STL MetroMarket is putting fresh food back on the map

    By Suzanne Vanderhoef

    Most of the time, much of Ferguson, Missouri is a health food desert. But once a week, from May thru November, a spot on West Florissant Avenue in front of the Boys and Girls club turns into a fresh food oasis on wheels.

    “The simple way of saying it is a Metro bus turned into a farmer’s market on wheels,” explains Quinton Ward, Sr. Manager of MetroMarket, Operation Food Search. “We go to different neighborhoods selling groceries at a reduced cost in neighborhoods with limited food access.”

    The goal of MetroMarket is to make it just like any other grocery store experience, especially fresh fruits and vegetables, at an affordable price.

    MetroMarket is run by Operation Food Search (OFS), but its model is very different from its parent company. OFS relies on donations then distributes that food to local pantries. But everything on the MetroMarket bus is purchased from area vendors in the greater St. Louis region.

    MetroMarket operates at locations throughout St. Louis City and County, Wednesday thru Saturday with two stops per day. And, while it’s been around since 2013, the need has only increased, especially since the pandemic. In fact, they expect to serve more than 30,000 people this year.

    “As we all probably have seen, the pandemic and everything that’s happened has only exacerbated the need,” says Ward. “So, things that might not have been close to home for people before, are now hitting more directly. So, whether that’s gas prices or even just going to the grocery store, it’s more expensive now, and so the need for the MetroMarket is even that much more.”