Access to quality food for all!

We are part of the food justice movement, an international effort that emphasizes both sustainability and justice in the food system. A just food system ensures access to quality food for all, regardless of income level. A sustainable food system ensures food is produced in ways that protect the health of the land, those who work it, and the families and communities who consume its bounty. All of our work, from using earth-friendly farming practices to providing subsidized CSA shares to low-income families to educating youth about seed-saving, supports this movement. We prioritize the idea of food justice in all of our programs: 

Food Insecurity in Poughkeepsie

The United Nations recognizes the human right to food in the Universal Declaration on Human Rights, stating “the right to adequate food is realized when every man, woman and child, alone or in community with others, has the physical and economic access at all times to adequate food or means for its procurement.” Unfortunately, many households in the city of Poughkeepsie are food insecure, which means they do not have access to enough affordable, nutritious food to maintain a healthy diet.

According to research done by Poughkeepsie Plenty, an anti-hunger organization working to eliminate food insecurity in our city, 1 in 4 households in the City of Poughkeepsie are food insecure by USDA standards. This is higher than the national average of 1 in 6. Even more worrisome, 1 in 10 households suffer from severe food insecurity, meaning they often go hungry.

This video about Food Security in the Hudson Valley was produced for Community Foundations of the Hudson Valley by Spark Media Project. It features our education director, Jamie Levato, Maggie Cheney from Rock Steady Farm & Flowers, and Sarah A. Salem and Cloud Bartoli from Dutchess Outreach among others from Hudson Valley organizations working to improve food security in our region.

The goal of our Food Share program is community food security, where all residents of our city can access a safe and nutritious diet through a sustainable food system that maximizes community self-reliance and social justice.  The Food Share program works towards this goal in two ways:

Sponsored Shares: we provide subsidized CSA shares of farm produce to low-income families who want to be part of a community supporting local agriculture.

Sharing the Harvest: Twice a week, we donate produce to soup kitchens, food pantries, and shelters in our community. We help ensure that high quality fresh food is part of the diet of those who use these services.