PROVIDES reliable and reasonably-priced source of diverse, fresh, high-quality, local and often organic produce to Duke faculty and staff;
GIVES growers a guaranteed way to sell what he/she produced at a fair
price;
BUILDS local rural community's economy by keeping food purchases close to home;
SUPPORTS traditional farmers as they transition to environmentally sustainable and organic production methods.
The mobile market is the first market of its kind at any university. The mobile market is a form of
community supported agriculture (CSA), a concept developed in Japan in the 1960s that encourages small
farmers to provide directly to their local customers. The concept has become increasingly popular in
the United States since the 1980s.
CSAs come in several forms. Workplace or corporate CSAs, such as the mobile market, help busy professionals
get fresh produce at a fair price, delivered to their workplace.
The mobile market is different from traditional farmers markets because shoppers are required to sign-up
and pre-pay for one or more shares. A share represents part of a week's harvest — the types of products
at the mobile market vary by week and by farmer. Some farmers offer share sizes in individual, couple
and family amounts.
LIVE FOR LIFE is managing the Duke Mobile Farmers Market, which was created with help from the Cooperative Extension
Program at North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University and at North Carolina State University,
along with the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
For more information, please see the Mobile Farmers Market Frequently Asked Questions page.
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