FRESHFARM partners with emergency food assistance organizations across the DC area to help get leftover market food to those who need it most.
Gleaning Partnerships
FRESHFARM’s food recovery gleaning partners include soup kitchens, neighborhood churches, homeless services groups, and organizations that provide groceries for low-income families and those experiencing food insecurity. Gleaners come at the end of each market day to collect any unsold food that farmers and producers would like to donate, and use the donated food to feed their clients and neighbors. Through our food recovery program, FRESHFARM recovers tens of thousands of pounds of fresh and local food at our markets each year. Together we make sure that these nutritious foods get to the people who need them most.
Thanksgiving FRESH Food Drive
Since 2010 we’ve hosted Thanksgiving FRESH Food Drives at our markets. The FRESH Food Drive takes our gleaning work one step further for the holiday season: throughout November, we raise money from shoppers and community members to purchase fresh fruits, vegetables, and turkeys from our local farmers at market. This fresh market food is then given to the gleaning partner at each market and used to prepare Thanksgiving baskets or meals for neighbors in need. The FRESH Food Drive has the added benefit of providing additional income to our small farmers as they head into the winter season, while ensuring that our neighbors in need have access to fresh, wholesome food.