our programs approach hunger from both sides of the problem
Our approach to hunger is what makes us unique as an organization. From the beginning, we've been committed to addressing both sides of the problem - small farmers struggling to stay in business, and disadvantaged populations who lack access to fresh and nutritious food.
Each of our programs is designed to benefit those on both sides. You can help get local food to those who need it, while also supporting the farmers producing it.
Jump to:
Local businesses and institutions efficiently source and receive produce from NC family farmers.
Students learn about the benefits of fresh food.
Hunger-relief organizations receive local produce collected at farmers markets.
Communities receive the support they need to create sustainable strategies for sourcing local food.
Donation Stations |
What do you do when there is plenty of food and lots of hungry people? You share!
That’s what Donation Stations are all about. Volunteers encourage shoppers to donate funds that are then spent with the farmers at market, helping them earn a healthy living. All that food, plus any donated by farmers at the end of market, is then shared that day with a local agency serving neighbors in need.
Donation Stations are located at farmers markets throughout North Carolina. We paused operations during the pandemic but expect to re-engage soon.
interested in starting a donation station at your farmers market?
let us know!
INFO@FARMERFOODSHARE.ORG
Wholesale Market |
Everyone deserves fresh, healthy food. The Farmer Foodshare Wholesale Market is another way to connect people who grow food to people who need it.
The Wholesale Market operates year-round, connecting all sorts of organizations — schools and universities, restaurants and corporate cafeterias, community organizations and local institutions — to produce from small and mid-scale North Carolina farmers. In 2018, the Wholesale Market generated $636,000 in revenue for local growers.
Our goal? To help hard-working farm families (especially beginning farmers, female farmers, and farmers of color) make a decent living, while making fresh, nutritious food available to all.
Curious about what’s in season? Want to order or sell through the Wholesale Market?
Contact our team:
919.695.3102
market@farmerfoodshare.org
Food Ambassadors |
Creating access to fresh food is important, but building enthusiasm for it is equally crucial in influencing long-term healthy eating behavior.
That’s why volunteers in our Food Ambassadors program visit local school cafeterias that our Wholesale Market supplies with produce. The kids sample and learn about new foods, then vote on their impressions. In 2018, we conducted 38 taste tests at 18 elementary schools and 2 pre-K’s through Food Ambassadors. All told, more than 8,000 students participated!
Kids trying new things...public schools purchasing more food from local farmers…it all strengthens the local food system. Everybody wins!
Community Foodshare |
Community Foodshare is a learning community of local organizations working collaboratively with Farmer Foodshare to deliver fresh food from North Carolina farmers directly to community members.
The collective-buying strategies that partner organizations develop vary depending on the needs and desires of the communities they serve. Each is designed with input from the community to create sustainable food access and learning opportunities for food insecure families. In 2018, those efforts created access to fresh food for more than 1,000 low-income individuals.