2023 Annual Report

The Roadmap to a Bright Food Future

As the Executive Director of FRESHFARM, I am proud to present the 2023 annual report. This year marks not only our most successful year to date but also a significant milestone in our journey towards transforming the regional food system. The past year’s achievements are the outcomes of the potential we envisioned nearly five years ago when FRESHFARM and Community Foodworks united under a shared vision. Today, we stand at the beginning of a new phase: the implementation of our ambitious five-year strategic plan.

Our 2019 merger catalyzed a period of unprecedented growth and expansion for FRESHFARM. Still, the most crucial change has been how we conceive and execute our mission. We have moved from addressing isolated challenges within the food system to adopting a systemic approach in all our operations and program designs. Our commitment is to create an equitable food system that serves everyone, recognizing that the profound issues we face are interlinked and demand innovative and holistic solutions.

Taking a systemic approach means that we recognize that addressing food insecurity is inseparable from promoting food education, which, in turn, relies on a robust local food economy that provides communities with access to fresh, nutritious produce. This is a pivotal moment for us to reflect on ways to stimulate economic development and equitable food access while supporting sustainable agriculture that enhances resilience and environmental stewardship.

In 2023, our collective efforts and systemic approach resulted in our most impactful year yet. This report showcases the significant strides we have made, highlighting our unique position as the leading nonprofit in the region with the proven track record, community support, relationships, infrastructure, mindset, and vision capable of fostering lasting improvements in the food system. Our 2023-2028 strategic plan depends on that strength. Over these five years, we look forward to working with farms, individuals, and partner institutions to continue building a bright food future.

Hugo Mogollon
Executive Director

Farmers Markets

FRESHFARM’s farmers markets serve as placemaking powerhouses that bring people together across the region to build connections to fresh food, each other, and their local food system. 

In the bustling landscape of our food system, FRESHFARM farmers markets are a key placemaking strategy in the growth of diverse communities across the region. We connect people to places in ways that build the local food economy, shape the character and quality of social connection, and generate immediate and long-term benefits to all who participate.

FRESHFARM’s work continues to demonstrate the sustainability of a local food economy. This past year marked a significant milestone as our farmers markets collectively generated a record-breaking $28.5 million in revenue for our network of over 260 farmers and producers. This achievement represents a 15% increase over last year’s already impressive record, underscoring the growing impact and importance of local food to sustain businesses and livelihoods across the region. This financial milestone is vital to helping FRESHFARM achieve objective one in our strategic plan.

More than just marketplaces, our farmers markets are dynamic hubs of social activity that animate community plazas, parking lots, and city streets. They create safe gathering spaces where neighbors come together to do shopping that celebrates and inspires. Our farmers, the heart and soul of these markets, serve as partners with FRESHFARM in advocating for a sustainable regional food system.

Beyond their role as economic and social hubs, our farmers markets are fertile spaces for testing innovative ideas to bring immediate benefit to underserved communities. FRESHFARM is continuously launching opportunities for farmers to engage directly with low-income, low-access consumers, ensuring that fresh, healthy food is accessible for all. This commitment to food equity is at the core of our mission, and our farmers markets are a shining example of how local food can transform communities.

As we look ahead, we remain committed to deepening the role of our farmers markets as touchstones for community placemaking. We are grateful to our farmers, vendors, volunteers, and supporters who make our local food economy thrive.

Market Spotlight

MVT’s Journey From Farm Stand to Community Hub

In 2013, FRESHFARM launched the Mount Vernon Triangle Farm Stand with a single farmer, Chicano Sol, bringing fruits, vegetables, and a limited selection of other local products. Ten years later, the FRESHFARM Mount Vernon Triangle Market is a year-round market hosting 25 farmers and producers each week who collectively earned over $800,000 in sales in 2023. The market has become a glowing example of how strong partnerships and neighborhood investment can create a treasured community space shaped by a shared vision. When residents and visitors from all walks of life gather on Saturday mornings, they are building a local economic hub and a food access point.

