JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Clara White Mission officially opened to the public their newest initiative named “Eartha’s Farm and Market” on Saturday morning in Northwest Jacksonville.
Eartha’s Farm and Market, formerly known as the White Harvest Farms, was created to serve people in underserved communities.
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Dozens of vendors surrounded Eartha’s Farm and Market as they launched their grand opening.
Farmers Market Coordinator Trey Ford said food is a basic need for people.
“To be able to provide good food and an area that’s a food desert that doesn’t have groceries around. It’s impactful to me because it raises the whole standard of the city because we don’t want to forget the Northside,” Ford said.
Before Eartha’s Farm and Market was built in the community, people’s only source of fresh produce was about 3 to 5 miles away.
Vendor Mikey Howell, co-owner and founder of Chandanko Farms, said he is excited to have this in the community.
“I got to work for the farm for like a year. And to see like all the energy that went into making this market come to fruition, and to see it, like impacting like making awesome, real food available in this community,” Howell said.
Howell said he would like Eartha’s Farm and Market to be a multi-purpose destination.
“I would love to just see this, like, every weekend, like a destination where people will like, want to come and hang out and for whatever reason, whether it’s to shop and get their groceries, or to like, go hang out on the farm, or to do the community garden. There’s so many things happening here,” Howell said.
The market is located at 4850 Moncrief Road, and Ford said it will be open every Saturday from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m.