Veggie Van to bring fresh produce to McArthur every Tuesday

The Veggie Van is giving McArthur residents a weekly place to buy fresh produce without leaving town or paying supermarket prices. Set up in the lot across from the McArthur Post Office on State Route 93, also known as Market Street, the pay-what-you-can farmstand operates every Tuesday from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. through October.

The stop began May 19 and is open to everyone, with fresh, local produce supplied through Community Food Initiatives’ mobile farm market model. The setup is simple, but for families trying to stretch a budget or fit shopping around work and school, the fixed Tuesday schedule makes fruits and vegetables easier to reach during the summer and fall growing season.

The local stop is part of the Vinton County Health Department’s Creating Healthy Communities program, which says its goal is to make the healthy choice the easy choice. The department first received Creating Healthy Communities funding in 2020 and was awarded another five-year cycle in 2025, giving the county a longer runway for food access and prevention work.

That broader effort has already shown up in Vinton County. The CHC program supported the Vinton County Farmers’ & Crafters’ Market and helped the county adopt a healthy vending policy at Superior Hardwoods of McArthur. The Veggie Van fits the same pattern, bringing healthy food closer to where people live instead of asking them to add miles and cost to a routine grocery run.

Community Food Initiatives describes the Veggie Van as a mobile farm market stand serving rural Southeastern Ohio throughout the growing season, with weekly stops from early spring to late fall. In McArthur, that means a recurring Tuesday presence through October, not a one-time promotion or seasonal novelty. For residents, the value is in the consistency: the same place, the same day, and a chance to buy produce at a price that can flex with household needs.