Hilltown Mobile Market Launches in Worthington & Huntington

By FRAN RYAN

For the Daily Hampshire Gazette

THURSDAY, JULY 25—Making its debut run in Worthington on Thursday afternoon, the Hilltown Mobile Market was welcomed to town by customers who lined up early to buy farm-fresh produce brought right to town. 

“Today was fantastic!” Seva Tower of the Hilltown Community Development Corporation said. “We are very excited to be doing this and it seems like the people here were too because we already had a line at 2:55.”

For the next 10 weeks, the market will be open on Thursdays from 3 to 5 p.m. in Worthington at The Maples, 48 Old North Road and Fridays in Huntington at Stanton Hall Green, 24 Russell Road. 

Spearheaded by the HCDC, the Hilltown Health Centers and Healthy Hampshire, and other collaborators, the mobile market pilot project was created to increase the availability of fresh produce at a good price.

“We really wanted to make this affordable to families and seniors,” Tower said noting that the location in Worthington is at the Maples Senior Housing.

The produce comes from six local farms: Crabapple Farm in Chesterfield; the Four Corners Farm in Worthington; the Hart Farm in Conway; Intervale Farm in Westhampton; and Sawyer Farm in Worthington. The produce available Thursday were kale, chard, scallions, tomatoes, zucchini cucumbers, summer squash, and fennel.

In addition to on-site sales, a farm share program was created to allow customers to pick up a small weekly share for $5 a week. The Hilltown Mobile Market accepts cash, credit, debit, SNAP, WIC, and Senior FMNP coupons.

According to Tower, the market is a sister project to the Grow Food Northampton Mobile Market.

“This program is different from others because you don't see mobile markets like this in rural areas,” she said, recalling her experience working in Springfield with the Go Fresh mobile market. “The size and scale are different.”

Fletcher Schneeflock, Hilltown Mobile Market manager, said that Thursday's sales were good, with 16 shares picked up and another 40 to 45 people buying produce.

Tower said that if all goes well the program will continue in 2020.

“We are already looking for funding sources for next year,” she said.

The project was made possible by a grant from the Massachusetts Attorney General's Office. For more information on the mobile market visit www.hilltownmobilemarket.info.