WORCESTER—Fresh, locally grown food rolls back into Worcester’s neighborhoods when the Regional Environmental Council’s Mobile Farmers Market launches its winter and spring season on Tuesday, Jan. 20.
The weekly markets run through April 30, continuing REC’s effort to bring affordable produce directly to residents across the city during months when access to fresh food can be especially limited. According to an REC announcement, the mobile markets are designed to meet people where they are, offering seasonal fruits and vegetables in familiar community locations.
Alongside the return of the mobile markets, the Regional Environmental Council is also reopening its Farmers Market online marketplace, allowing residents to pre-order fresh produce and pick it up at neighborhood locations. Online orders can be picked up Tuesdays from 4 to 6 p.m. at the REC office, 108 Beacon St.; Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to noon at the Worcester Community Action Council, 18 Chestnut St.; Thursdays from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. at the Worcester Youth Center, 326 Chandler St.; and Thursdays from 1:30 to 3 p.m. at Elm Park Towers, 425 Pleasant St. The organization said the online marketplace offers the same variety, quality and pricing as the in-person markets.
Both options reflect REC’s broader mission to address food insecurity in Worcester, where poverty and limited access to healthy food continue to affect many neighborhoods. The organization notes that these disparities have become even more visible in recent years, reinforcing the need for community-based food access programs.
The winter-spring season features weekly Mobile Farmers Market stops on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays at locations across Worcester. On Tuesdays, the market hits the Worcester Senior Center, 128 Providence St., from 9:30-11 a.m., followed by Webster Square Towers, 1060 Main St., from 1-2:30 p.m., before stopping at the Regional Environmental Council offices, 108 Beacon St., from 4-6 p.m.
On Wednesdays, the market sets up at the Worcester Community Action Council, 18 Chestnut St., from 10 a.m. to noon, with parking and entrance available at 1 Maple Place. Thursday stops include the Worcester Youth Center, 326 Chandler St., from 9:30-11:30 a.m., and Elm Park Towers, 425 Pleasant St., from 1:30-3 p.m.
Payments at the markets and pickup sites are made in person, with REC accepting cash, credit and debit cards, SNAP/EBT, the Healthy Incentives Program and seasonal senior and WIC Farmers Market coupons.
REC’s mobile markets typically feature a rotating selection of produce based on availability, including staples such as apples, potatoes, carrots, broccoli, squash and citrus, along with other fruits and vegetables as the season allows.
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