Heart of the City farmers have teamed up with Tenderloin Neighborhood Development Corporation to donate produce for free distribution to those in the Tenderloin and Mid-Market neighborhoods who cannot afford to incorporate fresh produce into their diets even with the aid of Heart of the City Farmers Market's EBT program, which enables residents to purchase food from farmers with food stamps.
Volunteers from TNDC collect produce donated by farmers at the end of each Wednesday market day and distribute it free to residents at a Free Produce Store in the heart of the Tenderloin. Over 1,300 pounds of produce is donated each day by farmers. On Sundays, Project Open Hand collects produce that they use to deliver healthy meals to residents with mobility challenges. To listen to KGO Radio's spotlight on this effort, click here.
Heart of the City Farmers Market is a non-profit with a mission not only to support small-scale farming, but also make fresh produce accessible to everyone and help to create a Healthy Heart of the City.
Other “Healthy Heart of the City” Efforts by Farmers
Our farmers market is dedicated to nutrition education outreach.
Last fall we did 5 workshops in after-school programs and affordable
supportive housing buildings (partnering with TNDC, Glide, and the Boys
and Girls Club) to teach about produce, farms, and healthy choices,
then took participants on tours of the market to meet the farmers in
person. We call these our "Healthy Heart of the City Workshops" and
have plans for six more this fall. We partner closely with Department
of Public Health’s Feeling Good Project to offer nutrition education
activities for the community and the Office of Women's Health and
Chinatown Public Health Center to offer free health resources during
market days. Our farmer-run Board has donated over $50,000 to local
non-profit organizations since the market was founded.