After unexpectedly losing both of their jobs in the same month, husband and wife duo Nicole Folkes-Johnson and Donshay Johnson began a temporary food share out of their garage.
“There was no big purpose. We didn’t really have a plan,” said Folkes-Johnson. “We were trying to help our neighbors eat better.”
Nearly 15 years later, Folkes-Johnson shares that they never expected their small, temporary business to grow to such a large magnitude and positively impact the lives of so many across Georgia.
“Our mission is to help people eat better and to help people who don’t necessarily have access to fresh fruit and vegetables,” said Folkes-Johnson. “We are trying to help people change their lives and their lifestyle.”
With a dedicated, hardworking staff of just 44, the nonprofit Eat Right Atlanta hosts 50 farmers’ markets each week as far south as Macon, north as Ellijay, east as Augusta, west as Dallas, and everywhere in between, at local hospitals, churches, schools, neighborhoods, and businesses.
“We look for areas where there is no farmers market, where they don’t have a lot of supermarkets, we look for areas where people are not able to pick up fresh fruit and vegetables regularly, and we start going there so, that way, it allows us to take care of them,” said Folkes-Johnson.
Everyone is welcome to visit their market year-round and shop by picking from differently priced bag options based on the type and quantity of produce preferred.
And, unlike common practice in supermarkets, their produce is charged not by the pound, but by the bag. Each farmers’ market comes fully stocked with 12 to 14 types of fruit and 14 to 16 types of vegetables for visitors to choose from.
“Our mission is to sell out every day,” said Folkes-Johnson. “We want to take care of as many people as possible and leave with nothing.”
The fruits and vegetables are sourced from local farms, ensuring that what is available at their farmers’ markets both supports local farmers and remains fresh.
“We have a lot of farmers who have fields of food and, especially lately, no way to get it to anyone,” said Folkes-Johnson. “So, it’s important to us that we’re able to help them get their produce to you.”
For those who may receive SNAP/EBT assistance, Eat Right Atlanta partners with nonprofit organization Wholesome Wave to offer their produce bundles at half price, further bringing access to fresh fruit and vegetables to the community.
“We are able to help people who don’t necessarily have the means to do so,” said Folkes-Johnson.
“Every day we help people. Every day we are making a difference in families,” said Folkes-Johnson. “People are able to eat better and take care of themselves and take care of their kids because we are helping them get the good things we need on their tables.”
Folkes-Johnson states that she has ‘won’ in life, as she is fulfilled by positively impacting the lives of others through providing affordable access to healthy food options.
“It’s not about making a lot of money. We will never be millionaires selling vegetables and we know it,” said Folkes-Johnson. “We really do this because we want to. It’s not a job to us. The people we meet every day, they are friends, they are family, and they matter. That’s why we do what we do.”
For more information, visit https://eatrightatlanta.com or follow Eat Right Atlanta Food Co-Op on Facebook.
By Erin Lopez