Groceries on the Geaux brings affordable food straight to local communities

The Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank aims to increase access to food by bringing a mobile grocery store to communities throughout the Capital Region.

Baton Rouge has long had a history of food insecurity, and many communities within the city have very limited access to fresh food. That is why the food bank launched Groceries on the Geaux Mobile Market in September.

Groceries on the Geaux is a new service that will travel directly to food-insecure communities, expanding access to groceries for families, seniors, people without reliable transportation or nearby grocery stores, and people with mobility limitations or a need for more affordable options. 

“Groceries on the Geaux is a mobile market that is designed to bring fresh, nutritious and affordable foods directly into our communities across the greater Baton Rouge area,” says Kyra Muse, nutrition and community services manager at the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank. 

This market will essentially operate as a grocery store on wheels, says Muse, with canned and fresh produce, dairy products, meats, dry goods, and cooking essentials like flour, seasonings and olive oil lining the walls of the 22-foot-long truck.

When they check out, customers can also pick up recipe cards for dishes like vegetable breakfast skillets, Southwest sweet potato and chicken bowls, and frozen banana yogurt bites. 

Groceries in the mobile shop will always be priced below market, Muse says, and customers of Groceries on the Geaux will be able to check out with their preferred payment method, including cash, credit or debit card, or SNAP benefits for eligible purchases.

“We want to make sure that there are as few barriers as possible when it comes to paying for groceries,” Muse says. “Groceries on the Geaux will be a certified SNAP retailer. We want the customer experience to feel welcoming, convenient and dignified.”

Liz Pfifer, president and CEO of the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank, says that Groceries on the Geaux has been a dream of the nonprofit for years now.

“The Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank has talked for years, even before my time, about how we could take what we do and bring it even closer to the people that we serve,” Pfifer says.

With the help of CF Industries and its joint venture partners, JERA and Mitsui & Co., the food bank was able to turn this mobile market dream into a reality. CF Industries, a manufacturer of hydrogen and nitrogen products with a location in Ascension Parish, donated nearly $1.8 million to cover the cost of the delivery vehicle and three years of operating costs. 

“Healthy food access is one of our giving pillars,” says Jackie McCreary, community relations manager for CF Industries. “So when we had this opportunity, along with our joint venture partners JERA and Mitsui, to bring this mobile market to the community, which is something that the food bank has been working on for such a long time, we really were so proud to be able to all stack hands and make this happen.”

The food bank held the launch ceremony for the Groceries on the Geaux program on Sept. 28, but the actual mobile market won’t hit the road until a few more permits are cleared. Once the market gets the go-ahead, its first stop will be Donaldsonville in Ascension Parish.

Muse says the program is starting with a focus on Ascension, Livingston and West Feliciana parishes, with plans to expand service to additional communities throughout the food bank’s 11-parish service area. This expanded service area is home to over 130,500 people living with food insecurity, according to the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank website. 

Just like the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank itself, the Groceries on the Geaux mobile market will operate with the help of community volunteers. 

“It might look like supporting neighbors as they’re shopping, so helping them to make choices,” Pfifer says. “It could [be] help counting their groceries and helping with the payment. It might also look like bagging groceries or something like that. There are lots of lots of different opportunities.”

Community members who want to help out can find volunteer opportunities at the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank website, along with donation opportunities and a map of where to find food.

Though the Groceries on the Geaux program is still in its early stages, Pfifer is hopeful that the mobile market model will expand access to affordable groceries across the Capital Region.

“Maybe in years to come, we’ll have [additional] mobile markets,” Pfifer says. “This could be the beginning of something really exciting.”

For more information about Groceries on the Geaux, visit the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank’s website.