Baltimore arabbers launch app to keep the tradition alive
If you are from Baltimore, chances are you've seen two things: horses and the fruit men — also known as arabbers.
"I remember going to get her 'grandma the fruit– the horse outside, let's go'," said Baltimore native and fellow arabber, Keno Washington.
Arabbers have walked Baltimore's streets since the 19th century.
"I didn't think it was work you have to really – feet on ground – I didn't look at it like that — you know I was a kid," Washington said.
But there are fewer in the city these days, as the trade ages along with the men and women who act as its driving force.
This is part of what inspired Anthony Duncan to develop Row and Wagon — a new app to help keep arabbing alive.
"To be able to really provide a platform for the arabbers to be more successful, right? So that they are able to transact with even more customers who traditionally might not have been able to pay," said app developer Anthony Duncan.
On the app, you can pay for fresh products on the wagon using the digital wallet on your phone.
"To be able to use Cash App, PayPal, Venmo, and then soon, hopefully, we hope to be able to open up for EBT transactions as well. So really be able to address the food desert issue kind of head-on to some of our communities," Duncan said.
Duncan worked alongside the nonprofit Stable Baltimore and the Arabber Preservation Society to bring this idea to life and get new arabbers involved.
"You know, I know that there's been efforts the last couple years for like, getting young men off the street from like squeegeeing and things like that, and I think that this is like the perfect pipeline to introduce them into a very entrepreneurial endeavor that they can own and be able to grow and build from," he said.
Washington is among the new generation keeping this tradition alive — in the digital age – using the app to help customers find them
"I built what's called hot routes using some artificial intelligence, so it allows the arabber to have recommended routes based on the neighbor's engagement," Duncan said. "You could just, like, quick add features, and so they can see your inventory in real time, and they can also see where you are."
About 95% of the money earned goes directly to the arabber, while 5% goes towards their nonprofit.
"I am a part of history," Washington said.
Duncan hopes to officially launch Row and Wagon soon. You can download it early on Google Play and the App Store.
