East Ave. Market
Dates
Wednesdays: July 10th - September 25th
Time
4 - 6 PM
Location
650 East Ave., corner of East Ave. and 7th St.
Produce on East Ave.
Affordable, culturally appropriate, local produce for our neighbors.
History:
A project of the Wayne Health & Wealth Equity District, the East Ave Market was a direct response to a community-wide needs assessment that indicated access to fresh produce was insufficient for community needs.
Taking inspiration and mentorship from Stephanie Ciner, owner of Wild Field Urban Farm located .6 miles from East Ave., we piloted our project with four dates in 2023. Through a partnership with Kristen Weeks of Grow and Glow Urban Collaborative, we were able to source the majority of our produce from her garden at 23rd and Parade, keeping our supply line as close to East Ave as possible.
These collaborations led to the formation of a coalition with area farmers and the Erie County Health Department to align our vision for the markets and more effectively implement the pay-what-you-can model in low income and low access areas of Erie County.
How it works
What does "pay-what-you-can" mean?
This project is designed to address a community need and support local entrepreneurs. Our model allows our neighbors to access fresh, healthy produce regardless of their financial status. We encourage folks to "take what you need, pay what you can. If you're not able to pay, we're happy to share with you." With a generous sponsorship from Hamot Health Foundation, and the collaborative spirit of farmers and gardeners throughout Erie, we are able to compensate our farmers and pay for operational costs at the coalition's market sites.
What kind of produce do you have?
Our neighbors let us know what kind of produce they want, and we accommodate! For example, many of our East Ave neighbors prefer green tomatoes over ripe beefsteak tomatoes and we can't keep enough collards or kale at the stand! Some struggle with produce that requires kitchen equipment (like eggplant and potatoes) so they request an abundance of cucumbers and cherry tomatoes for easy snacks and salads.
Produce varies with each market depending on what’s in season and harvested by our farmers and gardeners. We make every attempt to feature produce primarily grown within the city limits but, due to high demand, we also source from trusted larger, locally owned county farms.
Partners
We're fortunate to have the support of Erie’s Public Schools Farm to School and GroundWork Erie staff, and the local home gardeners that generously share their produce with us each week.
Are you interested in donating your abundance?
Download and share our flyers:
Pay-What-You-Can Markets PDF: Pay What You Can Market Schedule 2024
