Established in 2016 as a sustainable, community-based, nonprofit urban farm, York Fresh Food Farms (Y3F) is dedicated to increasing access to safe, healthy food for low-income and food-insecure families in the City of York.
In addition to providing affordable, nutritious produce, promoting healthy food choices and addressing food access inequities, Y3F has connected with other York County farmers to bring locally grown fruits, vegetables and other farm products to its York City customers.
Recognizing that lack of transportation is a major barrier to accessing healthy food for York City residents, Y3F launched its Mobile Produce Market (MPM) in 2018, a farmstand-on-wheels that makes 15 different market stops each week from June through November in underserved York City neighborhoods.
As COVID-19 forced many customers to switch to home delivery rather than visit the mobile market in person, Y3F decided to expand its offerings to meet an increase in need brought on by the pandemic. Inspired by Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) programs offered by many local farms, in which families pay a large lump sum to receive a share of the harvest each week, Y3F launched its year-round Farm Shares program. Designed for families that can’t afford to pay the large lump sum for CSAs, Farm Shares allows anyone to purchase an affordable weekly box of fresh produce, delivered at no extra charge.
Keeping its market open to those dependent on subsidies, all payment options are accepted at MPMs and through the Farm Shares program, including SNAP, WIC and Senior FMNP Checks, WellSpan Market Bucks, cash and card.
“We want the best for our community, and it all starts with what you put into your body,” said Y3F’s Assistant Farm Manager Alyssa Dalton. “We want to make an impact on the dietary choices the people in our city make daily. With this Farm Shares program that we now offer year-round, I believe we will make that impact.”
