SAMM, the Seacoast Area Mobile Market, was launched in 2016 and was the first mobile market program of its kind in New Hampshire.
The goal of SAMM is to create a stronger connection between people of the Seacoast region and the bounty of food that is produced right in their community. We achieve this in the following ways:
1.) Increase access to locally produced food in communities that:
- May lack farmers’ markets of their own,
- Have high concentrations of low-income and food-insecure households
- Are food desserts
- Have a high number of residents with a lack of access to consistent means of transportation
2.) Offer educational visits to area schools, child care centers, or other youth service sites. We introduce local food and farming to kids at an early age so can gain comfort and familiarity with the food system.
3.) Make recurring or regularly scheduled stops at workplaces an employee benefit. Many employers contract SAMM to offer a healthy workplace incentive to their employees by offering fresh local food for sale during the workday.
4.) Participate in one-time or recurring community events hosted by other organizations such as town festivals, police fire and safety events, document shredding events at banks, and other celebratory events. This helps put local food in the spotlight in front of large groups of people.
Aligning with our goal to provide greater access to local foods in all of our Seacoast communities, SAMM is also aimed at spreading and increasing the number of sustainable agricultural businesses in these areas. By sourcing products as locally to market stops as possible, we hope to incentivize and support small scale agricultural businesses in their growth.
To follow SAMM and get updates on our stops and other information, follow us on Instagram @SAMMVAN. If you are interested in supporting our program through volunteering, please contact Celeste Gingras, EducationCoordinator, at [email protected]. Financial contributions are also greatly appreciated and help to further our important mission. Donations made be made securely online at this link.