ONE
Increase the vibrancy of economic outlets for local agricultural products.
Vibrant outlets generate significant revenue for farmers and producers, engage customers beyond a financial transaction, and increase institutional ability to procure and use nutritious, local food, improving regional food resiliency.
- FRESHFARM economic outlets will generate at least $120 million in gross revenue for Mid-Atlantic farmers and producers.
- 3/4 of our outlets will enhance customer experience through community engagement activities.
- 1/2 of our partner institutions will increase their ability to procure and utilize fresh, local food for their constituents.
TWO
Increase the level of convenient, equitable access to nutritious, local food in the Washington, DC region.
Equitable food access ensures that residents are able to eat nutritious local food that is culturally relevant regardless of their income or where they live.
- All FRESHFARM markets and farm stands will continue to offer nutrition benefit redemption and incentive programs for our customers who will take home at least $5.5 million in local food.
- Annually, we will increase federal nutrition benefits and incentives redemption by 5% and maintain 40% of users as return and active customers across FRESHFARM and partner outlets.
- We will expand access to fresh, local produce by supporting or adding five new outlets that accept nutrition benefits and offer incentives in underserved neighborhoods.
THREE
Sustain and grow meaningful food education that increases consumption of nutritious, local food.
Hands-on food education provides joyful experiences with growing, preparing, and eating local food. Positive experiences with nutritious food help to sustain minds and bodies, grow healthier communities, and build appreciation for the natural world.
- FRESHFARM will maintain experiential food education at current partner schools and annually add two to three new sites.
- We will establish two school food hubs annually, offering food and garden education, local food access, community engagement, and supporting school meals programming.
- We will partner with 10 community-based organizations annually to provide integrated food distribution and education.
FOUR
Cultivate policies that foster a strong local food system through increased thought leadership, data, and engagement.
Well designed and funded policies support vibrant economic outlets for farmers, equitable access to nutritious and culturally appropriate local foods, the creation of high-quality living wage jobs, and meaningful food education.
- FRESHFARM staff will hold leadership roles in 50% of the coalitions that we participate in.
- We will develop at least one public and private organizational relationship per year spanning education, health, and economic development in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, DC.
- We will increase our thought leadership by submitting two op-eds and sitting on three speaking panels each year.
- We will increase utilization of the FoodPrints curriculum by individuals and outside organizations by 25% each year.
FIVE
Apply a social justice and equity lens in decision-making, resource allocation, and staff development to mitigate the impacts of racism in the food system.
Only through deep community participation, particularly of those historically excluded from ownership and power, will we make progress towards cultivating a thriving, diverse, and equitable food system.
- FRESHFARM will engage with communities we serve by ensuring their needs and assets are integrated into our operations, program design, and decision making in alignment with the Spectrum of Community Engagement to Ownership.
- We will launch a workforce development strategy and hire 20 individuals with direct ties to communities that have been historically excluded from ownership and power into meaningful food system jobs with growth potential.
SIX
Increase the health and vitality of FRESHFARM to ensure our ability to achieve our goals.
A healthy organization is financially stable, engages and supports its staff, and has a culture that is grounded in our values and furthers the mission, sustainability, and overall success of our organization.
- FRESHFARM will ensure that 90% of staff who have been at the organization for more than a year understand and can effectively communicate our mission, goals, and finances.
- We will ensure that 80% of staff affirm that they are satisfied in their jobs, meaning they feel well-resourced, valued, integrated into their teams, and understand their growth trajectory, and that FRESHFARM’s workplace culture aligns with our values.
- Annually, we will receive a clean audit, demonstrating high integrity and transparency in financial management.
