Healthier choices at Trenton's Greenwood Avenue Farmers Market

TRENTON (WPVI) -- The sight of colorful, fresh produce was a big draw at the opening of the new Greenwood Avenue Farmers Market in Trenton, a venture designed to give local residents healthier choices and easy access to fresh food.

"One out of every two children in the city were overweight or obese and when we started to really look at it, it's really about access," Sam Frisby of the New Jersey Partnership for Healthy Kids.

Many people can't or won't leave their neighborhood to find fresh produce.

"Mostly what we see our corner stores that don't have a whole lot of fresh fruits and vegetables having something like a farmers market is vital," Jasmine Hall-Ratliff of Robert Wood Johnson Foundation said.

Spearheaded by the New Jersey Partnership for Healthy Kids and several other groups, farmers will bring their just-picked goods to a parking lot at Greenwood and Hudson.

"We try to keep everything as fresh as possible. We just picked the radishes this morning, all of our greens got picked this morning," Shannon Oiler of Norz Farms said.

"It's good for me because it's not far away where I live. Because I'm disabled," Salve Bemen of Trenton, NJ said.

Locals will be able to get fresh foods here, but this farmers market is offering much more including exercise classes, nutrition lessons and health screenings.

"The idea is this becomes a community place, a place where residents can to go and feel safe. They can do their health needs, they can get their fresh produce, their physical activity. It's a one stop shop," Project Manager Marissa Davis said.

"Seniors, moms with kids, families on SNAP can come here and use their benefits to purchase wonderful New Jersey fresh fruit," USDA Regional Administrator Patricia Dombroski said.

Located near the train station, senior housing and a preschool, the Greenwood Avenue Farmers Market will be open every Monday from 230 p.m. until 6:30 p.m. through the end of October.