Alpharetta, Georgia – Fresh food, practical lessons and neighborhood connection are set to return across Fulton County next year, and the search for community partners is already underway.
The Fulton Fresh Mobile Market, working alongside UGA Cooperative Extension, is now accepting applications from organizations that want to serve as host sites for the 2026 season.
The program is built around a simple idea with long-term impact: bring in-season, locally grown produce directly into urban communities while also giving residents useful, hands-on guidance they can take back to their own kitchens. Fulton Fresh is designed as a multigenerational effort, blending youth development, agriculture, and family and consumer sciences programming to make healthy food more familiar, accessible and practical for families throughout the county.
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During each visit, participants take part in a UGA Extension educational demonstration that lasts roughly 20 to 45 minutes. After the session, they receive a free bag of produce to bring home and prepare. The produce is available at no cost to those who arrive no later than 10 minutes after the class begins, tying food access directly to education and participation.
The 2026 season is scheduled to run from June through November. Each location selected as a host site will receive visits one day per week for at least two weeks during that period. Host organizations will play a visible role in making each stop work, from helping with setup to spreading the word in their surrounding communities. Each site must also have a designated contact person who can support the program throughout its run.
“Fulton Fresh is about more than access to fresh produce. It is about education, community connection, and helping families build healthier habits together,” said Shirley Dodd, Outreach Coordinator of the UGA/Fulton County Cooperative Extension program.
“We encourage organizations across Fulton County to apply and partner with us to bring this important program to residents.”
Preference will go to sites located in a USDA-designated food desert or in an area identified through the Fulton County Food Severity Index. Applicants must also be able to welcome members of the public to the site during the program, ensure a point of contact is present at every session and have authority to review and sign a memorandum of understanding with UGA Extension Fulton County.
Organizations that hosted in previous years may apply again, though all submissions will be reviewed under the same process. Applications are due by Friday, April 24, 2026, at 5 p.m., and late entries will not be accepted. Questions can be directed to Shirley Dodd at [email protected] or 404-613-4935.
