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About Growing for Good
Farmer Centered | Community Focused | People Funded
How does it work?
Mission:
GFG is a community-funded partnership uniting farmers and hunger relief organizations to ensure that all our neighbors are nourished with fresh, local food and every farmer can build a viable future.
Vision:
A thriving, equitable food system where everyone has access to fresh, local food and every farmer can sustain a viable livelihood.
Three Key Steps...
1. At the beginning of each year, the GFG team matches farms and hunger relief organizations based on their needs, proximity, and capacity.
2. Farmers are sent up-front payments in spring, providing critical early-season income.
3. Throughout the year, farmers deliver fresh, culturally relevant foods for hunger relief organizations and the communities they serve.
Who is Growing for Good?
Growing for Good isn't a standalone nonprofit, but a collaborative program between three organizations:
Since 2020...
332,815
Pounds of Food
30
Farms
27
Hunger Relief Orgs
$962,605
Total Contracts
A History of Growing for Good
A Pandemic Partnership
2020
GFG began in 2020 to meet the needs of local farmers and food banks. The program created contracts for farms to provide fresh produce for food banks in PCC’s Food Bank program during greater demand during the pandemic. These contracts created an alternative income stream for NFM’s small farms whose businesses were threatened by the closures of Seattle farmers markets.
Growth & Continued Support
2021
The GFG partnership was initially thought to be a short-term solution to COVID-19’s impacts on food security and the local farm economy. However, its multiplier benefits allowed it to become more established in the region’s food system, thanks to funding from PCC and King County COVID relief grants.
Building Partnerships
2022
In 2022, the need for food access remained high due to inflation and supply chain shortages. With the largest funding pool to date, GFG matched three new food banks and four new farms. Farmers introduced more protein options and culturally relevant foods tailored to client needs.
Program Expansion
2023
With sustained financial support from PCC, GFG continued to provide fresh, nutrient-dense food in the hunger relief system, while fine tuning program operations. GFG integrated some activities with King County Farmers Share, another regional farm-to-food access program, such as monthly cohort meetings and field trips to further develop the network.
New Challenges & Opportunities
2024
Cuts to COVID relief funding, SNAP, and the USDA's Local Food Purchasing Agreement created new challenges for farmers and hunger relief organizations. In response, GFG increased the food purchasing budget for 2025 by almost 20%.
PCC launched round-up at the register for GFG, bringing in a new wave of critical support from a generous community of PCC shoppers.
Strategic Planning
2025
GFG continued to bring in more HRO and farm partners through round up at the register funds from PCC. The GFG team also participated in 6 months of strategic planning to envision the program's future. The resulting plan creates long-term sustainability designed to uphold GFG's vision statement:
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"A thriving, equitable food system where everyone has access to fresh, local food and every farmer can sustain a viable livelihood."