Critical to the MVT market’s success is FRESHFARM’s partnership with the Mount Vernon Triangle Community Improvement District. MVT CID has been a champion of the market from the very beginning and has played a key role in ensuring the success and vibrancy of the market. Even as other areas of downtown DC have struggled in the years since the pandemic, MVT is a thriving and bustling neighborhood supporting both new residents and longtime locals.

Thanks to this partnership, the FRESHFARM Mount Vernon Triangle Market represents the best of what farmers markets can be: a shared community space featuring not just fresh and local food, but also genuine connection among neighbors.

Program Spotlight

Creating Jobs and Supplying Produce at Ward 7 & 8 Farm Stands

Since 2016, FRESHFARM has operated a unique farm stand model in some of the most under-resourced communities in Washington, DC to help overcome barriers to fresh, local food and increase food access. The goals of this initiative include increasing food security, creating jobs rooted in the community, and growing revenue for farmers who may not be able to afford to sell in low-income areas.

To make this model work, FRESHFARM connects farmers to community-based resources by hiring local staff and identifying neighboring organizations as wholesale clients. Our farm stands are operated by trusted community organizers, who build a steady customer base among residents and help them to shop using nutrition benefits like SNAP, Produce Plus, and other incentive programs.

“As a resident of Ward 7, I started out as a customer and became a farm stand manager in 2017,” explains Farm Stand Supervisor Aminat Adebule. “We have eight managers from the community running our four farm stands. Supervising this team has added to my professional growth: I’ve gained management skills and learned bookkeeping and accounting. I look forward to recruiting staff every season because they have ideas of what the community needs, and we work together to make them a reality.”

27
FRESHFARM markets & farm stands
268
farmers & producers participated in FRESHFARM markets
$28.5m
revenue for farmers & producers
$14.2m
market sales spent on farm-grown products
1,029,148
customers shopped at FRESHFARM farmers markets
998
market days hosted

“What has been most meaningful is being able to show up for a community I call home. Building relationships and connections for all of us seeking better access to fresh foods has been rewarding -- and FRESHFARM has helped.”

— Jenny Jourdain, Anacostia Community Museum Farm Stand Manager

Pop-Up Food Hub

FRESHFARM’s Pop-Up Food Hub fosters positive change across the local food system by creating new revenue streams for historically marginalized farmers, improving food access for those in need, and strengthening short and resilient supply chains in the region.

The FRESHFARM Pop-Up Food Hub (PUFH) is a nonprofit food hub and food distributor with two key missions: (1) to support small- and mid-sized local farmers in the Mid-Atlantic region, especially Black and Brown farmers, by connecting them with wholesale partners to grow their businesses and (2) to nourish our community, especially those who struggle with food security, by providing them with fresh, locally grown produce at wholesale prices.

In 2023 we doubled down on our commitment to serving vulnerable neighbors, especially those who can’t traditionally access local produce at wholesale prices. Our work with almost 90 partners, many of whom are early childcare centers, senior centers, nonprofit organizations, and health clinics, continued to grow, as we saw a 15% increase in the revenue for the small- and mid-sized farmers in our network from 2022 to 2023. Local food procurement through the PUFH resulted in more than $600,000 in revenue for the 37 farmers and producers in our network in 2023. Of those farmers, 24% identify as Black and Brown, and they accounted for 66% of the revenue generated from PUFH orders. These achievements play a crucial role in helping FRESHFARM reach objective one in our strategic plan.

In addition to serving wholesale customers, we continued to offer the Market Share to households in the Washington, DC, Maryland, and Virginia metro area. This program, similar to a traditional CSA, aggregates the best of local, seasonal produce from a variety of farms for distribution to individuals and families in the region. Bags come in personal and family sizes and are offered at retail prices and a highly subsidized, SNAP-eligible price to ensure that everyone, regardless of income level, has access to the healthy local produce they need to thrive.

