Philly Loves Fresh - Food Fit Philly

What is Philly Loves Fresh?

Philly Loves Fresh is a campaign to promote fresh fruits and vegetables. It started as a partnership between the Philadelphia Department of Public Health and long-standing produce trucks in West and Southwest Philly and has since expanded to include produce stands, stores, and carts across the city! Neighborhood produce vendors offer affordable and convenient fresh produce, even as food prices rise. These establishments are not new— Some have been serving and enriching neighborhoods for well over 30 years. Philly Loves Fresh aims to ensure everyone knows about these neighborhood superheroes!

Philadelphia's Produce Vendors

ROOTED

Produce vendors are rooted in the community. Some have been operating for over 30 years in the same spot.

FRESH & HEALTHY

Produce vendors provide nutritious fruits and vegetables.

AFFORDABLE

Produce vendors have great prices.

NO WAIT

Produce vendors offer minimal wait time: Pick up your vegetables on the fly.

ACCESSIBLE

Produce vendors are typically open all day and year-round.

SAFE

Produce vendors operate with proper licenses and certificates.

UNIQUE

Produce vendors sell fruits and vegetables that are hard to find elsewhere.

Meet the Operators

Capriotti Brothers

Meet the Capriotti Brothers at 7132 Frankford Ave

Carter's Melons

Meet Corey Carter at 84th St & Lindbergh Blvd

DOV-BES Carter’s Melons

Meet Joshua Carter at 52nd & Pine St (52nd & Spruce during construction)

Diaby Produce Truck

Meet Dramane Diaby at 73rd & Elmwood Ave

Kabba Produce Truck

Meet Mallay Kabba at 52nd & Girard Ave

Motherland Produce Truck

Meet Ziggy Sidibe at 63rd & Haverford Ave

Piece of Fruit Produce Truck

Solomon Produce Truck

Meet Solomon Tsegay at 48th & Spruce St

Soul Glo Produce Truck

Meet Abdul Jabbar at 63rd & Spruce St

Vinny's Produce

Meet Vinny at the corner of S 19th Street and Oregon Ave

West Philly Fresh

Meet Yacouba Alhassane at 44th & Sansom St

West Phillie Produce

Meet Arnett Woodall at 18 S. 62nd St

Did you know?

Community Presence

Minimal excess produce goes to waste. Some vendors restock nearly every day and donate extra produce to churches and mosques in the area. Other vendors donate their produce to those that cannot afford to purchase any. These vendors are rooted in their communities and are intentionally working to make eating fruits and vegetables the default choice.

Historical Context

Philadelphia has a rich history of street vending from ethnic enclaves, including of soft pretzels, hot dogs, and even hoagies. Changing U.S. laws accelerated immigration in the 1990s and resulted in an influx of African immigrants who transformed the economic, social and political landscapes of West, Southwest, North and Northeast Philadelphia. Produce vending was first a means of survival for entrepreneurs from these immigrant communities.

Find your nearest Produce Vendor

Media References

Southwest Globe Times

Produce trucks are an integral part of the Philadelphia food system. With increasing costs of produce, the Philadelphia Department of Public Health has partnered with licensed produce trucks to increase access to fresh, affordable and healthy fruits and vegetables.

West Philly Local

An influx of African immigrants in the 90s has led to the popularization of produce trucks in Philadelphia. Thirty years later these trucks have transformed into community resources that combat food insecurity by expanding access to fruits and vegetables. In collaboration with the local public health department, produce trucks are now more successful in helping community members meet their daily nutritional needs.

The Inquirer

Solomon Tsegay has been serving his community with fresh fruits and vegetables for over 30 years and has been doing an amazing job. With the help of Philly Loves Fresh campaign, Solomon has been able to increase his reach and now has more people than ever before coming to his truck to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables.

iHeart Radio

Our communities suffer from chronic diseases yet there are community resources that can prevent these outcomes. Produce trucks do an amazing job at supplementing nutritional needs especially in areas with high density of unhealthy options. In addition to that, produce truck operators are committed to their communities and they spend a large portion of their days empowering their customers to lead healthier lifestyles by eating more tasty fruits and vegetables.

Fox 29

Abdul Jabbar, like many of the produce truck operators, is motivated by the mission of making his community healthier. He does it in a unique way by reaching out to the elderly and children since they are the least likely to eat produce on their own. Abdul Jabbar exemplifies the purpose of Philly Loves Fresh by working everyday to make sure everyone in his community eats their fruits and veggies.