The Green Machine Routing Meeting

Promoting Food Security in Memphis’ Poorest

Neighborhoods

Saint Patrick Community Outreach Center, Vance Avenue Choice Neighborhood, U of M,

Healthy Memphis Common Table, and MATA

The Memphis Green Machine: A Mobile Food Market for the Bluff City

Origins of the Proposal Memphis was successful in

securing a HUD Choice Neighborhood Planning Grant for the Vance Avenue community

The goal of this grant is to create and implement a comprehensive transformation plan designed to improve the overall quality of life

Food access was identified by local stakeholders as one of the neighborhood’s top three redevelopment issues at its very first meeting in July of 2011

What do we know?

Tennessee is 47th in overall health

4 of 10 top causes of death within TN are food-related diseases

Health challenges facing the state are most profound in high-poverty areas such as Vance Avenue

Memphis: The Sahara of Urban Food Deserts

A Snapshot of Vance Avenue Total population of 3,800 Median income is less than one –

third that of the state Approximately three in four

families live in poverty Less than one in three families have

access to private automobiles Nearest groceries are located 2.5

and 3.0 miles from the neighborhood

Families are forced to purchase a disproportionate share of their groceries from local convenience stores – not a great option!

Impressive Gains Achieved by the Memphis Food Security Movement!

Increase in community gardening New neighborhood-based farmers

markets Higher rate of CSA participation New efforts to attract full service

supermarkets Removal of cumbersome

regulatory barriers – UDC Changes Still, many poor families lack

basic access to fresh, affordable, and culturally appropriate foods, especially fruits and vegetables

Why a mobile food Market?

Steering Committee Formation

Creation of Research Design

Data Collection

Data Analysis

Visioning

Goal FormationSelection of

Specific Objectives

Design of Action Plan

Implement the Plan

Increasing Awareness

Evaluation

Intelligence

Design

Choice

Community Nutrition InitiativeImmediateYear 1 & 2

IntermediateYear 3 & 4

Long TermYears 4-7

Common Ground GardenOrganized local parish

members and community residents to develop a

cooperatively produced and managed community garden. Local re-entry program helps tend the garden in return for

fresh herbs. Youth sell canned items at South

Memphis Farmers Market. There is no fence!

Spring Health FairOrganize local community,

health, and cultural organizations for an annual

spring fair where residents of Foote Homes have the opportunity to listen to music, receive health

information, participate in health screenings, and get referrals to local providers.

Local Foods InitiativeProvide access to healthy

foods and culturally-appropriate nutrition

information via a mobile food store. Use this program to meet an initial need and

demonstrate the existence of a local market. Build upon

this success to create a cooperatively owned food

store that could be replicated.

We have Oprah to Thank! Vance Avenue Choice Neighborhood

Initiative formed a Food Security Taskforce under the leadership of Cathy Winterburn to investigate “best practices”

Initial research focused on “pop-up” retail stores

Through Oprah Magazine the group learned about Chicago’s highly successful FRESH MOVES – mobile food market

The Taskforce subsequently contacted Fresh Moves, established a relationship and began benchmarking and strategic business planning

FRESH MOVES in a Nutshell!

Newly organized non-profit dedicated to addressing food access in Chicago

Secured a retired CTA bus With the help of Architecture for

Humanity transformed it into an attractive mobile food market

Makes fifteen stops each week at public and non-profit agencies where they sell high quality, farm fresh, fruits and vegetables to those without access to full service markets

Hopes to be self-sufficient in three years.

The Green Machine Scheme Retrofit a MATA bus to serve as a mobile farmers

market and nutrition/wellness teaching/learning space (ADA Accessible)

Make regular stops (2-3 hours) at three locations each day, within underserved city neighborhoods, Mondays Through Fridays

Sell high quality, farm fresh, culturally appropriate fruits, vegetables, and dried goods

Offer regular give-aways to encourage families to try new (healthy) choices

Also, provide attractive and easy to read nutritional, health, and wellness information and counseling

Accept all forms of payment via a wireless EBT system

Make a serious effort to monitor and evaluate the impact of the bus adjusting our goods and services accordingly (participatory formative evaluation)

The Green Machine

Getting the Bus Rolling in Memphis!