Partner Spotlight

Serving Seniors With Arlington Agency on Aging (AAA)

In 2023, the Pop-Up Food Hub (PUFH) partnered with the Arlington Agency on Aging (AAA) to help reduce food insecurity among senior citizens living in Arlington, Virginia. Together, we launched a monthly pop-up farmers market at senior centers across Arlington to ensure older neighbors have access to healthy, local produce and to give them the opportunity to shop for what they want and need. Additionally, in 2023 the PUFH established a regular pop-up site at one of the AAA sites, Culpeper Gardens Affordable Senior Living in Arlington. Culpeper Gardens is owned by the nonprofit Arlington Retirement Housing Corporation, whose mission is to provide affordable housing and services for seniors struggling with food security.

These pop-up farmers markets address mobility and transportation challenges faced by local seniors by bringing the farmers market experience directly to their communities. The pop-up farmers markets give seniors the power to make healthy choices for themselves and allow them to participate in FRESHFARM incentive programs, thereby stretching their food dollars.

This initiative highlights local food systems’ resilience-building capacities, particularly in underserved communities. PUFH partners can work with us to create custom programs, like this pop-up farmers market for seniors, designed to meet the specific needs and overcome the challenges of the community.

Program Spotlight

Donate a Market Share

FRESHFARM believes that everyone deserves access to healthy, locally grown produce, which is why we offer the Market Share at both retail prices and steeply discounted rates for food-insecure individuals in the Washington, DC metro area. Market Share customers can directly support their neighbors using SNAP benefits by donating a Market Share as part of their own Market Share subscription.

In 2023, these donations helped us provide Market Shares at up to an 80% discount to 346 SNAP shoppers. That’s 1,547 shares purchased with SNAP! These shares make a real difference for local families. SNAP customer Marina explains, “The share has been a huge help, to just have more food, and to be able to buy less from the grocery store. My two children eat way more fruits and vegetables; they generally eat way healthier.”

The purchase of a Market Share directly supports small- and mid-sized farmers in the FRESHFARM network, many of whom are traditionally under-represented in farming. By donating a Market Share as part of their own subscription, customers are supporting neighbors who face barriers to accessing local food and boosting revenue for the local farmers who grow that food—strengthening the food system for both producer and consumer.

53
community partners serving early child care centers, senior centers, health clinics, and nonprofits
37
farmer and producer partners in the PUFH network
24%
Black & Brown farmers in the PUFH network
6,000
Market Share bags of produce distributed, of which 35% were delivered to customers paying with SNAP
$615k
revenue in wholesale orders for farmers

“The Pop-Up Food Hub has been an excellent opportunity for our business. The markets that we go to are on the smaller side, and having the PUFH has given us guaranteed sales, which has made the trip to Washington much more financially profitable and helped our business to grow in ways that we had not expected.”

— Lisa Frazier, owner and farmer of Frazier Fruit Farm

Food Access

With rising inflation and decreases in federal benefits, nutrition incentive programs continue to serve a critical role in connecting community members to fresh, nutritious, locally grown fruits and vegetables. 

FRESHFARM’s food access team implements cross-sector initiatives to help nourish a sustainable food future for shoppers using nutrition benefits across Washington, DC, Maryland, and northern Virginia, while also creating significant revenue for regional farmers and producers. Operating and improving at scale were the main themes of our work in 2023. In previous years, we made innovative strides to digitize Produce Plus benefits for over 6,000 DC residents. To build on that in 2023, we digitized DC’s Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program benefits and managed digital farmers markets benefits for over 10,000 DC residents this summer.

We believe that food is more than sustenance; it is a catalyst for health, happiness, and community well-being, as well as a path toward economic stability for our local farmers and growers. In addition to centering access, choice, and autonomy for benefit shoppers in our program design, FRESHFARM’s food access efforts create a meaningful source of income for small regional farms, generating $1.5 million in revenue for these farmers in 2023. Each dollar earned by a small farm is a step toward greater sustainability of the land, more full-time and part-time jobs for small agricultural businesses, and more acreage secured for diversified fruit and vegetable production.

Despite unprecedented challenges in 2023, FRESHFARM has seen remarkable resilience and collaboration with our partners and within the communities we serve. Our work to improve digital benefit administration is at the forefront of incentive programming nationwide and is made possible by our strong partnerships. No matter the scale, our approach to program design emphasizes analysis, evaluation, and feedback from the previous season in search of continuous improvement. The programmatic foundations reinforced in 2023 will ensure that FRESHFARM is well-positioned to continue this growth in the coming years, center feedback from our partners and participants, and achieve objective two in our strategic plan.

