By: Elaine Vidal—
Muncie, IN—After joining forces with local food system advocacy organization, Farmished, the Muncie Food Hub Partnership (MFHP) is rebranding. The MFHP will now be known as Hoosier Roots. The mission of Hoosier Roots remains to nourish and strengthen our community through the robust exchange of fresh and affordable local food.
As a first step toward this mission, Hoosier Roots will launch its mobile market, Hoosier Roots on Wheels, in July 2017. The mobile market will bring fresh, locally produced foods at affordable prices to 15 locations throughout Muncie. The market will accept SNAP and WIC, and will operate Monday through Friday. The schedule of stops will be posted at hoosierrootsfoodhub.org in the coming month.
Joshua Gruver, founder of Hoosier Roots, said a team of Ball State students developed the Hoosier Roots on Wheels concept and business plan.
“We wanted the logo to show that we are committed to nurturing this community’s rich agricultural heritage as we grow and strengthen our food system,” said Gruver, an assistant professor of Natural Resources and Environmental Management.
Ball State University alumna and local artist, Jordan Johnson, created the logo and mascot, “Rooty,” a cartoon carrot.
“Rooty is our way of inviting everyone to try fresh local food,” said Johnson. “People can be intimidated by cooking or trying new flavors, so we wanted a fun, friendly face to welcome everyone.”
In addition to preparing for the launch of Hoosier Roots on Wheels, Hoosier Roots is exploring the development of distribution infrastructure to provide local products to institutional customers. Hoosier Roots will work with business partner, Local Oasis, to provide complete aggregation, processing, and distribution services.
“Hoosier Roots on Wheels is just the first step,” said Gruver, “We hope to expand into wholesale distribution and open larger markets to local farmers.”
For more information about Hoosier Roots and Hoosier Roots on Wheels, visit hoosierrootsfoodhub.org. For questions about Hoosier Roots, email Food Hub Coordinator Elaine Vidal at emdeichmeist@bsu.edu. Jordan Johnson is available for freelance design work, and can be reached at thatonecricket@gmail.com.
The Farmished mission is to provide charitable and educational services that promote a thriving local sustainable food system while increasing wellness and food literacy in the local community.
For more information, go to the Farmished website.
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