Healthy Food For All hosts “Buy out the Market” event alongside anti-Trump protest

MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) – Dozens of people bought local goods at the Dane County Farmer’s Market to donate to community members in need.

The nonprofit organization Healthy Food for All hosted the event called “Buy out the Market,” asking people to support local farmer’s market vendors by purchasing food to donate to food pantries, meal sites and low income neighborhoods.

”This is a simple thing, but it has huge impact because everybody needs to eat, and food connects people like nothing else,” Heather Watts, who was collecting items, said.

After donating food, many participants headed to James Madison Park to protest the Trump administration as part of a national chain of rallies organized by the 50501 movement.

From the park, where there was also a food drop-off site, protestors marched to the Wisconsin State Capitol. People rallied against what they called a “hostile government takeover” by the Trump administration.

Buy out the Market organizers said they planned the event in tandem with the protest.

“We reached out to them with the 50501 organization to match up the protest and the Healthy Food for All donations so that we can create mutual aid networks because we need to make a big local impact,” Watts said.

Jean Linos, who participated in both events, said she was excited to be part of the national movement while helping community members in need.

“It’s a wonderful feeling to know that my family is making a small difference and is part of a nationwide effort on this day to stand up for and protect our democracy,” Linos said.

Healthy Food for All organizers said they plan to host a similar donation event in the coming weeks.

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