The Philadelphia Department of Public Health is partnering with several West and Southwest Philly produce trucks to promote fresh fruits and vegetables for neighborhood residents. The Philly Loves Fresh initiative encourages people to buy fresh produce from the trucks since it is not often available at local retail stores. Only about 19 percent of all food stores stock large amounts of fresh produce.

The initiative encourages residents to meet the owners and visit their trucks more often. Run by African immigrants or their families, some of these trucks have been serving local neighborhoods for over 30 years, often in the same spot! Here’s some historical context of how these trucks came to be in Philadelphia from the Philly Loves Fresh website:

“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.”

Produce truck owner Woldeab Tesfu (Photo from foodfitphilly.org/phillylovesfresh)

All of these trucks are operating with proper licenses and certificates. They offer fresh fruits and vegetables at affordable prices and restock nearly every day. They are all rooted in the communities they serve – extra produce is usually donated to churches and mosques in the area or to neighbors in need.

Here’s the list of the trucks and their hours of operation:

• ASEB Produce Truck (65th St and Elmwood Ave) – Operated by Woldeab Tesfu (pictured). Hours: Monday-Saturday 11 a.m.-6 p.m.

• Diaby Produce Truck (73rd St and Elmwood Ave) – Operated by Dramane Diaby. Hours: Monday-Sunday 10 a.m.-6 p.m.

• Kabba Produce Truck (52nd St and Girard Ave) – Operated by Mallay Kabba. Hours: Monday-Saturday 10 a.m.-6 p.m.

• Motherland Produce Truck (63rd St and Haverford Ave) – Operated by Ziggy Sidibe. Hours: Monday-Sunday 9 a.m.-6 p.m.

• Solomon Produce Truck (48th and Spruce) – Operated by Solomon Tsegay. Hours: Monday-Saturday 10 a.m.-8 p.m.

• Soul Glo Produce Truck (63rd and Spruce) – Operated by Abdul Jabbar. Hours: Monday-Sunday (closed Wednesday) 11 a.m.-7 p.m.

• West Philly Fresh (44th and Sansom) – Operated by Yacouba Alhassane. Hours: Monday-Sunday 9:30 a.m.-6:30 p.m.

For more information, visit: https://foodfitphilly.org/phillylovesfresh.