Program Spotlight

Building Reliable Access to Fresh Produce Through Produce Plus

FRESHFARM closed out a successful second year of operating Produce Plus and marked the first year incorporating Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP) benefits into the existing digital incentives platform.

With Produce Plus and SFMNP purchases processed in one platform using a debit-like card, participants report less stigmatization shopping at their farmers market of choice and increased purchasing and consumption of fruits and vegetables. In fact, 98% of participants agree that using Produce Plus means they eat more fruits and vegetables. The outcome is local community members have more reliable access to fresh produce and contribute to building a strong agricultural economy in Washington, DC.

Last year, Produce Plus enrolled 5,700+ food-insecure residents who spent more than $870,000 on fresh fruits and vegetables. 2023 saw 60% of participants spend 80% or more of their Produce Plus funds, with 37% of participants spending 100% of their funds, showing continued improvement over 2022. The past season also boasted 52 farmers and 56 city farmers markets participating in the Produce Plus and SFMNP programs.

With a 2023 Produce Plus waitlist of 3,800+, FRESHFARM is committed to advocating to the DC Council for additional program funding. We strive to expand program capacity as well as improve technical and customer support for 2024 and beyond.

Partnership Spotlight

FRESHFARM Brings Increased Food Access to Virginia Seniors

In partnership with the Virginia Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services (VA DARS), FRESHFARM operated the inaugural 2023 Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP) in Loudoun and Fairfax Counties.

This program provides a one-time benefit of $50 to help seniors access fresh, nutritious, locally sourced fruits, vegetables, and cut herbs at farmers markets from June through November. Until last year, this program was only offered in Arlington County, but in 2023 expanded to include anyone 60 years and older living at or below 185% of the federal poverty level in Loudoun and Fairfax Counties.

In 2023, FRESHFARM worked to enroll nearly 500 residents in the program in just two months. Seniors in Loudoun and Fairfax Counties redeemed $14,010 in benefits, which supported local agricultural producers across Virginia. Many counties face challenges to achieve this level of redemption throughout the entire program season; ours achieved 56% benefit redemption in four months.

For older adult and senior households—a population already at high risk of food insecurity—this program helps improve physical, mental, and emotional health. What’s more, SFMNP provides a positive outlet for community members to socialize with local farmers, market operators, and neighbors as well as develop a deeper understanding of and appreciation for local food systems.

$1.5m
Produce Plus, DC Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program, and FreshMatch bonus redeemed by community members and administered by FRESHFARM
$24,650
distributed to 493 seniors enrolled in VA Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program across Loudoun and Fairfax Counties
11,500
community members receiving digital benefits via Produce Plus and DC Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program
52
unique farmers across 56 farmers markets and farm stands accepting Produce Plus, WIC, and DC Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program funds
$201,971
SNAP benefits spent at FRESHFARM markets, farm stands, and Market Share
1,173
total meals distributed to eligible school-age children through the inaugural Free Summer Meals program at four FRESHFARM farm stands in Wards 7 and 8

“[Produce Plus helps me] afford healthy fruits and vegetables…I get food stamps [SNAP] and they are not enough. I am so thankful for the Produce Plus program!”

— 2023 Produce Plus participant

FoodPrints

FoodPrints garners attention nationally and grows locally.

Building on attention from federal agencies the previous year, the FoodPrints program was highlighted in 2023 by national media in a feature by NPR for Farm to School month. Reporter Allison Aubrey underscored the program’s power to increase young people’s preferences for nutritious, fresh produce by providing joyful experiences in the school’s teaching kitchen. “Teaching nutrition without a kitchen is a bit like swimming lessons without a pool,” wrote Aubrey.

