By Diane Church, Reminder News

Roger LaChance amid the produce at the Mobile Farmers’ Market, in Windsor Locks. Photo by Diane Church.

As interest in fresh local, food has grown, farmers’ markets have been popping up in nearly every town. Advocates have lauded the markets’ seasonal produce, which is picked and sold at its peak of ripeness. Eliminating middlemen allow the farmers to sell their fruits and vegetables at lower prices than supermarkets, and the farmer is often available to answer questions.

But some people can’t get to the farmers’ markets. For them, Yummy Connecticut has the answer with its Mobile Farmers’ Market, which made a special stop at the Windsor Locks October Festival on Oct. 5. The big green school bus has a large awning that attaches to one side. Plastic bins hang on hooks on the side of the bus, filled with onions from Plainville, apples grown in East Windsor, and green beans from East Glastonbury.

Under the awning, tables are set up to hold the packaged products, including soaps, tortilla chips, hot sauce, cookies, soda and bread that are all made by small manufacturers in the state.

Roger LaChance heads the Mobile Farmers’ Market operation, and he is familiar with the produce and where it comes from. He can tell you the GMO-free popcorn is grown in Enfield and the French baguettes are made by a French woman.

“We represent over 20 companies and 150 products,” he said. “Every product has a story.”

LaChance, who worked in manufacturing until a few years ago, got the idea for the farmers’ market on wheels after seeing an article in a magazine about a woman who made a bus into a used furniture store. He did some online research and found similar mobile markets in Virginia and Tennessee, but they didn’t have the local emphasis.
“I told them about what I wanted to do and they thought it was great,” he said. “We bring not just food, but Connecticut-made food.”

Yummy Connecticut is part of REL Distributors, which distributes the local goods to supermarkets in the state, so LaChance has the connections to the local products. He gets the produce at the Hartford Regional Market.

As of Oct. 1, the Mobile Farmers’ Market is a benefit corporation. The benefit corporation is a new legal structure for social enterprises, businesses structured to solve social or environmental problems and/or apply all or a portion of their profits to solve those problems. The goal of the new legislation is to enable social entrepreneurs to catalyze a new wave of commercial innovation, job creation and economic development.

The benefit corporation is designed to accommodate a growing number of entrepreneurs and investors seeking a form of business that allows them to pursue an expanded mission that embraces societal good along with profits.

In the future, LaChance would like to get a larger bus to use in the winter so the Mobile Farmers’ Market could be inside of the bus rather than outside it. He would also like to start an indoor vertical farm in a building, which would create jobs that workers could be easily trained to do. His business partner at REL is Dr. Richard Fu, who makes LED lighting for hydroponic farms, so they have the technical expertise.

“It would be an opportunity to put people to work,” LaChance said. “It could also serve as a training center for people who want to start their own farm.”

Barbara Jaroch worked or 18 years on agriculture and farm issues and is now LaChance’s farm expert. She also makes nature-themed note cards that are sold at the mobile farmers’ market.

“We got to the regional market to pick things out,” she said. “Roger is smart enough to listen to me.”

On Mondays, the Mobile Farmers’ Market is in Windsor Locks, at the Veterans Memorial Park on Southwest Avenue from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., and Dexter Plaza on Main Street from 2 to 5 p.m.

On Tuesday it travels to Manchester and is at the Senior Center on East Middle Turnpike from 9 a.m. to noon, and Nathan Hale School on Spruce Street from 1 to 4 p.m.

On Thursday, it goes to Broad Brook and is at 98 Main St. from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and Mill Pond Village Apartments at 59 Mill Pond Road from 2 to 5 p.m.

Fridays it’s back to Manchester at Robinson Park on North Main Street from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and Cheney Hall on Hartford Road from 2 to 5 p.m.

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