OUR STORY
Mercado Popular was founded in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic to address food insecurity in Hartford by increasing access to fresh, whole foods in a community with limited grocery options.Mercado Popular began as a series of pop-up winter farmers markets, partnering with over 20 vendors and hosting markets at Carriage House Apartments and the Hartford Public Library to provide fresh, locally sourced food to residents. Created by and for Hartford community members, the initiative was led by Jocelyn Cerda, a longtime. Hartford resident with deep experience in farmers markets and food access programs. Mercado Popular continues to serve as a community-driven effort to make nutritious food accessible to all.
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VISION
Mercado Popular is a community organization committed to reducing food apartheid in the Hartford Community and increasing food sovereignty by bringing fresh, healthy, local food into the city. ​Mercado Popular is an equitable solution to barriers to healthful, affordable food while empowering under-resourced communities and providing farmers who are Black, Indigenous, and people of color with access to space.
MISSION
Mercado Popular highlights producers who are people of color by sharing space and resources that are not typically available to this demographic. ​We source food directly from small farm businesses. From seed to sale, Mercado Popular supports a variety of local Connecticut farmers, especially farmers of color, by purchasing their products and selling them via our Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program. This structure helps farmers be sustainable all year round. ​Mercado Popular is also a space where education around natural foods inspires a community that experiences food insecurity while sharing space for farmers to be recognized as leaders in our food landscape. This results in farmers growing their businesses and provides access to healthful foods.