FRESH MOVES and AFH has provided invaluable technical assistance regarding adapting the bus, sourcing, staffing, and pricing

MATA has leased us a bus for $1 a year and provided critical technical assistance in terms of retrofitting, ADA compliance, security, servicing and advertising info

St. Patrick Community Outreach Center has agreed to manage the bus project

Archer-Malmo has helped with naming, branding, and promotion of the bus

Additional Help From Our Friends! Looney Ricks Kiss has provided

alternative retrofit designs and has prepared detailed construction drawings

Annie Bass, an African American/women owned firm, has agreed to undertake the actual retrofitting

UT Nursing Program is providing health data, a workable evaluation framework, and nutrition education materials

Channel Five, the Commercial Appeal and the Memphis Flyer have provided excellent news coverage

Met with Urban Farms/BCDC to explore collaboration on supply

Healthy Memphis Common Table has offered to serve as the project’s fiscal agent

Mid-South Food Bank has agreed to offer some free food items, nutrition education materials, as well as supply and logistics assistance

Met with Tony Geraci of the MCS regarding cooperation on siting and education

Easy Way has agreed to work with us as our primary supplier

The City has agreed to help with siting, marketing, and electrical supply to reduce idling emissions

Growing list of financial supports – The Community Fund and FedEX

Estimated Project CostsExpenses

Bus Retrofit $60,000Start-up $15,000Launch $15,000Operations $250,000Total $340,000

Income

Advertising $40,000Foundations $175,000Corporate $75,000Sales $60,000Total $350,000

THE PROCESS

Finalizing market research using Population and Business Census Data and GIS

Tweaking the business model as a social enterprise with a Year Four Break-Even Point

Established An Advisory Group: SPOC, HMCT, U of M, and UT Nursing (MSFB) to oversee operations

Identified a physical home for the business: St. Patrick Learning Center Finalize supply arrangements Complete the needed fundraising Determine initial routing and stops Recruit, hire, and train staff (Regional farmers and wholesalers) Prepare for launch (September 17, 2012)

Final Take – Our USP It addresses a critical need in a creative manner that has already been tested It emerged from a community-based and resident-led process (buy-in) A unique partnership of public, private, non-profit organizations have come together to make

it happen We have an experienced and able sponsor with inspired leadership – St. Patrick’s (50 years of

food ministry in the heart of the city) The University has demonstrated an ability to get these projects done (South Memphis

Farmers Market) The project is unique in its ability to become self-sustaining Advances other critical community development objectives: living wage employment,

neighborhood stabilization, place-making Its flexibility allows us to respond to changing needs; what if we get a store in Uptown –

Great! Shift the bus to another neighborhood! Potential to add new services: diabetes education and exchange; the bread truck? Lays the foundation for a community-based, neighborhood-controlled producer/consumer

food coop – WeBe’s (Inspired by DuBois call for a cooperative approach to economic development within the African American community.

Routing Criterion Minimum density threshold – 1,000 family

per Census Tracts High poverty areas – Census Tracts

exceeding 40% below poverty Distance from healthy food sources- full

service supermarkets, farmers markets and Easy Ways

High density affordable housing complexes Major arterials easy for buses to travel and

offering high visibility (Existing MATA routes)

5 Weekly Routes3 – 5 Stops Daily

1. Center City2. South Memphis3. Midtown East4. Uptown/North Memphis5. Raleigh/Frayser

?

Funding OpportunitiesAny we’ve missed?

Community Foundation

Baptist Foundation First Tennessee Assisi Grizzlies Boardman Hyde Plough Foundation Memphis Bioworks

Poplar Foundation United Way Memphis

Leadership International

Paper Rise FedEx Autozone Kemmons Wilson Women’s

Foundation Belz Foundation Reginald Wurzburn John Dustin

Buckman Hope Christian Hershey Rose Blue Cross Blue

Shield BNSF

Advertising Opportunities Who do you suggest?

For More Information

The Memphis Green Machine A project of the Vance Avenue Choice Neighborhood

Initiative

Saint Patrick Community Outreach Center Inc.277 South Fourth Street

Memphis, Tennessee 38126901-527-2542

www.stpatsmemphis.org