Fresh Food Generation Wants to Make the Food Truck Farm-to-Plate

Not exactly a food truck… yet. All photos provided.

Boston’s food trucks are more popular than ever, but the communities of Roxbury, Dorchester, and Mattapan have not yet had a chance to really take part in the trend. In fact, in many of these areas, accessing healthy, affordable foods can be difficult. Cassandria Campbell, a Roxbury native and resident with a Master’s in City Planning from MIT, says that years of economic disinvestment, followed by the unwillingness of supermarkets to open in these areas, have made the availability of quality foods limited. “Corner stores, fast food chains, and pizza joints have become the most widely available food options,” she says.

That’s why Campbell developed the idea for Fresh Food Generation (FFG). She wants to be able to find healthier food options without having to travel outside of her neighborhood. “It’s no surprise that obesity and diabetes disproportionately affect residents of low-income urban neighborhoods,” she says.

FFG is launching a food truck (through the help of Kickstarter) that promises to provide a globally-inspired, unprocessed menu. “We will bring on-the-go meals made with locally sourced food to the streets of Boston,” Campbell says. “The truck will target neighborhoods in the Greater Boston area with limited access to quality foods and high rates of obesity and diabetes.”

The founders, Cassandria Campbell and Jackson Renshaw

Cofounder Jackson Renshaw has a degree in Ecological Agriculture from the University of Vermont, so when Campbell approached him with the idea for Fresh Food Generation, he immediately agreed to cofound the company. Jackson currently works as a truck manager at the acclaimed Bon Me food trucks, so he knows how the trucks and the business operates.

Also on board with FFG is Red Door Trucks, a truck builder in Boston. The company offered to build the FFG truck at a discount, and if the Kickstarter is fully-funded, it could be on the road as early as spring 2014.

The possible truck.

Chef Nadine Nelson, the self-proclaimed “Green Queen of Cuisine” is an eco chef and founder of the Global Local Gourmet. She will be creating a menu with ingredients sourced from local farms and businesses, and the food will be inspired by what you can find on the streets of cities around the world. Dishes like Mediterranean kofta, Jamaican jerk barbecue pork, dal curry vegetables, Mexican black bean salad, and kale Caesar salad are already on the proposed menu. Campbell says that all of the garnishes, sauces, and dressings will be made in-house.

The founders gave a breakdown of exactly what goes into starting a food truck, pretty much down to the last dollar. FFG is close but not there yet. Here is where the Kickstarter money will go:

A Truck – $20,000
Diesel Generator – $6,000
Convection Oven – $600
Stainless Steel Wall – $900
Sandwich Prep Station – $1,500
Refrigeration – $1,300
3-Bay Sink – $400
Stainless Steel Countertop – $4,000
Shelving – $1,500
Flat Top Grill – $700
Pots and Pans – $1,020
Kitchen Equipment (knives, thermometers, etc.) – $240
Point of Sales system – $420
Food Service Supplies (Utensils, Napkins, Cups, etc.) – $493
Labor – $5,000

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