Growing Community
Committed to Our Agricultural Roots
Chester County has a robust agricultural history. The county ranks second among all 67 Pennsylvania counties (ranking 53rd of over 3,000 counties in the U.S.) in the total value of agricultural products sold. When the Food Bank was founded in 2009 we made a commitment to improving access to fresh, nutritious food to our neighbors in need. We have developed strategic food production and procurement initiatives as well as optimized the use of the incredible resources and partnerships of our area. Our Farm & Garden teams support us in providing the freshest food for our programs with the help of an industrious volunteer base and in our community kitchen.
21% of the 1.7 million pounds of produce distributed annually is grown here in Chester County.
Farms & Gardens
At our partner farm sites, our staff and volunteers grow 160,000 pounds of vegetables seasonally. Our agriculture team facilitates educational opportunities and works with our program staff to grow culturally appropriate and commonly requested vegetables. These foods are processed in our kitchen and used for our Eat Fresh Cooking Classes and at the Fresh2You Mobile Market. We also support our network of local farms and producers by purchasing additional fruits, vegetables and other goods, to offer our communities the best in seasonal produce and locally made products.