In Kentucky, one out of every six children lack access, at times, to enough food for an active, healthy life and limited or uncertain availability of nutritious foods. In some areas of South Central Kentucky, rates of food insecurity among children are as high as one out of every four children. To support families with young children in the South Central region, Dr. Courtney Luecking, Extension Specialist for Nutrition and Health continued to work with community partners on the Mobile Food Market. The Mobile Food Market is a collaboration of four agencies – Glean Kentucky, the Campus Kitchen at the University of Kentucky, Community Action Council, and the University of Kentucky Nutrition Education Program – to redistribute excess fruit and vegetables with nutritious pantry staples and nutrition education resources to families experiencing food insecurity. 

Each community partner plays a valuable role in the weekly operation of the Mobile Food Market. Glean Kentucky recovers excess fresh fruits and vegetables from a local food store and delivers them to the Community Action Council’s central kitchen. In addition to identifying families with children aged 0 – 5 years experiencing food insecurity, the Community Action Council purchases pantry items, packs and delivers healthy food assistance bags. The Campus Kitchen at the University of Kentucky, a partner agency of God’s Pantry Food Bank within the Feeding America network, provides student volunteers and resources to assist packaging. The Kentucky Nutrition Education Program, which encompasses the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education and is administered by the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service, provides targeted nutrition education materials to support families in proper storage, preparation, and use of distributed foods.   

In the first year of operation, the Mobile Food Market recovered approximately 23,000 pounds of fresh produce and distributed 2,539 nutritionally balanced food assistance bags with nutrition education resources to more than 400 families. Families received bags on a three-to-five-week rotation. Dr. Luecking worked with Mrs. Ashly Frank, a dietetics student and intern, to evaluate families’ acceptability and utilization of food assistance bags and education materials. Of the families who completed the online survey, many consumed at least half or more of the fresh fruit (91%) and vegetables (72%) they received. When families did not consume the fresh produce it was because children did not like the fruit or vegetable (36%), the food went bad before it could be consumed (27%), or adults did not like the fruit or vegetable (18%). All families reported nutrition education resources helped them understand how much food children should eat from each food group and to encourage children to eat better. 

Preliminary results indicate the Mobile Food Market is a valuable partnership that yields positive social and environmental impact in South Central Kentucky. One person commented – “They have helped as my family makes $1 too much for food stamps and with three layoffs my husband had this past year, we sometimes had no money for food. Kids ate but my husband and I would skip eating.” Another person noted – “It has provided resources to new food we have never tried and healthier food options.” Input from families and partners has shed light on opportunities for improvement. This feedback will be incorporated during the next steps to translate this model for addressing food waste and food insecurity for wider use around the state.