CRESTWOOD, Ky. — Ben Abell walked through neatly groomed rows of vegetables, pointing out what was growing in early May.
What You Need To Know
- The nonprofit organization New Roots is bringing Fresh Stop Markets to the Louisville area in June
- The markets are held in eight locations twice a month
- Rootbound Farm is one of the farms partnering with New Roots
“We have broccoli over here to our left, and then some kale further down the line,” he said, before squatting down to a cabbage plant. “These leaves will kind of keep growing out and getting a little bigger, but the central leaves will kind of keep forming a little tighter cluster…and that will become the cabbage head.”
For six years, Abell and his wife Bree Pearsall have been growing organic produce on 80 acres of leased land in Oldham County called Rootbound Farm. Some of the farm’s 40 different crops will end up at Fresh Stop Markets in the next few months.
The nonprofit organization New Roots partners with Rootbound Farm and others in Kentucky to bring seasonal fruits and vegetables to eight locations around Louisville, twice a month at a reduced price.
The motto “Fresh food is a basic human right” is painted on the colorful truck that travels to the markets.
“As New Roots says, that they think access to fresh local food is a basic human right, we agree with that, and we’re thrilled that we’re able to leverage their community organizing skills,” Abell said. “(It) gives our work that we do on the farm a deeper sense of purpose when we’re able to engage with the full diversity of our city.”
Travis Brown, operations manager with New Roots, will set up the community-run markets starting the first week of June.
“We actually accept SNAP and EBT benefits and for those low-income families, they’ll either pay $6 if they’re on SNAP or $12 if they’re not,” he said. “Their annual income does not cross a certain point.”
The program is made possible through donations, grants and shareholders, according to Brown.
In an earlier year, it fed as many as 700 families, who took home shares of nine varieties of produce from each market, he said.
“Regardless of who you are, where you come from, you should have the same access to the same food as everyone else," Brown said.
Laneicea Webb will manage the market in Old Louisville this year.
She became a shareholder to change the way her family eats, she said.
"Food is a necessity and you have to be careful about what you put in your body,” she said. "I think it’s wonderful. I think it’s affordable to where, you know, people that are having financial struggles can still eat fresh food, locally grown food. They know where it comes from."
The nonprofit organization partners with other farms.