East‑side Indianapolis resident Koby Bluitt knows that buying fresh, local food can feel overwhelming, especially for families who have never set foot in a farmers’ market. In 2022 she founded Meals from the Motha, a vegan education and catering company that offers cooking demos to help people learn healthy eating habits.
Making markets welcoming for everyone
“It can sound like this is a white‑people thing, like white people go to the farmers market,” Bluitt said. “No, we all go to the farmers’ market. We all gotta eat. We all want nourishment.” To break down that perception, she started Meet Motha at the Market this summer, a series of meetups that guide newcomers through the city’s many markets.
The meetups are designed for anyone who wants to shop but feels uneasy going alone. “This is for everybody, but especially for people who have never been,” Bluitt explained. “This is for people who want to go, but don’t want to go by themselves. So, let’s shop together.”
How the meetups work
Each Saturday in August, Bluitt hosted a gathering at a different Indianapolis market. Attendees were encouraged to wear a distinct color to each location, creating a sense of camaraderie and easy identification. Participants received a simple checklist that prompts intentional shopping: choose a fruit, decide how to use it, and ask a farmer a question.
Bluitt also makes a point of talking directly with vendors, asking about growing methods and seasonal tips. “You can meet the farmer,” she said. “You can actually ask questions like how do you grow this? What do you use to actually make it reach its full maturity?”
Community response
LaQuita Burnett attended the August 20 meetup at the Fort Ben Farmers Market in Lawrence. Though she usually shops at the Broad Ripple market, Burnett said the meetup made the experience “very interactive, and it makes shopping at the farmers market more fun.” She usually comes alone or with her kids, so the group setting was a welcome change.
Autumn Lowry, owner of From the Ground Up Foods – a Black‑owned urban farm on Indy’s east side – noted a recent surge in curiosity about local farms after a wave of produce recalls. Yet she also sees hesitation: “A lot of people, they’ll come by, they’ll look at our table, but they won’t really ask questions…or they may ask what something is, but then they won’t buy it because they don’t know what to necessarily do with it.” To address that, Lowry offers samples, such as fresh salsa made from her own tomatillos.
Lowry praised Bluitt’s meetups as a valuable bridge to Black farmers and to the broader community, especially as the Black community faces higher rates of chronic illnesses like diabetes. “A lot of people don’t know we’re here, and they don’t know that we’re growing for our health and wellness,” she said. “I think there’s a little more intentionality in how and what we’re growing for our communities.”
Upcoming events
The final Meet Motha at the Market gathering this summer is scheduled for September 20, 11 a.m. – 1:30 p.m., at the Bodi Buzz and Rooted Legacy urban farm (865 N. German Church Road). More details about Meals from the Motha and future meetups can be found on the organization’s Facebook page.
By turning a simple market trip into a shared, educational experience, Bluitt and her partners are helping Indianapolis families discover the joy of fresh, locally grown food while strengthening neighborhood ties.
Original reporting: Mirror Indy — read the source article.
