Mobile food market partners with Columbia organizations, expands reach

The city of Columbia and Toms Creek Family Farm are making improvements to a program designed to help address public health and food insecurity in the 29203 and 29204 zip codes.

The pilot food market program, launched in March, has made adjustments throughout its first year, including location changes and popular produce monitoring. The mobile market parks in different locations throughout north Columbia each weekday and visits the Soda City market on Main Street on Saturdays.

Ayesha Driggars, director of the Office of Business Opportunities, said partnerships have helped reach residents in the area. Toms Creek partnered with The COMET in July to advertise which routes will bring people to stops by the market, depending on the day and the trailer’s location. 

“I thought that was a really neat way to advertise the availability of the market on each day,” Driggars said. “So they know, ‘OK, I have some time in between when I need to catch my next bus or have some time on my way home. And I can stop at this on this route to pick up groceries before I walk home.’”

The Palmetto Citizens Credit Union also partnered with the program to help support the market for a year, and the state Department of Public Health has hosted cooking classes with produce from the market.

Larry Schneeberger runs the market and works closely with Driggars to serve the communities. He makes sure to stock up on popular items and give the city feedback on locations and their visibility from the street. 

“When he first started, he noticed that we needed more eggs,” Driggars said. “So he started bringing more eggs on the trailer, just really kind of making sure he keeps an ear to what the customers want. I think that’s the neat thing about having such a local-type business. They can easily adjust to the market.”

Larry’s niece, Tess Schneeberger, works at the mobile market four days a week. Each stop throughout the week has a few regulars who come to purchase produce, and she said she gets to see everyone. 

“Sometimes they’ll come back the following week,” Tess Schneeberger said. “They’ll talk about the family dinners they make or if they buy specific stuff for a holiday. It’s just great seeing everyone enjoy it.” 

She said she’s inspired by her uncle, and that it’s “crazy” to see her family make a difference. 

“We started small,” she said. “We actually started as an olive tree farm back in 2017, and it’s kind of just exploded into livestock, into fresh produce. And now that we’ve partnered with the city, we get to help out local communities and bring them food if they don’t have access.”

Toms Creek also helps bring fresh produce, coffee, baked goods and lunches to the Vista through the Farmers Market XChange, at the corner of Lady and Lincoln streets. Abby Anderson, the executive director of the Congaree Vista Guild said Larry Schneeberger is “excellent.”

“He’s got a great background,” Anderson said. “It’s really great that he’s got such a good relationship with the city to have that mobile market out six days a week … throughout the city, giving residents of Columbia an option to get good, fresh food.”

Driggars said other areas have contacted Schneeberger to see if the mobile market could travel to different cities and counties. 

“I think that just goes to show that a lot of communities in our state as a whole are facing food insecurities and looking for creative ways to address those needs,” Driggars said. 

The University of South Carolina plans to conduct a healthy food intake study to monitor the influence of the program on the community, Driggars said. She hopes the market can increase its effect over time. 

“It definitely doesn’t solve the problem, but it provides a solution to address the needs of the community,” Driggars said. “I’m sure they would like for the truck to be out there every day, but we have had to go to different communities. But it is meeting the need, and I think the community has received it well.”