Promoting healthy living in Southeast Fresno

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- A little farm stand is promoting healthy living in Southeast Fresno. The stand opened for business, Thursday afternoon. And it'll give kids an alternative to junk food, once a week.

In South East Fresno, a dollar can buy a bag of veggies, a piece of fruit or a cup of cherries. It's fresh produce, farmed in the valley for the kids at Vang Pao Elementary. Jon Thao with the National Hmong Farmers Association said, "with the dollar price, it's just a grab and go."

Thursday was the farm stand's first day. It's here to fill a void, once a week, in a neighborhood where the only grocery store is a faded memory surrounded by weeds. It closed 15 years ago. Since then, families have been relying on gas stations and liquor stores because they are the only places to get food within walking distance. Kellon Baldwin, who lives near the school said, "can't go to a liquor store for fresh fruit."

Baldwin has 3 kids and he has to take a bus to get them milk or anything healthy to eat, "you gotta travel a bit if you want to get your quality."

Quality is a little closer now, at the farm stand, every thursday after school.