Market Stability
Community Feed Ohio creates contracts between farms and institutions to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables for pantries, food banks, and 501(c)(3) organizations.
In cooperation with our partners, this fund provides up to 50% of contract dollars upfront to producers to finance production and potential capital improvements.
This incentivizes established growers to transition into specialty crops while stabilizing sales models for new operators.
Our model is limiting waste on the farm and in local food distribution by contracting specific items that are culturally relevant and in high demand.
Farmers need fair prices, and feeding programs seek quality produce, delivered at scale.
At the Columbus Foundation, our donor-advised fund invites Ohio non-profits to propose matching grants for procurement from growers in our regional foodshed.
Grants subsidize the dollar gap between living wages for farms and what institutions can afford.
We link market stability for producers with nutrition security for all people, regardless of income or status.
In Ohio CAN, producers organized themselves to deliver 4 million pounds of quality fruits and vegetables to food banks and pantries across Ohio.
When federal funding ended, farmers raised over $150,000 and continued delivering quality produce to pantries.
Second Harvest Food Bank North Central Ohio led the way by contracting over $300,000 for farm-direct produce, contributing 50% from their own sources, serving over 150 agencies across Crawford, Erie, Huron, and Lorain counties.
Help our partners purchase food from innovative farms by giving to Community Feed Ohio through the Columbus Foundation.
