ADVERTISEMENT

    Video: Cooking on a Budget with Local Matters

    Local Matters, an organization addressing food insecurity, is bringing back their Veggie Van. First introduced in 2009, the Veggie Van has recently received an influx of funding to get it back on the streets in neighborhoods without easy access to fresh, organic produce.

    ADVERTISEMENT

    Tori Strickland, Director of Programs for Local Matters, says this newest iteration is more like Veggie Van 5.0. With a $50 thousand grant from the University at Buffalo to fund mobile food retail efforts, and an additional $50 thousand grant from the Franklin County Catalyst Grant Program, Local Matters is now able to offer not just fresh produce, but shelf-stable items, on-site nutrition education and cooking demos.

    Learn more about cooking on a budget of $10 or less

    “We talk a lot around one of our main concepts, which is being able to feed a family of four with $10 or less, and embody what it means to create and source healthy meals on a budget,” Strickland says.

    Along with produce, customers can find rice and beans, oils, vinegars and seasonings to round out their meals.

    Because they’re considered more like a farmers market, Local Matters’ Veggie Van doesn’t currently accept WIC, though they’re working to change that. But, they do accept SNAP.

    The van will travel through three at-risk neighborhoods: Linden, Hilltop and the Near East Side. For consistency, the Veggie Van will appear at the same location at the same time each week. 

    On Tuesday from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., it’ll be at the Trio Pharmacy in Linden. On Tuesdays from 2 to 4 p.m. it’ll be at Poindexter Place on the Near East Side. Thursdays they’ll stop at Franklinton Farms from 3 to 6:30 p.m.. And Fridays they’ll be at the King-Lincoln Equitas Healthcare facility from 3 to 5 p.m.

    Visit localmatters.org for more information, and subscribe to the Columbus Underground YouTube Channel for more video updates!

    ADVERTISEMENT

    Subscribe

    More to Explore:

    Ohio Food Banks Seeing Record High Demand

    As Ohio food banks see record-breaking amounts of need, the state is also at risk of losing federal funding that could help residents get essential needs and boosts in employment.

    Behind the Scenes at Shadowbox Live’s Costume Department

    The costume department at Shadowbox Live is an 8-year-old’s...

    Where to Karaoke in Columbus (Almost) Every Night of the Week

    Columbus is the karaoke capital of the U.S.That isn’t...
    Lauren Sega
    Lauren Segahttps://columbusunderground.com
    Lauren Sega is the former Associate Editor for Columbus Underground and a current freelance writer for CU. She covers political issues on the local and state levels, as well as local food and restaurant news. She grew up near Cleveland, graduated from Ohio University's Scripps School of Journalism, and loves running, traveling and hiking.
    ADVERTISEMENT