Grant Brings “Ice Cream Truck for Veggies” to Garfield Neighbourhood

An “ice cream truck for veggies” is how Nick Burdette, Northeast region bridge lead from our Pittsburgh office, described the idea behind the Garfield Community Farm mobile market.

In 2009, Nick and his wife were among a group of volunteers who started the farm on abandoned residential properties in Pittsburgh's Garfield neighbourhood — a community with an aging population, with many experiencing food insecurity.  

“There were no grocery stores there, so fresh food was hard to come by,” Nick said.

While the farm provided fresh produce, a community greenspace and educational opportunities, the steep terrain made it hard to reach for community members with limited mobility.

The mobile market offered a solution, bringing seasonal produce to several stops throughout the area, including churches, a retirement home and near public transportation stops.

“But for the last year or so, our truck has not been in a condition to be able to pull the mobile market,” Nick explained. “So our mobile market, unfortunately, has been a non-mobile market. It just sits here at the farm.”

HDR Foundation Grant Makes Market Mobile Again

In 2025, Nick sponsored an HDR Foundation grant for a new truck.

“We’ll be able to get it to more locations, and it really helps fulfil our mission of connecting the neighbourhood to the farm,” he said. “There's something really unique about knowing that your food came from the farm in your neighbourhood.”

In addition to the grant, HDR's Pittsburgh office supports the farm's fall festival, and many of Nick's colleagues have volunteered at the farm over the last decade.

“It's wonderful to be at a company where people care this much about doing good,” Nick said. “I would just encourage everybody to use the talents that you have and find a cause you're passionate about. We have a lot to offer to our communities in the world.”