Produce Plus Market Champions Are Community Champions

When asked to name one thing she’s learned in her role as a Produce Plus Market Champion, Ms. Juanita Blassingame responds without hesitation: “Truthfully, I was totally shocked to find out that there were so many people in the city that really needed food.”

Raised in Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains, in a family where vegetables came from their two gardens and rarely from a store, Ms. Juanita has lived in Southeast DC for decades. After retiring from a 45-year career in the federal government in 2011, she put her energy into volunteering with food access organizations. That passion eventually brought her to FRESHFARM, where she was hired as one of seven Market Champions for DC Health’s Produce Plus program, which FRESHFARM has administered since 2022.

In the nation’s capital, 38 percent of households face food insecurity—and many of them include children. Food insecurity is on the rise across virtually every category of geography, income, and race. Produce Plus provides food-insecure residents in Washington, DC a monthly stipend for the purchase of locally grown, fresh produce at area farmers markets.

“[Market Champions] are…basically the face of FRESHFARM to the customer,” Ms. Juanita explained. “When a customer comes to me, I remind myself I don’t know what they’ve been through. I try to turn the interaction into something positive; you want them to leave with something that can make their life better.”

FRESHFARM received more than 13,000 Produce Plus applications from food-insecure DC residents in both 2024 and 2025, according to Nick Stavely, FRESHFARM’s Director of Food Access. “We were able to approve 8,000 residents in 2024 and 11,000 in 2025, thanks to a funding increase from the DC Council Committee on Health. Yet, we are still unable to fully meet the demand.”

The increase in enrollment has also been driven by infrastructure enhancements implemented by FRESHFARM, including digitizing enrollees’ benefits. A third-party evaluation in 2024 reported that nearly 100% of participants reported eating more fruits and vegetables and, equally important, being treated with dignity and respect in their interactions at farmers markets.

Twice a year, Market Champions like Ms. Juanita, along with FRESHFARM’s food access team, visit City offices and actively advocate for the importance of Produce Plus funding. “It’s critical to bring the stories of the transformative power of Produce Plus and FRESHFARM’s administration of the program to life for our supporters at DC Health and City Council, year after year,” said Stavely.

Ms. Juanita agrees. “We really need more funding!” From the frontlines, she shares that the hardest part of being a Market Champion is telling someone they didn’t make the cut for Produce Plus.

“Working with our Market Champions to advocate for and improve food access is the most rewarding and impactful experience imaginable,” shared Victoria Scarangella, FRESHFARM Food Access Program Senior Manager, who works directly with the Market Champions.

The support of FRESHFARM’s donor community helps the food access team expand capacity to administer Produce Plus as well as other food access programs, including FRESHFARM’s FreshMatch incentives for shoppers using SNAP and WIC/Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program benefits. “Especially in an environment where the availability of federal benefits and matching funding are reduced,” Stavely said, “Produce Plus is a real lifeline for thousands of DC residents.”

Learn more about Produce Plus.

Make a gift to FRESHFARM to provide fresh food for families in need.