In another story in the local outlet WAMU, reporter Amanda Michelle Gomez took listeners through an audio tour of a FoodPrints in-school field trip, where students at Francis Stevens Elementary learned about photosynthesis. Though this “might have been a complicated and dry biology topic,” said Gomez, the hands-on learning in the school garden brought this lesson to life. As the students made salad from ingredients they harvested in their garden, one of the 3rd graders, Graham, told the reporter, “kale is my favorite superfood…I’ll eat anything we make in FoodPrints.”

In the fall of 2023, two schools became new FoodPrints partners and 600 more students commenced joyful food education with us, work that fulfills objective three in our strategic plan. Our flagship food education program now serves 7,600 students in 21 DC public elementary schools—located predominantly in historically underserved areas of the city—with in-school field trips throughout the school year using the FoodPrints Curriculum.

FoodPrints is poised to be a national model for sustained, school-based food education across the country. Joyful food education builds skills and inspires the next generation of food citizens to choose nutritious foods that protect the long-term health of our bodies and our planet.

Program Spotlight

Gardening Empowers Kids To Enjoy Fresh Food

As a central tenet of our Grow, Cook, Eat, Learn model, we believe that digging, planting in the soil, and experiencing the joy of growing, harvesting, and eating delicious plants leads to a greater appreciation for the environment and improved health outcomes. Through our gardens, FoodPrints students study pollination, photosynthesis, soil health, and plant propagation—deepening their understanding of plant science. At the same time, they learn about the relationship between what we eat and how food grows. For example, in our 3rd grade lesson, Growing with the Seasons, students explore the concept of seasonality and how it affects the foods that are available throughout the year.

When paired with culinary experiences in the kitchen, gardening empowers young people to explore new foods and take greater ownership of what they eat. To make gardening successful and accessible, our FoodPrints team ensures each of our partner school gardens is a productive, safe place to learn and explore.

Impact Spotlight

Research Shows Lasting Impacts of the FoodPrints Model

A study by George Washington University researchers, based on focus groups with program alumni, found that the joyful experiences in FoodPrints have lasting effects on how our students relate to food. One alum said, “that same excitement and joy that came from FoodPrints has carried over into the way that I’m able to enjoy cooking now, prepping a meal [and] chopping up vegetables.”

The study’s authors documented three lasting effects of the FoodPrints program: appreciation for fresh food, openness to trying new foods, and confidence to make informed food decisions. “Kids who grow vegetables in a school garden and learn how to prepare meals seem to show a lasting desire for fresh, healthy food as young adults,” said lead author Christine St. Pierre. The article, “Participant Perspectives on the Impact of a School-Based, Experiential Food Education Program Across Childhood, Adolescence and Young Adulthood,” validates our unique food education model as one that is key to the health of our communities and local food system.

21
FoodPrints schools across 7 wards in Washington, DC
3,165
joyful food education classes in 2023
7,600
DC Public Schools students learning with FoodPrints
18,800
pounds of produce from 9 FRESHFARM farmers used to study, cook, and eat in our classes
5,100
square feet of growing space in our school gardens
32
teachers embedded in schools teaching the FoodPrints curriculum over the school year

“We are so excited about our new partnership with FoodPrints—especially how it extends our classroom learning and gets our students outside to grow and harvest food.”

— Principal Zara Berry-Young, Malcolm X Elementary School, Ward 8

Community Engagement

FRESHFARM’s Community Engagement team is the connective tissue among all of our programs, helping to bridge gaps between food education, food access, and food distribution. 

In its second year, FRESHFARM’s community engagement work focused on building a food system that prioritizes traditionally marginalized communities and equipping them to be active participants. Through cooking classes, gardening workshops, and farmers market demos, our community engagement work brings joyful and accessible experiences with local food to community members across the Washington, DC metro area.

Our grassroots model of collaborative community relationships has influenced city policy beyond FRESHFARM’s programs. In 2023, FRESHFARM led a coalition of Early Childhood Education (ECE) providers to develop a Farm to ECE Roadmap to help connect young children and their families with local food and guide the future of farm to ECE in Washington, DC. Farm to ECE stakeholders from across sectors came together to identify the barriers to farm to ECE participation and develop strategies to eliminate these barriers and increase participation. We are pleased that the roadmap is helping DC policymakers reach the goal of ensuring equitable access to the benefits of sustainable, comprehensive Farm to ECE for all children, families, farmers, and ECE communities in DC. Moreover, this policy directly ties into objectives four and five in our strategic plan.

