Sliding Scale Program Information
Food justice is one of the three pillars of the Phillies Bridge Farm Project’s mission. We believe that everyone has a right to fresh, healthy, nutritious food. Over 40 million people in the United States suffer from food insecurity, a lack of consistent access to the nutritious food necessary for a healthy life. Almost 18,000 people in Ulster County are food insecure(1).
Courtesy of The Art Effect, Community Foundations, and Forge Media for the Community Foundations of the Hudson Valley.
Communities Lending a Hand
Private food banks and pantries can help families obtain the food necessary to survive, but too often they are only able to provide canned or boxed foods that lack nutritional content. That’s why at Phillies Bridge we sustain a number of partnerships that help us get our sustainably-grown veggies into the hands of the people who need them most. Through our community partners, we donate over 2000 pounds of fresh produce annually to those facing food insecurity.
Our food justice partners include Family of New Paltz, Institute for Family Health, Ulster County Healthy Families, Ulster Corps, and Cornell Cooperative Extension. By teaming up with organizations that are already positioned to get fresh food to those who need it, we are able to broaden our reach. In addition to providing our produce, many of these organizations also offer education and a long-term system of support.
Because we want everyone to be able to be a part of our community-supported agriculture program, we also accept SNAP payments and offer a sliding scale membership fee for those in need. If you are facing financial hardship, please contact us about these food justice programs.
Creating Real Food Justice
Creating a world where everyone has access to the nutritious food they need requires a multi-pronged solution. Structural changes and major policy reform are needed to create a truly just and equitable society where no one lacks access to fresh nutritious food.
Phillies Bridge Farm is dedicated to bringing healthy, fresh produce to those in need in our own community, and we hope you will join us as we work to achieve that mission. If you are in a position to support our program monetarily, your donations will go directly toward providing shares to those in need. We also welcome volunteers to the farm to help with food distribution, farm work, and other projects that keep our farm going!
1. https://map.feedingamerica.org/
This program is supported by a generous grant made by the Farm Fresh Food Fund of the Community Foundation of the Hudson Valley, and the Thomas and Corinne Nyquist Foundation, as well as individual donors.
