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What We Do.
A project of the Santa Fe Community Foundation, MoGro is a non-profit mobile grocery service working to support sustainable local food systems and eliminate barriers to affordable healthy food. See the focus of our projects below. |
Rural Food Access: We've Got Ground to Cover
In New Mexico, our rural geography poses an additional burden to families trying to access healthy food. Many community members must drive 60 miles round trip to shop at a full-service grocery store. By any definition, most parts of New Mexico lie in an area with limited food access. MoGro was founded to help address this challenge, by extending community-driven health food distribution sites to these areas. We do this through our unique Food Club model, which brings together community members and local and regional farmers to help bring an end to food insecurity.
In New Mexico, our rural geography poses an additional burden to families trying to access healthy food. Many community members must drive 60 miles round trip to shop at a full-service grocery store. By any definition, most parts of New Mexico lie in an area with limited food access. MoGro was founded to help address this challenge, by extending community-driven health food distribution sites to these areas. We do this through our unique Food Club model, which brings together community members and local and regional farmers to help bring an end to food insecurity.
Urban Food Access: Healthy Food For All Incomes
Access to nutritious food isn't just a problem of distance. Parents in New Mexico's more populated areas face their own challenges when it comes to feeding their families. Vehicle access is a big problem in our state, and public transportation doesn't have the funding it does in many cities. Families that do live near a store aren't always able to keep up with the rising national prices of healthy food. MoGro has expanded it's network to key neighborhoods and community centers in Albuquerque and Santa Fe to put healthy food within reach, and make it affordable.
Access to nutritious food isn't just a problem of distance. Parents in New Mexico's more populated areas face their own challenges when it comes to feeding their families. Vehicle access is a big problem in our state, and public transportation doesn't have the funding it does in many cities. Families that do live near a store aren't always able to keep up with the rising national prices of healthy food. MoGro has expanded it's network to key neighborhoods and community centers in Albuquerque and Santa Fe to put healthy food within reach, and make it affordable.
Cooking Classes For Busy Families
Access to healthy food is a good start, but real change happens when it makes it to dinner tables and lunch boxes.
We're also aware that food is basic to how we relate to each other. Success in changing how we eat starts with people getting together. We organize cooking classes, competitions, and other events to bring out the inherent value (and fun!) in food. Our work is integrated into programs at partner health clinics, wellness centers, and schools.
Access to healthy food is a good start, but real change happens when it makes it to dinner tables and lunch boxes.
We're also aware that food is basic to how we relate to each other. Success in changing how we eat starts with people getting together. We organize cooking classes, competitions, and other events to bring out the inherent value (and fun!) in food. Our work is integrated into programs at partner health clinics, wellness centers, and schools.
Capacity Building With Local Growers
Building healthy food networks is about more than helping families with food access. It's also supporting local communities that grow food. In addition to buying food from local growers when we can, MoGro focuses its efforts on helping pueblo farmers get the resources they need to be a viable business. We support training and consultations for farmers and ranchers about markets, book-keeping, farm management, and grant writing.
Building healthy food networks is about more than helping families with food access. It's also supporting local communities that grow food. In addition to buying food from local growers when we can, MoGro focuses its efforts on helping pueblo farmers get the resources they need to be a viable business. We support training and consultations for farmers and ranchers about markets, book-keeping, farm management, and grant writing.
How We Started.
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MoGro was created by Rick and Beth Schnieders, career experts in food distribution and private philanthropists, as an innovation to overcome barriers to affordability and access to healthy foods in economically distressed communities.
A market survey conducted with Santo Domingo Pueblo identified significant community enthusiasm and need for the project. Since its launch in 2011, MoGro has transitioned into a non-profit and expanded service around Northern New Mexico, and has been enthusiastically received. MoGro now has distributions in 3 Pueblo Health Centers, 2 Community Health Centers, an Arts Education Program, a Community Elementary School, a City Employee Wellness Program, a Community Housing Program, and a volunteer-driven rural delivery route! |
To get a feel for MoGro's impact here in New Mexico, See this short clip put together by our parter, Newman's Own Foundation.
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