FRESHFARM was also awarded a Healthy Tots grant in 2023 in support of our work to connect childcare providers and educators to local food distribution and food curriculum. By connecting local childcare centers to procurement experts on our Pop-Up Food Hub team and educational resources from across FRESHFARM programs, our community engagement work has used Healthy Tots to increase access to and knowledge of local food procurement and preparation for providers and children across our partner sites. Our educational resources include FoodPrints produce videos, our Produce 101 guide, Chop It Up virtual classes, and on-site tastings of seasonal recipes.

Program Spotlight

Chop It Up With the Community

Every month, Alicia Gaskins and her daughter Aaliyah gather in their kitchen and hop on Zoom. Alicia is a FRESHFARM Community Food Educator and leads monthly virtual Chop It Up sessions online with other parents, caregivers, and staff from local early childhood education centers. Her sessions help build familiarity and comfort with fresh, local foods and are an important link in FRESHFARM’s work to bring together food access and food education.

As Alicia starts chopping vegetables and explaining the recipe, her daughter serves as sous chef, helping to prep ingredients while making jokes and asking for snacks. This is part of the power of the Chop It Up sessions: Alicia is participating right along with the community members with her on Zoom, showing up in a way that her life allows. She knows that the parents and childcare workers in these sessions, like her, may have small kitchens, limited time, and hungry children. Through the sessions, Alicia draws on tried-and-true FoodPrints principles, offering tips on how to prepare ingredients with basic cooking tools and how to get children excited to try new foods. She presents fresh, nutritious recipes in a comfortable and inclusive way that makes cooking accessible to all ages and skill levels. “This is real-life cooking,” explains Alicia. With Chop It Up, “I’m showing my participants that fresh food and recipes don’t have to be difficult!”

Partnership Spotlight

FRESHFARM at The Well at Oxon Run

In 2023, FRESHFARM collaborated with DC Greens and the DC Department of Parks and Recreation to host gardening, cooking, and food education classes at The Well at Oxon Run, a Ward 8 urban farm and gathering space. A highlight of the programming we led at The Well this year was the First Friday dinner series, which brought the community together to prepare and share a meal. Every month in the summer and fall, neighbors around The Well gathered to prepare and try new seasonal recipes that highlighted different fresh fruits and vegetables.

What started as a small, awkward group of strangers over the months grew into a beautiful shared community gathered around local food. As word spread about FRESHFARM’s cooking and gardening events, more neighbors came and brought their friends. Inspired by the fresh, seasonal food they were tasting, participants shared memories of country living, such as enjoying tomato sandwiches in the summer, and helping grandparents harvest and preserve jars of fresh produce.

Our partnership with DC Greens at The Well has allowed us to share delicious and accessible recipes with the community and break down some of the barriers our neighbors have in accessing fresh fruits and vegetables. We are excited to continue to grow this program in the coming seasons and create positive experiences around local food.

15
Early Childhood Education Centers engaged in food education workshops
9
childcare providers supported with technical assistance
133
interactions between Food Access Community Educators and shoppers who use nutrition benefits
34
nutrition education activations at farmers markets and farm stands
71
FRESHFARM Community Food Educators, market operators, and FoodPrints teachers participated in Food Navigation trainings

“Whatever FRESHFARM has to offer, I’m all ears and ready to learn more. I found a new love for butternut squash, and I’m shocked about it.”

— Staff member at an ECE partner site after a coaching session led by FRESHFARM Community Food Educators

2023 Financials

After immense growth in our programs throughout 2022, 2023 was a year of stabilization and planning for the future. Our expenses grew by a modest 7% (compared to 60% growth in 2022) and we saw notable increases in market income (19%) and a stabilization of our prior growth in grant revenue. FRESHFARM’s core of talented and committed staff continue to be one of our greatest assets. In reflection of this, personnel expenses made up more than half of FRESHFARM’s budgeted expenses. As we look toward future years, FRESHFARM’s five-year strategic plan—in particular the work outlined in objective six—includes a robust fundraising campaign which we hope will support us in continuing to cement our recent programmatic growth and building a foundation for its ongoing success.

