while addressing food access issues.
After overcoming logistical challenges, the Forsyth Farmers Market established its home in the historic Forsyth Park in Savannah, providing central access for community attendees. The producer-only market features vendors who produce at least 75% of the products they sell. Over the years, the market has continued to grow by incorporating a mobile farmers market and nutrition education programs called Farm Truck 912.
In 2015, through funding from USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) Food Insecurity Nutrition Incentive Program (FINI), Forsyth Farmers Market worked to improve and expand the reach of the Farm Truck 912 program. The mobile market connected Savannah’s neighborhoods to locally grown food. Those participating in the SNAP program were provided a dollar-for-dollar match fruit and vegetable incentive on purchases from the truck. The program was able to increase its number of stop locations. Building on FINI funding, Farm Truck 912 continues to offer community outreach efforts.
This past year Farm Truck 912:
- Served more than 400 people weekly.
- Purchased more than 130,000 lbs. of produce from local farmers.
- Increased from 18 to more than 30 weekly community stops and ‘pop-ups.’
Currently, Forsyth Farmers Market is utilizing a NIFA Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program- Produce Prescription (GusNIP-PPR) grant to expand its 912 Food Farmacy Program — which offers participants a free nutrition class each month along with produce prescriptions from their healthcare providers that can be used at the Forsyth Farmers Market or on Farm Truck 912. Forsyth Farmers Market is partnering with five local health clinics to serve individuals with low-income who have or are at risk for diet-related chronic diseases.
This project focuses on improving community health through nutrition education, increased access to fresh and local foods, and prescriptions for fresh fruits and vegetables. The project is designed to meet the objectives of NIFA’s GusNIP-PPR.
This past year 912 Food Farmacy:
- Purchased more than $40,000 of fresh fruits and vegetables from local farmers.
- Averaged more than $200/day in produce moved into Savannah's communities.
- Provided more than 2,200 people with educational demos, recipes and tastings.
“The 912 Food Farmacy and the Forsyth Farmers Market have significantly impacted the Savannah community by improving access to fruits and vegetables and promoting nutrition education,” said Asia Harold, Forsyth Farmers Market director of community engagement. “Our initiatives, like doubling SNAP benefits and the mobile market, have helped address barriers to accessing fresh fruits and vegetables.”
Visit NIFA’s website to learn more about the agency’s Food and Nutrition Security efforts.