HLFM continues to fund farmers feeding their communities
The Historic Lewes Farmers Market is a nonprofit organization that supports local farmers, builds community, and helps distribute healthy food from the farmers who grow it to those in the community who need it most. In 2023, the HLFM developed the Farm to Community program that purchases fresh food from local farmers to deliver to food pantries in Sussex and Kent counties. The program was designed with very limited overhead and delivery costs; farmers deliver direct to the pantries. In the two-and-a-half years of running the Farm to Community program, the HLFM was able to pay over $625,000 directly to local farmers, and feed more than 5,000 people every week with fresh fruits, vegetables, milk, eggs, beef, pork and chicken from April to December.
The Delaware Council on Farm and Food Policy piloted the Farm to Community program with funds provided under the USDA’s local food purchase assistance cooperative agreements in 2023 with the Historic Lewes Farmers Market as the community partner in Southern Delaware. The purpose of this program was to maintain and improve food and agricultural supply chain resiliency. The HLFM’s FTC Program includes 20 participating farmers supplying fruit, vegetables, milk, eggs and meats to 18 local-area food pantries.
Unfortunately, this version of the program ended in July with the termination of federal funding nationwide for all projects like this, purchasing fresh food from small family farmers to go directly to those in need. When HLFM members learned that funding was terminated, they turned to the community for help. Farmers and families in need relied on the HLFM FTC Program, so the HLFM hoped to continue this work in whatever capacity possible while exploring other avenues for funding. The show of support from the community was inspiring, as donations came in to help continue to pay farmers and feed neighbors. In just a few months, the Historic Lewes Farmers Market raised more than $30,000 that enabled the program to continue in August and September after the federal funding had ended.
The State of Delaware recognized this model’s effectiveness in delivering fresh, healthy, seasonal foods to both urban and rural communities in need. In recognition of this success, the state has invested in the continuation and expansion of the program, transitioning it from a federally funded pilot into a state-led initiative.
As of Sept. 1, the Farm to Community Program entered a new phase statewide, continuing to emphasize strengthening local production, aggregation and distribution across Delaware.
The Historic Lewes Farmers Market has received funding from the State of Delaware for an additional year of the Farm to Community Program that will allow HLFM to continue to purchase products from small family farms for collection and pay farmers to distribute farm-fresh food to food pantries through August 2026.
HLFM organizers are thankful to have the opportunity to continue this essential program supporting farmers and feeding neighbors in need in Southern Delaware. They are grateful to all in this community who contributed to the continuation of this essential program, building strong connections between farmers and the local pantries that need help feeding their communities.
