King County Farmers Share

Harvest Against Hunger (HAH) works with farmers, truckers and volunteers to bring skills and resources to hunger relief agencies. AmeriCorps members in the VISTA program are placed at agencies throughout Washington and across the country. AmeriCorps members coordinate with farms and farmers markets to develop and sustain gleaning and produce recovery programs. 

Through a 2-year Regional Food System Grant from the King Conservation District, HAH’s King County Farmers Share (KCFS) is modeled after and expands upon HAH’s Farm-to-Food Pantry program administered alongside the Washington State Dept. of Agriculture. The program provides funding for hunger relief agencies in King County, WA, to purchase fruit and vegetables from small-scale farms also in King County in order to expand access to fresh, whole produce for local food-insecure populations. 

By building connections with growers, the amount and variety of fresh food is increased all while supporting farmers. While it is not always financially feasible for growers to donate produce from their farms, purchasing their produce allows food banks to establish good rapport and to open a conversation about their work. Through these relationships, good will and rapport is built, allowing farmers to keep food banks in mind in the future if they have extra produce to donate.

In summer of 2020, KCFS received an expansion and extension of the grant funding into 2021 to alleviate the impacts of COVID-19 on local small farms and emergency food providers. Then, in late summer 2020, the program network rapidly expanded with King County CARES Act funding contracted to HAH–adding funding to purchase from farms specifically for farm-to-senior meals food distribution as well.