This story was originally published in The Providence Eye, a nonprofit newsroom covering events and issues of concern in Providence. Read more at pvdeye.org.

PROVIDENCE — The term “produce aggregation” may not conjure up an image of healthy kids and families and farmers bringing good food to communities facing food insecurity. But Southside Community Land Trust’s Produce Aggregation Program is working to do just that. It’s a way to connect urban farmers to their neighbors with healthy food while at the same time connecting their small farms to new markets.

It “gets fresh local food into the local community,” said Amelia Lopez, food access associate at Southside Community Land Trust (SCLT), who works on the Produce Aggregation Program.

Small-scale farmers typically face numerous challenges to access wholesale markets: they lack the capacity to grow large quantities; may not have access to processing facilities; and must manage the complexities of logistics and distribution required to fulfill wholesale orders.

The Produce Aggregation Program addresses these challenges by acting as a wholesale buyer that combines the harvest of numerous urban farmers to distribute in larger quantities. The program has its own farm-to-market processing center to collect and process crops grown by the farmers and manages the logistics and distribution of the produce, making it possible for small farms to increase the scale of their businesses.

Twenty-seven farmers regularly sell their produce through the program. Most of the farmers are refugees, immigrants, or part of other marginalized communities. More than half of the farmers who participate have plots at SCLT’s Urban Edge Farm or Good Earth Farm properties, where farmers are able to farm on larger plots of land.

As their businesses expand and they run out of space, many farm on numerous plots in multiple community gardens and farms. Most of the farmers in the program also sell at farmers markets, but income from farmers markets can be unpredictable and unsteady, Lopez said. The aggregation program gives them another, more reliable, outlet to sell their produce. In addition, there are many years of experience among the farmers, and they are able to share this knowledge with the high school students who take part in the SCLT’s paid internship program.

“[The Aggregation Program] has been a support for selling our vegetables. Sometimes there are moments when we have an abundance of some products and the program helps us to sell them,” said Margarita Martinez, translating her husband’s comment from Spanish. Teo Martinez, a farmer from the Dominican Republic, and Margarita are commercial growers based at Urban Edge Farm.

While the Martinezes appreciate the additional market channel through which they can sell surplus vegetables, they said they believe the program can be improved. “I do believe that it can be more. More can be done,” said Teo, again translated by Margarita.

Marcel De Los Santos, SCLT’s grants and communications manager, said, “The fight against food insecurity faces several significant obstacles that threaten its sustainability. Reducing crucial funding sources, such as the expiration of ARPA [American Rescue Plan Act] funds, has left many food assistance programs needing help to maintain their service levels. Land acquisition for food production and community gardens has become increasingly difficult as urban development drives up property costs and reduces available space.”

Additionally, rising food and transportation costs and persistent supply chain disruptions strain food banks’ operational capacities. These challenges are compounded by the growing demand for food assistance services, climate change impacts on agricultural production, and the need for consistent volunteer engagement.

As food policy expert Janet Poppendieck noted, “The greatest challenge we face isn’t just feeding people today, but securing the resources and infrastructure to ensure we can continue feeding them tomorrow.”

In 2023, the aggregation program paid out $190,000 to farmers, doubling the money from the previous year, and distributed an estimated 44,000 pounds of produce in the local community.

The program runs two distribution cycles each week during the growing season. SCLT orders different products in various quantities from different participating farmers and notifies them in advance of each cycle what they will be purchasing. Farmers deliver their produce to the food hub, where it is processed and packed into bags with other farmers’ produce. Each bag contains about $20 worth of fresh produce, sourced from different farmers, and is ready to be distributed.

In the fall, seasonal produce, such as chayote, winter squash, lemongrass, garlic, and sweet potatoes, is distributed, as well as collard greens, cabbage, herbal tea, parsley, honey, carrots, and onions. In the summer, produce includes tomatoes, peppers, lettuce, eggplants, potatoes, cilantro, onions, cucumbers, and zucchini.

The program distributes the produce through numerous community partners that in turn give it out to their participants at no cost. Distribution partners include organizations such as health clinics, day care programs, and recreation centers. Health clinic partners such as Integra Community Care, Lifespan Hospital, and Clínica Esperanza give out the produce through the VeggieRx program, where doctors give patients a “prescription” of produce.

In 2023, some 9,750 individuals received free produce through the program. Along with the food, recipients receive packets with recipes, storage tips, and education materials about the specific foods they receive.

The Produce Aggregation Program began in 2018 and has since grown each year. It is currently funded primarily by the USDA’s Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement program (LFPA), which began during the pandemic to expand access to local, healthy food and increase economic opportunities for underserved farmers. As of 2022, the program has a new home in the SCLT’s new Healthy Food Hub at 404 Broad St.

Founded in 1981, SCLT’s mission is to help local urban farmers by providing land access, agricultural resources, and agriculture and business training. The nonprofit supports the operation of 60 community gardens in Providence, Pawtucket, and Central Falls, including 20 land trust-owned properties.

The Produce Aggregation Program is one of many that the SCLT runs or partners with to address food insecurity in the Providence area. Farmers markets, gardens, education programs, and internships are among further examples of the SCLT’s mission. All of these activities, like the Produce Aggregation Program, help increase access to fresh, healthy, and culturally relevant food for these urban communities and feed roughly 1,200 families annually.

Although the growing season typically ends at Thanksgiving, the work of the SCLT continues year-round, along with its partner organizations and local businesses, farmers, volunteers, students, families, and the local community.

Brooke Warner was born and raised in Rhode Island and lives in Providence. She currently works at an organic vegetable farm and was previously an AmeriCorps VISTA member at Farm Fresh Rhode Island.