Growing for Good

Farmer Centered, Community Focused, People Funded

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Growing for Good (GFG)—a partnership between Neighborhood Farmers Markets, Harvest Against Hunger and PCC Community Markets, connects Washington’s small farms to hunger relief agencies in wholesale relationships while supporting our local food system. 

Farmer Centered: GFG supports farmers who receive upfront payment in the spring, allowing them to invest in seeds, fertilizer, and equipment before the growing season begins. GFG also provides an opportunity for farmers to fine tune their wholesale operation and enter new marketplaces.

Community Focused: GFG matches food banks with farms growing culturally relevant produce—increasing the amount of fresh, high-quality and nutrient dense produce available to their clients. These relationships are made with the knowledge of what items the food banks are requesting to meet the desires of the communities they serve.  

People Funded: This is all made possible by community donations.

Customers are thrilled with the quality. We are proud to say that nearly all of our offerings are high quality, but we have heard many customers, upon seeing produce from Regino Farms, exclaim that they are the best looking carrots, or kale, or strawberries they have ever seen. And we on the staff agree! They look like the best food you could hope to find at the priciest farmers market. Customers also appreciate that the food comes in from a farm directly. They see us helping to unload and are very pleased to get such high quality, fresh food directly from a near by farmer. It really demonstrates the power of local food and food systems
Phillip Peters
Renewal Food Bank

Program Evolution

Our partnership with PCC Community Markets and Seattle Neighborhood Farmers Markets began with the goals of providing both an alternative income stream for NFM’s small farms whose businesses were threatened by the closures of Seattle farmers markets in spring 2020, and fresh produce for food banks in PCC’s Food Bank program experiencing greater demand during the pandemic. While the partnership was initially meant to be a short-term solution to COVID-19’s impacts on food security and the local farm economy, its multiplier benefits have allowed it to become more established in the region’s food system. With increasingly successful fundraisers now allowing for a multi-year commitment from PCC, the program has continued to expand in its 5th season of farm-to-food bank contracting. 

Click below to view annual reports for impacts, testimonials, and future directions for the program: 

2021 | 2022 | 2023

      2024 Farms

  • Tien Tien Farm
  • Hilda’s Farming
    OJ’s Produce
  • Windy Acre Farms
    Present Tense Farms
    AG Family Farm
    Alvarez Farms
    Canales Produce
    Farias Farm
    Hayton Farms Berries
    Kirsop Farm
    Regino Farm
    Viva Farms
    Mariposa Farm
  • Spring Time Farm
  • Frey Family Farm
  • Left Foot Farm
  • Olsen Farms

      2024 Food Banks

  • Alimentando al Pueblo
  • Asian Counseling & Referral Service
  • Chicken Soup Brigade
  • Byrd Barr Place
    Des Moines Area Food Bank
    Edmonds Food Bank
    Ballard Food Bank
    University District Food Bank
    FamilyWorks – Wallingford Food Bank
    Highline Area Food Bank
    North Helpline – Bitter Lake/Lake City Food Bank
    Issaquah Food and Clothing Bank
    Jewish Family Service – Polack Food Bank
    Maltby Food Bank
    Hopelink – Bellevue, Redmond, Kirkland
    Rainier Valley Food Bank
    Renewal Food Bank
    Snohomish Healing Project
    White Center Food Bank
    West Seattle Food Bank
    Westgate Chape