UAMS hosts free farmers market to bring healthy options to food desert

LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas — February is heart health awareness month and we are highlighting a significant deed in our community.

Little Rock has food deserts and food-insecure households, but thanks to a couple of organizations they are trying to combat these.

At the farmers market, you typically see adults helping those in need, but at this particular one, there was a kid who was making sure he made a difference.

9-year-old Jackson explained how it was his first time volunteering. He and his mom decided to help UAMS and Potluck Food Rescue host a free farmers market.

“We’ve been helping to bring boxes in and get boxes out,” said Jackson.

The 12th Street area in Little Rock is a food desert because there are no grocery stores and healthy food is hard to come by.

So, UAMS has decided to bring food to them and make sure they have not only healthy options but also the information to have a healthy diet.

“It is also a neighborhood that has mostly lower-income pedestrian population, so maybe people don’t have access to ride a car or the bus,” said Mariella Hernandez with UAMS.

Thanks to a grant, UAMS plans to continue to do this at least twice a month with hopes of making Arkansas a healthier state for everyone.

“We’ve had quite a response from the community and we can see there’s a big need which is why we are here,” said Hernandez.

This is the third cost-free farmers market that UAMS has put on with the grant.