Pie chart of FRESHFARM's 2023 revenue breakdown.

 

Pie chart of FRESHFARM's 2023 expenses breakdown.

 

Please note: these are preliminary numbers and subject to change once the 2023 Financial Audit is complete.

Funders

To realize our 2023-2028 strategic plan goals, in 2023 we increased development team capacity with a new Donor Engagement Senior Manager, who engages major donors and secures crucial resources for FRESHFARM. We also developed a compelling case for support that presents FRESHFARM as a food system organization uniquely positioned to create a lasting impact at every level of our food system.

We saw impressive results: a 56% increase in new donors, a 118% rise in grassroots giving, and 29% growth in S.E.E.D Circle monthly giving. Additionally, we saw success in grants, including multi-year support from the Citi Foundation and the USDA Farmers Market Promotion Program. These achievements are significant milestones on our roadmap to cultivating a sustainable and vibrant food future for our region.

613
individual donors
56%
increase in new donor acquisition
44%
donor retention rate
118%
increase in grassroots giving
29%
increase in S.E.E.D. Circle monthly giving
71%
grants success rate

$20,000 - $24,999

  • Capitol Hill Cluster School PTA
  • Shipt

$15,000 - $19,999

  • Housing & Community Development Department, City of Takoma Park
  • Montgomery County Department of Health & Human Services
  • Robert & Maureen Sievers Family Charitable Gift Fund
  • Share Fund
  • Southern Maryland Agricultural Development Commission (SMADC)

$10,000 - $14,999

  • Alice Shaver Foundation
  • Dan & Marianne Spiegel
  • Joan Fabry & Michael Klein
  • Judy & Peter Blum Kovler Foundation
  • Lavin Family Foundation
  • Marie Reed PTA
  • MoMarque Charitable Fund
  • Nick & Gardiner Lapham
  • Nutrition Incentive Hub
  • Ponce de Leon Stein Fund
  • The Nancy Peery Marriott Foundation
  • The Revada Foundation
  • Virginia Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services

$5,000 - $9,999

  • Amidon-Bowen PTA
  • City National Bank
  • DC Department of Public Works (DPW), Office of Waste Diversion
  • DC Mayor's Office on Latino Affairs
  • Embassy of Colombia
  • Host Hotels & Resorts
  • John & Linda Costa
  • Mary Challinor & Henry Richardson
  • Nancy Swope
  • National Capital Bank Foundation
  • Papa John's Foundation
  • Payne Elementary School PTA
  • Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
  • Robin Burton
  • The Percival Family Fund in memory of Barbara Percival
  • The Venable Foundation
  • Tyler (Chisholm) PTA

“I love to cook, and my wife and I became aware of FRESHFARM shopping at their H Street market. From there we learned about the great work they do in food access and connecting young students to agriculture and cooking, which helps prepare them for life. We believe in their mission and the impact they have in our community.”

— Mark and Kathy Dedrick, donors since 2014 and shoppers at FRESHFARM H Street NE Market

Get Involved

As a regional and national leader in sustainable food systems, FRESHFARM builds a more equitable, vibrant, and resilient food future in the Mid-Atlantic region by producing innovative solutions in partnership with local communities and organizations. We create food access, economic development, and thriving communities through hands-on education, farmers markets, and food distribution programs. We invite you to join us in this work in 2024! Here are some ways to connect with FRESHFARM:

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Special thanks to our 2023 Annual Report contributors: web report design by Interactive Strategies; print report design by Cutting Edge Design; videography by Castle Gate Media; financials graphics by JMT Creative; illustrations by OK Creative Studio; and photography by Castle Gate Media, Joshua Cogan, Maria Helena Carey, and FRESHFARM staff, farmers, and producers.

View Past Annual Reports

2022 Annual Report

2021 Annual Report

2020 Annual Report