Local Food Hub Market Shirts

COVID-19 presents some very urgent challenges to our community and the nation. Two, in particular, directly bear on the Local Food Hub’s mission:

FEEDING THE NEEDIEST IN OUR COMMUNITY THROUGH THIS CRISIS: Today, more than half of children across the country are out of school indefinitely. Without coordinated intervention, children, the elderly, and others who rely on free and reduced-price food will not get the meals and nutrition they need. Food banks and pantries are overwhelmed by demand.

HELPING VIRGINIA FARMERS WEATHER THE ECONOMIC IMPACTS: Local producers are in a moment of extreme uncertainty and vulnerability, as many of the buyers they rely on, such as universities, K12 schools, and restaurants, have shut their doors or are trimming their operations. Farms operate on razor-thin financial margins, and this social and economic crisis is going to impact them hard.

The good news is that local and regional food systems – Local Food Hub’s specialty – are agile, resilient, and responsive. Ours is still functioning and flowing. The global supply chain, by contrast, is showing signs of strain; the long aisles of empty shelves are one indicator. As COVID-19 spreads, food brought in from other regions may become harder to access, and people may begin to trust it less.

LOCAL FOOD HUB IS COMMITTED TO BRIDGING THE GAPS. WE KNOW HOW TO HARNESS OUR LOCAL AND REGIONAL FOOD SYSTEMS TO CREATE COMMUNITY SOLUTIONS IN THIS TIME OF CRISIS.

Your purchase will support:
- Purchasing food or subsidizing the purchasing of food from Local Food Hub partner farms for emergency feeding efforts, including the adaptation of the Fresh Farmacy: Fruit and Veggie Prescription Program as appropriate
- Opening diverse markets for farms, including direct relationships with buyers and alternative farmers markets
- Our leadership and coordination with community organizations including the Charlottesville Food Justice Network, in their efforts to feed those in need