BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — A Buffalo urban farm is working to make fresh, healthy food more affordable as rising prices push fruits and vegetables out of reach for many families.
The Massachusetts Avenue Project has been expanding access to affordable healthy food since it was founded in 1992. The organization's mobile market brings fresh produce directly to Buffalo neighborhoods.
This year, they are offering an in-house discount program called Harvest Savings, providing between 15 and 50 percent off for eligible customers.
Gabriel Montone is the markets director for the Mass Ave. Project. He said food costs have become a serious burden for many people in the city.
"Food prices have just been skyrocketing," Montone said.
He explained the rising cost of fresh, healthy options hits low-income households especially hard.
"You know year over year everyone's been struggling with inflation," Montone said. "Prices for transportation, gas. A lot of that gets passed on to distribution companies, farmers and consumers. I'm definitely trying to combat that by offering as many discount programs as I can."
WATCH: Buffalo urban farm helping to combat 'skyrocketing' cost of fresh produce for families
The problem extends well beyond Buffalo. Advance America surveyed more than 3,000 American families and 51 percent said their diet is less healthy now than two or three years ago. And those buying the same amount of produce are spending approximately $34 more each month.
"Unhealthy food feeds diseases in the areas where we mainly work," said Pastor George Nicholas, CEO of the Buffalo Center for Health Equity. "In the East Side of Buffalo, there are higher rates of diabetes, hypertension."
Nicholas said the high price of healthy food is not a new problem, and while efforts like the Mass Ave. Project are a lifeline for many families, more needs to be done on a larger scale.
"We talk a lot about food as medicine," Nicholas said.
Nicholas suggests a model where insurance pays for healthy food to treat diseases such as diabetes.
"Affordable healthy food is absolutely mandatory if we want to address the issues of public health," Nicholas said.
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