Deepening a Presence East of the River

Since 2016, FRESHFARM has been steadfastly expanding its food access and nutrition education footprint across Wards 7 and 8 in Washington, DC, an area known by many Washingtonians as East of the River. This journey has been a culmination of dedicated efforts and growing partnerships, as depicted in the timeline below. With each passing year, we’ve not only achieved milestones but also deepened our roots in the community, laying the groundwork for a more robust and inclusive approach. Looking ahead, our commitment to amplifying our impact remains unwavering. As we enact our 2023-2028 Strategic Plan, FRESHFARM is poised to scale our initiatives while ensuring the active integration of the communities we serve into every facet of our work across the regional food system.

2016

• The Pop-Up Food Hub (PUFH), our food distribution program, starts delivering fresh, local produce to community organizations in Wards 7 and 8 in partnership with DC Events and the R.I.S.E. Demonstration Center.
• FRESHFARM’s food education program, FoodPrints, expands in partnership with Kimball Elementary School in Ward 7 and Simon Elementary School in Ward 8.
• FRESHFARM launches its Kenilworth Recreation Center, Paradise, and Cesar Chavez Farm Stands in Ward 7 in partnership with the DC Promise Neighborhood Initiative. They all accept federal nutrition benefits and offer FreshMatch.

2017

• FRESHFARM launches the Minnesota Ave. Farm Stand located at the intersection of Minnesota Ave. and Benning Rd. in Ward 7.
• In collaboration with the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE), FRESHFARM launches the Market Share for Early Learners to deliver wholesale orders for early childcare centers’ kitchens and weekly bags of produce for parents and caretakers.
• FoodPrints expands to Anne Beers Elementary School in Ward 7.

2019

• FoodPrints expands to C.W. Harris Elementary School in Ward 7 and Garfield Elementary School in Ward 8.

2020

• The Market Share for Early Learners is rebranded to the Childcare Share. Food education is added to the offering through FRESHFARM-trained Community Food Educators.

2022

• FRESHFARM starts managing DC Health’s Produce Plus Program, increasing its number of Ward 7 and 8 program locations to 14, and providing over $230,000 in food incentives to over 2,100 Washington, DC residents East of the River.
• Purchases by shoppers using federal benefits and incentives at FRESHFARM’s three Ward 7 farm stands total $73,000. This brings the amount of at-market purchases with benefits and incentives to over $340,000 since 2017 at these locations.
• FoodPrints expands to Malcolm X Elementary School in Ward 8.

2023

• Our first direct-to-consumer farm stand in Ward 8 opens in partnership with the Smithsonian’s Anacostia Community Museum. The ACM Farm Stand offers FreshMatch, accepts Produce Plus, and delivers hands-on food education to shoppers.
• FoodPrints grows to include Miner Elementary School in Ward 7 (although not East of the River), expanding the program’s presence to seven schools in Wards 7 and 8 reaching 2,200 children.
• FRESHFARM’s FoodPrints and Farmers Market teams collaborate to launch a farm stand pilot at Simon Elementary in Ward 8.
• The PUFH delivers fresh, local food to 10 community organizations in Ward 8, including four Early Childhood Education centers.
• The DC Department of Parks and Recreation (DCPR) awards a grant to FRESHFARM to design and deliver food education and nutrition programming at The Well at Oxon Run Park, a farm and community space in Ward 8.

2024

• FRESHFARM partners with National Children’s Center (NCC) to bring nutrition education and community engagement to the NCC Early Learning Center and Early Intervention Center.  FRESHFARM funds this work through a generous grant from Washington, DC’s Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) via the Healthy Tots Act; NCC Early Learning Center is one of 15 Early Childhood Education (ECE) centers where FRESHFARM does this work.
• FRESHFARM partners with Building Bridges Across the River to assume operation of its longstanding Ward 8 farm stand at the THEARC Farm. Opening June 1, FRESHFARM at THEARC Farm Stand will offer a variety of locally grown produce from Montgomery County’s ParkView Farms every Saturday from 10am to 2pm.