Local Food Hub partners with more than 60 small family farms in Virginia. While we believe paying a fair price is the most important thing we can do for farmers, we also recognize that training, technical assistance, cost-share opportunities, and networking are all critical to reinstating small farms as the food source for our community. Our full-time, on-staff farmer helps our partner farms learn to successfully navigate the wholesale marketplace and make their operations more financially viable.

Local Food Hub forges close relationships with local farmers, and provides services and infrastructure for the distribution of fresh, high-quality food. We are a regional leader in ensuring that small farms regain their economic foothold in the marketplace, and that the knowledge and choice of local food becomes the norm, not the exception, for all segments of our community. We work with every farm on production planning, marketing, food safety, product development, and more.

Creating a vibrant, resilient local food system takes a whole community working together. We’re fortunate to partner with other area organizations to ensure that the choice of local food is available to all segments of the community. By working together, we’re putting fresh, nutritious food in the hands of those who need it most, and educating the next generation about the value of local food.

Patients eating their way to health.

Ronette Hill has been a patient in our Fresh Farmacy: Fruit and Veggie Prescription Program since it began in 2015. Not only is she now eating fresh vegetables that she would not have eaten before starting the program, she has reduced her reliance on medications, and loves making fresh salads with her daughter.

Our Fresh Farmacy: Fruit and Veggie Prescription Program is a partnership with three area health clinics that “prescribes” patients a biweekly supply of fresh fruits and vegetables, grown by our partner farms. The prescriptions include recipes and educational programs that help to encourage home cooking and develop familiarity with new foods, and seeks to develop a culture of healthy eating.

Now entering its third year, Fresh Farmacy has made remarkable changes in the health and lifestyles of many of the 90 patients it serves. In 2016, 75% of patients lowered their blood pressure and/or reduced body weight. Patients reported a change in clothing to smaller sizes, feeling more energized, a desire to take their health to the next level and add more exercise and other healthy habits, and a change in tastes to prefer fresh, healthy foods over less healthy, fried foods. The program benefitted entire households and patients reported their children, significant others, and other family members taking part in helping to make healthy choices, prepare home cooked meals, and learn more about healthy eating.

90 patients served by Fresh Farmacy

75 percent of patients lowered their blood pressure and/or reduced body weight 

Local Food Hub strives to create a community in which the knowledge and choice of local food is the norm, not the exception. Education is key to making informed choices, and there is so much to learn about Virginia’s rich agricultural bounty and its many benefits.

Strengthening Virginia Farm to School Week.

Our work with public and private schools seeks to educate the next generation of healthy eaters, and to get students excited about food, nutrition, and farming.

During Virginia Farm to School Week in October, farmers come into the cafeteria to chat with students, like the cattle farmer that raised the grass-fed ground beef used in their tacos, or the orchardist that oversaw the rows of Pink Lady Apples that are now slices on their lunch trays, or the grape grower that hand-pruned the grapes they are having for morning snack. When students have the opportunity to taste a product and learn about it, they are more likely to make healthy decisions in the future.

Just like when elementary students in Charlottesville City learned about apple cider. We played a game with students where they had to guess what ingredients were in the cider. Many guessed sugar, juice, or water, and were shocked to learn it was made from just apples. They were amazed to learn something so simple could taste so good!

3,500 students reached through Farm to School Week events

With an innovative nonprofit structure, we rely on both community support and earned income from food sales to continue our programs. Your investment ensures small farms are always at the center of our work, and that our community has access to healthy, local food.

49% Food Distribution Infrastructure 

12% Grower Services Programs

10% Community Partnerships & Programs 

15% Management & Administration

5% Education & Outreach

9% Philanthropy 

Local Food Hub benefits from a talented Board of Directors who provide strategic guidance and expertise to support our mission. From farmers and nurse practitioners to financial managers and gourmet food store owners, they bring a wealth of knowledge to our work. Get to know them below.

Local Food Hub’s farms represent the bounty and diversity of the Virginia foodshed. Some operate 100 acre farms, others less than five acres. They are certified organic and conventional farmers, orchardists and value added producers, and those new to farming as well as seasoned veterans.

We distribute their food to retail stores, restaurants, buying clubs, schools, universities, and other food businesses, including hospitals and senior centers. We want to make sure that all customers have access to fresh, local food where and when they want it. All products are identified by farm and county, so customers know exactly where their food was grown, developing a relationship from farm to table.

The work we have accomplished together is thanks to your partnership and commitment to a stronger, more resilient food system. Thank you for supporting small family farms and healthy communities!