The Veggie Van is a seasonal mobile farmers market that provides residents of Niagara Falls and Lackawanna with direct access to fruits and vegetables.
Lackawanna and parts of Niagara Falls are considered food deserts—areas where residents have limited access to fresh, healthy and affordable foods. The Veggie Van helps combat hunger and reduce food insecurity by traveling to these designated areas where community members do not have a grocery store nearby.
All of the food sold is locally sourced from farms in Western New York, which encourages residents to “eat local”. Buying locally grown produce helps support local farmers and provides environmental and economic stability. Local produce is better nutritionally because it is picked at the height of ripeness and therefore packed with vitamins.