When families hear about an SCLT free farmers market pop-up coming to their neighborhood, they know it’s an opportunity not to be missed. These one-time events bring fresh, locally grown produce directly to communities that often lack reliable access to nutritious food.
Through Southside Community Land Trust’s produce aggregation program, families across these communities are discovering that nutritious food doesn’t have to be a luxury. Thanks to the generous support of our season partners – Blue Cross Blue Shield of Rhode Island, United Healthcare, Navigant Credit Union, BankRI, Garden Grille, and Wildflour – SCLT is breaking down the barriers that have long separated nutrition-insecure neighborhoods from fresh, healthy food.
The concept is elegantly simple yet powerfully effective. Our season partners cover the cost of purchasing locally grown produce directly from small-scale farmers across Rhode Island. SCLT then aggregates this fresh bounty and brings it directly to the communities that need it most through pop-up markets in the lowest income, lowest access areas of Providence, Pawtucket, and Central Falls.
In 2024, this collaborative effort resulted in 14 free farmers market pop-ups hosted in partnership with community-based organizations throughout these core cities. The impact was immediate and substantial: thousands of pounds of fresh vegetables, herbs, and honey reached hundreds of nutrition-insecure individuals and families who might otherwise struggle to afford or access such quality produce.
These free farmers market pop-ups represent something far more significant than traditional food distribution. They’re special community events where neighbors connect, children learn about healthy eating, and families can select fresh ingredients with dignity. Each pop-up creates a momentary transformation of the neighborhood, bringing not just food but hope and community connection to areas that often lack access to fresh produce.
This model creates a win-win scenario that strengthens Rhode Island’s entire food ecosystem. Small-scale farmers receive fair compensation for their produce, while families in underserved communities gain access to the freshest local vegetables, herbs, and honey through these special events. The economic impact ripples through the community, supporting local agriculture while addressing food insecurity.
The success of SCLT’s produce aggregation program proves that with the right partnerships and community commitment, we can create meaningful interventions in food access. When businesses, financial institutions, and community organizations come together with a shared vision, they can transform not just individual lives but entire neighborhoods, one pop-up market at a time.
As we continue to expand these free farmers market pop-ups, the partnerships with our season sponsors remain crucial. Their investment goes beyond financial support—it’s a commitment to equity, health, and community resilience. Every pound of fresh produce distributed at these special events represents a step toward a more just and sustainable food system for all Rhode Islanders.
The success of this model shows there’s room for more partners to join this transformative work. Organizations and businesses interested in becoming season sponsors can help bring fresh, locally grown produce to even more communities throughout Rhode Island. To learn more about sponsorship opportunities and how your organization can make a difference in food access, contact Kakeena Castro, Aggregation Program Manager, at kakeena@southsideclt.org.
The free farmers market pop-ups hosted by SCLT prove that access to healthy food is not just a dream but an achievable reality when communities come together with purpose and partners commit to meaningful change.
