A new monthly market in Burlington sells a limited list of locally sourced foods in bulk quantities at the Old North End Community Center at 20 Allen Street. Run by the nonprofit Intervale Center, the market is called ARLO, which stands for “affordable, reliable and local.” It takes place on the second Tuesday of each month through April, from 3 to 6 p.m.
At the December 12 market, customers will be able to select from items such as five pounds of dried beans, five pounds of beef, 10 pounds of apples and 20 pounds of potatoes. All are sourced from Vermont farms or food producers through the Intervale Food Hub and priced to cover their wholesale costs.
Customers choose whether to pay all or 75 percent of the listed price. Those who have 3SquaresVT benefits qualify for a discount of 50 percent on purchases of vegetables and fruits through the federally funded Farm Stand Match Program administered by the Northeast Organic Farming Association of Vermont.
Lena Greenberg, food access coordinator for the Intervale Center, said the goal of the new market is to make staple local foods accessible to and affordable for more Burlington residents during a time of rising living expenses.
Greenberg is also involved in maintaining the citywide list of free food, available at tinyurl.com/freefoodbtv. While free food programs are critical, Greenberg noted that their offerings are not consistent, nor is everyone comfortable with the pickup venues.
“We want to move toward a mode that’s more sustainable, with a steady source of beautiful local products that fit into people’s food budgets,” Greenberg said. “There are so many people in Burlington who live on the benefits cliff or who might need a little help because of a medical bill or a temporary situation.”
Go to intervale.org/arlo for more details.
This article appears in Dec 6-12, 2023.
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