Mobile market brings fresh NC produce to food deserts across NC

The nonprofit pay-what-you-can grocery store takes fresh produce to areas that are in food deserts — like the town of Littleton in Halifax County.

Food deserts are areas without markets or grocery stores where easy access to healthy produce doesn't exist.

"Statistically, every year, 40% of farmers’ crops are lost or left in the field because they don’t have a home for that produce. That food essentially goes to waste," said Will Kornegay, founder and CEO of Ripe Revival.

"And at the same time, one in eight families are food insecure. Which is really a paradox that we want to solve," he added.

Kornegay says since launching his mobile market over a month ago, the bus he's converted to a mobile grocery store has helped close to 300 families.

Ripe Revival officially launched in 2019 as a partnership with organizations like the NC Sweet Potato Commission and Tidewater Grain.

The nonprofit will soon have a fleet of seven buses to go into communities in need in 14 North Carolina counties.

"Our goal is to help farmers find outlets for their crops, and to help families have access to healthy and affordable food," Kornegay said.

They're not just relying on buses to get healthy foods to families. Ripe Revival's newest effort is taking place entirely online.

Chef Ashleigh Fleming at Blue Jay Bistro has partnered with Ripe Revival to help teach people how to cook on live stream using local produce. People watching her live stream are cooking along with her using meal kit boxes delivered to them from Ripe Revival.

"We’re really excited to go through everything tonight, step-by-step, make everything really approachable and as easy as we can," she said. "And it’s all for a good cause so that we can benefit the Ripe Revival Mobile Market program."

Along with raising money for the mobile markets, it's another way to give North Carolina produce a second life.

"It’s important people feel connected to the food that they eat," Fleming said. "Anytime that we get a chance to go into people’s homes and sort of make cooking more approachable, make it a little bit easier, take the stress work out of it, I think that’s a good day."

Kornegay has also converted the back of their bus into a mobile podcast studio so they can tell the stories of the families they meet in food deserts.