TROY — When Pioneer Market closed its doors several weeks ago, downtown residents lost an affordable source of fresh fruit and vegetables.

After all, one of the goals of the market, operated by Troy Food Co-op, was to supply inexpensive, healthy food to the surrounding neighborhood.

Now, in a more modest undertaking, the nearby Midtown Market, which stocks products ranging from electronics to cold beer, lottery tickets and even clothing, has begun touting its own fresh produce. The fruit and vegetables are delivered to the store regularly as part of the Capital District Community Gardens' Healthy Convenience Store Initiative.

Midtown, just a few feet west of the now-shuttered Pioneer, is the ninth urban store in the Capital Region to offer affordable produce to its customers.

So far, the program is popular.

"It's going very well," said Na-Towi McCrae, a store employee. "The fact it's community-based is very good. And the produce is pretty inexpensive."

On Wednesday, the compact display cooler included potatoes at 35 cents each, tomatoes at 55 cents, onions at 75 cents and sweet potatoes at 50 cents.

The refrigerated display also included oranges, plums, green peppers, cabbage, romaine lettuce and lemons and limes.

Capital District Community Gardens launched the program last March, said Amy Klein, its executive director, when it placed its first cooler at The Corner Store on Ontario Street in Albany's West Hill neighborhood.

"They're happy to see it," said store owner Chris Gaston of his customers' reactions.

He said the big draw is the price, kept relativy thanks to his wholesale costs and modest markup.

"I have customers saying the prices are too low," Gaston said.

The program has been funded through a Creating Healthy Places grant from the state Department of Health. Klein said the multi-year grant gives the program a chance to become self-sustaining.

The funding covers twice-a-week deliveries to each of the nine retail participants. Produce is restocked and refreshed during each delivery.

"What this program allows (retailers) to do is buy smaller amounts at wholesale costs," Klein said. "We buy directly from local farmers in large quantities. We also buy from the wholesale market in large quantities."

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At Midtown Market, sales have been strong right from the start.

"They sold out of everything we brought," Klein said. "We're looking at bringing a larger (refrigerated display) unit in."

At The Corner Store in Albany, customer MaryAlice Taylor said she shops for produce there at least once a week, and has done so since the program started.

"It's fresh, delicious, and the price is right," she told a reporter Wednesday. She said other neighborhood stores also carry some produce, but she prefers the quality here, even more than the produce she can find at a supermarket.

The program is supported by a five-year grant from that state Health Department that provides $175,000 annually and also funds a number of other programs. Klein said those include the organization's Veggie Mobile Sprout, and programs with other community organizations to encourage physical activity.

Other participating stores include, in Albany, Prince Grocery & Deli at 37 Central Ave., Ida Yarborough Convenience Store at 260 N. Pearl St., SPI Instamart at 699 N. Pearl St., and Downtown Corner Store at 153 S. Pearl St.; in Troy, Alaway Grocery & Deli at 34 Fifth Ave., and in Schenectady, Unity Market at 2337 Van Vranken Ave., and Stockade Home Market at 35 N. Ferry St.

Klein said her organization has talked with Stewart's Shops and would "hope to possibly collaborate" with the Malta-based chain of convenience stores. "Stewart's is every place we want to be," she said.

Stewart's spokesman Tom Mailey said his company already offers some fresh produce in its stores, and confirmed it has talked with Capital District Community Gardens. Although no additional talks have been scheduled, he said, "we left it open."

The grant funding the Community Gardens effort is part of a statewide program called Creating Healthy Places to Live, Work and Play, said Health Department spokesman Jeffrey Hammond.

"The overall goal is to reduce obesity and Type 2 diabetes by promoting healthy food choices and physical activity," Hammond said.

"Overall, grants have been awarded to 22 projects statewide for a total of $4,385,000 annually for five years," he said.

The local program has a big supporter in Taylor, the Albany woman who buys her produce at The Corner Store.

"Keep it coming," she told a reporter Wednesday. "Don't stop."

Reach Eric Anderson at 454-5323 or eanderson@timesunion.com