Jackson Free Press

In light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic limiting access to restaurants, The Fresh Market recently announced a special summer cookout meal deal for August.

The ready-to-grill meal is $39.99 and serves eight people. Customers can order the summer cookout meal online through Aug. 12 and pick up their meals in-store from Aug. 14 to Aug. 16.

Fresh Market's cookout meal includes eight mild Italian sausages, southwest veggie kits with white onions and bell peppers, pretzel buns, two pounds each of baked potato salad and coleslaw and an apple pie.

For more information, call 601-856-2866 or visit thefreshmarket.com.

Dole Launches Sunshine for All in Jackson

Fruit company Dole visited Jackson on Aug. 1 as part of a program called "Sunshine for All," which aims to provide better nutrition for 1 billion people in underserved communities by 2025. Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba and other local leaders attended the event.

As part of the program, Dole will partner with Jackson-based food organization Up in Farms to support their farm-to-table training center. Dole will also distribute fresh produce and smoothies to areas in Jackson that are considered food deserts, meaning they lack easy access to grocery stores and healthy foods.

The Sharing the Sunshine Meals & Nutrition Education Program will provide educational courses for children and families on healthy cooking and affordable shopping for healthy food, as well as cooking classes for adults. Dole will also host a Kids Cooking Camp to provide hands-on lessons in basic food preparation for children.

Dole will also host pop-up farmers markets and provide healthy meals on alternating weekends at Boys and Girls Club locations in Jackson.

Local organizations participating in the Sunshine for All program include the Fertile Ground Project, the Jackson Public Schools Administration, the Mississippi Food Policy Council, the Mississippi Food Justice Collaborative and University of Mississippi Medical Center.

Green Bean Opens in Jackson

Kenya MomPremier, a Jackson State University alum and mother of two homeschooled sons, recently became the owner of Green Bean café, the first black-owned coffee shop in Jackson. Green Bean offers pour over coffee, cold pressed juices, tea and pastries.

MomPremier is also planning to assist other local business owners through a program called Incubator, which gives small business owners access to seed funding, management training, mentorships and up to $10,000 in investment capital. Participants will sell Green Bean's juice cleanser products and get 15% of the amount they sell.

To be enrolled in the Incubator program, a participant must meet with a mentor monthly, achieve a sales goal of selling 10 juice cleanses each month for 24 months and attend an annual Green Bean retreat.

For more information about Green Bean and its Incubator program, visit https://greenbeanusa.com/.