Founder of Ward 8 Farmers Market John G. Gloster (Photo courtesy of The Washington Post)

John Gloster continues to make strides in altering the food culture in Ward 8, one of the city’s several food deserts. The Post reports that organizers recently launched a free bus to inform area residents of the Ward 8 Farmers Market, which has been in the neighborhood every Saturday morning during the warm season for the past 13 years. The shuttle program will also, of course, transport residents to the market site at THEARC, 1901 Mississippi Ave. SE.

Gloster, the founder of the market, said the bus program has not yet generated too much fanfare, but he remains positive:

Organizers had some early setbacks. A shipment of signs advertising the bus didn’t arrive on time. But Gloster blamed himself, too, for not publicizing the bus’s first day more.

Still, he remained optimistic. For much of the day, he used the bus as a way to inform people about the market. He darted in and out at each stop, touting the market and the bus service to inquisitive and uninterested people alike.

Gloster also told The Post that a “new market in Ward 8 will open July 9 on the east campus of St. Elizabeths Hospital.” He hopes the shuttle bus will also take people to that new location.