Montgomery County, Greater Dayton RTA, Public Health-Dayton & Montgomery County, and Homefull partnered to make the market a reality.
“One of the things we’ve found over the years is that especially people who are transit-dependent have no access to fresh foods and vegetables sometimes in their neighborhoods,” said Greater Dayton RTA CEO Mark Donaghy.
One of those commuters is Sherry Brodnick of Dayton.
“I usually have to go to Kroger’s or Aldi’s for my good food,” she said. “(This is) very convenient because, you see, I live over the bridge and it’s walking distance….”
Tina Patterson, CEO of Homefull, which is the organization that will manage the market, said one of the group’s major goals was to make sure fresh produce is available to people who use food stamp benefits.
“We are proud that we got certified and accredited to do that and so now anytime we sell our produce, we’re fortunate to be able to take the food stamps,” Patterson said.
Public Health Commissioner Jeffrey Cooper said making fresh produce available is key to improving the health of the people of Montgomery County.
“If we don’t have access to healthy food, we don’t have access to a healthy diet, good health is simply out of our reach,” he said.
Dodge said the market will likely expand to include live demonstrations. Though leaders said the market opening is a small step in resolving the the area’s food desert problem, they said they hope it will spur the growth of more markets.
“One of the things I think people talk about in downtown and other neighborhoods is could it be eventually a full-service market at some point and it wouldn’t surprise me at all,” Donaghy.
Brodnick said the market is a sign Dayton is improving.
“Dayton is getting a little bit bigger and better, which we need,” Brodnick said. “This helps out a lot.”
The Market will be open year-round on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from noon to 6 p.m. inside the plaza at the corner of Main and Third streets.
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