FRESHFARM

FRESHFARM is thrilled to announce that we have secured grant funding from CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield to help build healthier communities! This impactful investment will support FRESHFARM FoodPrints' work with Early Childhood Education Centers in Washington, DC. With this funding we will: 🍎 Build partnerships with Early Childhood Education Centers as community-based organizations serving food-insecure families. 📚 Deliver food education and engagement in ECC communities. 🥦 Facilitate access to and procurement of fresh, local produce for ECC communities. This significant investment is part of a $7.1 million community grant initiative to address diabetes across the mid-Atlantic region. Change happens through collaboration, and we're grateful for the partners who make this work possible. Thanks, CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield, for investing in healthier communities, and congratulations to the other grantees! Learn more: https://lnkd.in/e7UaB29h #FRESHFARM #FoodPrints #HealthierCommunities #CareFirstGrant #EarlyChildhoodEducation #FoodInsecuritySolutions #LocalProduceAccess #CommunityPartnerships #DiabetesInitiative

OUR TEAM IS GROWING! 📣 Do you want to contribute to a stronger local food system? We’re currently seeking for the FRESHFARM team: ✅ Farm Stand Operator ✅ Pop-Up Food Hub (PUFH) Operations Associate Are you ready to apply? Learn about these positions and more: https://lnkd.in/gUVDYxv #FRESHFARM . . . . #freshfarmdc #hiring #dmvjobs #dcjobs #foodsystemjobs #coolfoodjobs #goodfoodjobs #foodjobs #jobs #hiring #nowhiring #joinourteam #teamwork #dowhatyoulove #cooljobalert

We're thrilled to share that FRESHFARM's incentive programs have been spotlighted alongside leading nutrition experts in Civil Eats! In a story about possible restrictions on SNAP spending, we emphasized that our approach has always been about empowerment and choice, helping SNAP participants access fresh, nutritious foods directly from local farmers and producers. Director of Incentive Programs, Nick Stavely, had this to say about the power of positive incentives such as FreshMatch over restrictions: "I think, through our nearly 20 years of experience and the hundreds of conversations we’ve had with folks at the markets, incentives work better than restrictions." Let's continue making healthy food accessible and affordable for all. Join us in supporting a healthier, happier community! Read the story: https://lnkd.in/e8CSC8zC #FRESHFARM . . . #IncentivePrograms #SNAPParticipants #PositiveIncentives #HealthyFoodAccess #NutritionAccess #foodaccess #foodsecurity #incentiveprogram #SNAPmatters #SNAPEBT #SNAPacceptedHere

JOIN OUR TEAM! 📣 Every day is a good day to contribute to a stronger local food system! We’re currently seeking for the FRESHFARM team: ✅ Payroll and Benefits Manager Are you ready to apply? Learn about these positions and more: https://lnkd.in/gUVDYxv #FRESHFARM . . . . #freshfarmdc #hiring #dmvjobs #dcjobs #foodsystemjobs #coolfoodjobs #goodfoodjobs #foodjobs #jobs #hiring #nowhiring #joinourteam #teamwork #dowhatyoulove #cooljobalert

Farming has always been a profession of adaptation, but in recent years, farmers in the FRESHFARM network have seen a changing climate bring about more drastic shifts than ever before. In response to unpredictable rainfall, extreme temperatures, and erratic seasonal patterns, farmers have to adjust their practices to support crop and livestock health in a rapidly changing environment. We checked in with local farm operators to get firsthand accounts of how farmers have experienced and adapted to climate change. Here's what farmers are saying: “It is obvious that our climate is changing. The last five to six years, we can’t expect the rain to come as it previously has. Without pasture, we have to spend and depend on purchased hay to feed our cows.” - Melanie Dietrich, Keswick Creamery “The heat dome last June was the first time I’ve seen our field tomatoes lose their blossoms due to heat stress. It put our harvest behind by three weeks, which represented the lost sales of over 100 flats of cherry tomatoes.” - Jennifer Glennister, New Morning Farm “If we experience a 25°F weather event during full bloom, we can lose close to 90% of the blooms on a tree. This dramatically reduces the number of apples we can pick and bring to market in a year.” - Fredi Schulteis, @ We checked in with these farm operators to learn what they are doing to adapt to a rapidly changing climate: https://heyor.ca/EfgbOW #FRESHFARM . . . #ClimateChange #SustainableFarming #AgricultureInnovation #EnvironmentalImpact #EcoFriendly #LocalFarms #GreenFarming #ExtremeWeather #dcfarmersmarkets #mdfarmersmarket #vafarmersmarket #seasonaleating #foodsystem #climateCrisis #ClimateAdaptiveFood

