ELLICOTT CITY, MD – Howard County Executive Calvin Ball today announced the launch of the County’s new Roving Radish Mobile Market. This farm-to-family market on wheels, builds upon the County’s award-winning Roving Radish healthy meal kit and marketplace programs, by bringing farm-fresh food directly to Howard County neighborhoods with the greatest need. Pictures from the event can be found here.
The concept of our Roving Radish program is simple – sourcing locally-produced food from Maryland farms and bringing them directly to our Howard County families. Through our new Roving Radish Mobile Market, we aim to further break down geographic and fiscal barriers that may prevent residents from accessing fresh, local food. Open to everyone in our community, our Mobile Market will provide subsidize prices to those in need. Through this new program, we remain committed to continuing our expansion of our Roving Radish program to better serve, provide and meet the needs of our residents.
Accepting cash, EBT and credit card payment, the new Roving Radish Mobile Market will venture to 12 locations throughout the county to provide community members access to fresh, local produce and proteins six days a week. Carefully chosen using data from Howard County partners that identified communities with high need, these locations include:
- Mondays
- 2:30 to 4:30 p.m., Howard County Library System East Columbia Branch, 6600 Cradlerock Way, Columbia
- 5:00 to 7:00 p.m., Swansfield Elementary School, 5610 Cedar Lane, Columbia
- Tuesdays
- 2:30 to 4:30 p.m., Columbia Commons, 7601 Woodpark Lane, Columbia
- 5:00 to 7:00 p.m., Gary J. Arthur Community Center, 2400 MD 97, Cooksville
- Wednesdays
- 2:30 to 4:30 p.m., Howard County Library System Elkridge Branch, 6540 Washington Boulevard, Elkridge
- 5:00 to 7:00 p.m., Laurel Woods Elementary School, 9250 North Laurel Road, Laurel
- Thursdays
- 2:30 to 4:30 p.m., Owen Brown Place, 7080 Cradlerock Way, Columbia
- 5:00 to 7:00 p.m., Deep Run Elementary School, 6925 Old Waterloo Road, Elkridge
- Fridays
- 2:30 to 4:30 p.m., Monarch Mills Apartments, 7600 Monarch Mills Way, Columbia
- 5:00 to 7:00 p.m., Stevens Forest Elementary School, 6045 Stevens Forest Road, Columbia
- Saturdays
- 9:00 to 11:00 a.m., Hickory Ridge Place, 10799 Hickory Ridge Road, Columbia
- 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Town & Country Apartments, 8732 Town and County Boulevard, Ellicott City
One of the pleasures of working on the Roving Radish has been the freedom to develop innovative solutions to meet the challenges of our community. This freedom to evolve has been afforded to us by the support of County Executive Dr. Calvin Ball and his administration, our strong partnerships, the community, and our dedicated staff. This Mobile Marketplace will allow us to come directly to the doorstep of communities with the greatest need and is a testament to Howard County’s commitment to addressing food access and insecurities.
Through its affordable and healthy meal kits and marketplace, the County’s Roving Radish program has been promoting farm-to-table healthy eating habits, supporting our local farms and connecting our community since 2014. The program’s Roving Radish Meal Kits are sourced from local and regional farms and include two recipes and all of the ingredients needed to prepare two dinners for a family of four. Kits are available to anyone who works, plays or lives in Howard County and can be ordered online and picked up at seven strategically placed locations throughout the county.
Opening in 2021, the Roving Radish Marketplace in Long Reach Village Center offers fresh and local produced, meats and other goods from Howard County farms at affordable prices. Since the start of Fiscal Year 2024 on July 1, 2023, the Marketplace has distributed 18,995 pounds of food for free to those in need.
Residents participating in one of the following programs: Food Stamps/Food Supplement Program (SNAP), Women, Infants and Children Program (WIC), Temporary Cash Assistance, Medical Assistance – Medicaid or Maryland Children’s Health, School Breakfast or Lunch Program, or Social Security Disability Income in the last 12 months, are eligible to receive up to 50 percent off their Roving Radish purchase and more.
Since its launch, Roving Radish has prepared more than 67,000 meal kits (38 percent of which were subsidized) and served nearly 600 families (63 percent which are subsidized) at its marketplace. With 25 participating local area farms, Roving Radish has also invested more than $800,000 back into our local farms.
Here’s what supporters of healthy local food options have to say:
“By meeting our neighbors where they live, work, and play, the Mobile Market bridges the gap between community members and access to fresh produce,” said Christiana Rigby, Councilmember, Howard County Council.
“The Department of Community Resources and Services has been a proud partner of the Roving Radish Programs over the last seven years to provide healthy foods to our residents and support local farmers,” said Jackie Scott, Director, Department of Community Resources and Services. “We have collaborated on the mobile market concept to ensure it can serve the 10 highest areas of need in our county, from Lisbon to Columbia, Elkridge and North Laurel.”
“As a longtime educator in Howard County, I appreciate that so many of our local organizations do not shy away from the very real issues that our children and families face related to poverty and food insecurity,” said Bill Barnes, Superintendent, Howard County Public School System. “Roving Radish has been a great partner in this effort by providing affordable and discounted meal kits to our students and families and I wish them success on their new mobile market venture.”
“Members of the Healthier Choices Coalition have advocated for the launch of a mobile market for the past two years to make fresh produce and healthy food options more accessible and affordable,” said Alice Harris, Lead Equity Fellow, Healthier Choices Coalition. “No matter who you are or where you live, children, families, and members of our senior community will benefit from the Mobile Market Initiative throughout Howard County. The mobile market will serve as a key game-changer in advancing the Coalition's efforts to implement actions that lead to healthier outcomes for our children, families, and communities.”
“The Horizon Foundation has worked for over a decade to make healthy food and drinks more available in our community and to make the healthy choice the easy choice,” said Lisa Pearson, Board Chair, Horizon Foundation. “We must continue to break down systemic barriers that have prevented some of our residents from achieving good health. By working together to make fresh, healthy food more accessible and affordable to everyone in our community, we are one step closer to ensuring that all people in Howard County can live abundant and healthy lives.”
“We are pleased to partner with the Roving Radish to bring fresh, local produce to our East Columbia and Elkridge library communities. Increased food security enhances people’s ability to learn and grow. While Roving Radish feeds people’s bodies, we invite people to engage with us in feeding their minds through our collection of cookbooks, online magazines like Cook’s Illustrated and Taste of Home, cooking and nutrition classes, and more.” said Tonya Aikens, President & CEO, Howard County Library System.
“Community Action Council of Howard County’s (CAC) longstanding partnership with Roving Radish allows us to expand the reach of our Howard County Food Bank services,” said Tracy Broccolino, President, CAC. “Roving Radish delivers nutritious food items to individuals and families who would otherwise not be able to visit the Food Bank.”
“We are so excited to see the Roving Radish grow in their mission to bring local produce to our Howard County neighbors. The Marketplace has been a critical partner to keep our farm business thriving. The Mobile Marketplace is an exciting opportunity to make our products convenient and affordable across the county,” said Mary Wilde, Owner, Three Dozen Daisies Farm.