JOIN OUR TEAM! 📣 Every day is a good day to contribute to a stronger local food system! We’re currently seeking for the FRESHFARM team: ✅ Pop Up Food Hub (PUFH) Logistics and Operations Senior Manager ✅ Market Staff and Operators ✅ Substitute Market Staff ✅ Food Access Translators Farsi and/or Vietnamese Are you ready to apply? Learn about these positions and more: https://heyor.ca/FlIFCw #FRESHFARM . . . . #freshfarmdc #hiring #dmvjobs #dcjobs #foodsystemjobs #coolfoodjobs #goodfoodjobs #foodjobs #jobs #hiring #nowhiring #joinourteam #teamwork #dowhatyoulove #cooljobalert

Many voices across the city, one powerful message: FoodPrints is valued and effective. 🌱🍎 From sparking curiosity in the kitchen and garden to strengthening school communities, FRESHFARM FoodPrints shapes students’ appreciation for nutritious food, engagement in academic learning, and excitement about trying and eating new foods. Parents and teachers see the positive impacts at home and in the classroom. 📣 Last month, more than 60 parents, teachers, administrators, and students wrote to Mayor Bowser and other Washington, DC leaders to advocate for maintaining support in the District budget for this essential program. FRESHFARM combines an investment in the city budget with our own fundraising to embed FoodPrints in 21 Washington, DC public school communities. 📓 “FoodPrints is…essential for creating equitable opportunities for all students." – Teacher, John Francis Education Campus We are grateful to all who raised their voices in support. 💚 Read more powerful testimonials: https://heyor.ca/vhH8l1 #FRESHFARM #foodprints . . . #growcookeatlearn #dcschools #handsonlearning #advocateforeducation #EquitableOpportunities #EducationAdvocacy #FutureOfEducation #HandsOnEducation

✨ FRESHFARM is thrilled to welcome the talented Beth Gunston to the Development team. Beth brings over two decades of experience in resourcing organizations advancing social justice and environmental protections. "As a social justice advocate, environmentalist, and food lover, I’m thrilled to join FRESHFARM and be part of a team that is transforming the way communities connect with fresh, local food. I look forward to supporting farmers, strengthening food access, advancing joyful food education, and helping to build a more just and resilient food system.” #FRESHFARM . . . . #SocialJustice #EnvironmentalProtection #FoodAccess #LocalFood #CommunityConnection #FoodSystem #nonprofit #nonprofitnews #FoodSystemChampions

After five years of extraordinary leadership, FRESHFARM Executive Director Hugo Mogollon has moved on to a new opportunity helming the Galápagos Conservancy. In a parting blog post, Hugo describes what he learned working at FRESHFARM, what inspired him, what surprised him, and the opportunities that lie ahead. "FRESHFARM began nearly three decades ago with the seed of an idea that has grown into an incredibly fruitful organization. I am so proud of being part of this story," Hugo writes. "We have transformed the Mid-Atlantic food system and emerged as a national leader in the food space. I am proud to leave FRESHFARM in a stronger position than when I joined. We have built a solid foundation with a clear strategic plan, robust internal systems, and financial stability." 🔗 Head to the link in the bio to read his complete remarks! Thank you, Hugo, for your leadership and all you've done to build a more equitable and resilient food future in the Mid-Atlantic region! The Galápagos Conservancy is lucky to have you. #FRESHFARM Galápagos Conservancy . . . . #LeadershipTransition #FoodSystem #MidAtlantic #EquitableFuture #ResilientFood #SustainableAgriculture #FoodInnovation #NonProfitLeadership

🍎 "We started in 2009 at one public school, working with 200 students in an empty science classroom. Seventeen years later, we are in more than 25% of DC public elementary schools, working with 8,000 students," shares departing Education Director, Jennifer Mampara. ✨ What began as a seed of an idea about how to bring academically aligned hands-on food and gardening education to District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) has grown into a citywide movement embraced by students, parents, teachers, and city leaders. In a powerful reflection, Jenn Mampara looks back on 17 years of leading FoodPrints, sharing how a small program with a vision to connect kids to fresh, local food grew into a model for food education nationwide. 🌱 From makeshift classrooms to fully equipped teaching kitchens and fruitful school gardens, this journey shows how transformative change happens—one lesson, one meal, and one student at a time. 🔗 Read her story and celebrate how far FoodPrints has come: https://heyor.ca/8JvGIA #FRESHFARM #foodprints . . . #foodeducation #dcschools #communityengagement #youngchefs #localfoods #programimpact #dmv