Welcome to the farm to food assistance learning lab! Imagine a table not just set with meals but with values at the core—where trust, reciprocity, and an open heart are the centerpiece. This lab is a 12-month journey, and through this page we swing open the doors to the learning lab, inviting you to witness the magic that happens when we connect and collaborate with peers around shared values.

The Wallace Center’s Farm to Food Assistance Learning Lab kicked off in September of 2023, with 10 teams from across the country coming together for mutual learning and support. Providing a stable market for farmers while simultaneously alleviating hunger is a powerful approach to building more equitable and resilient food systems. Nationwide, organizations are creating and implementing Farm to Food Assistance (F2FA) Programs – paying farmers fair market value for their product and channeling that product into food banks, food pantries, and other anti-hunger efforts – and seeing incredible results. We’ll also collaborate with the teams to gather and measure the impact and challenges of this strategy so we can all better tell the story of this work. Are you new to the lab? Jump to this section for the background, or read on the most recent updates.

Ready to dig in? Let’s embark on this learning journey together!

December 2023 Update

Initial Calls: Laying the foundation for the Lab

Between September and November 2023, the teams participated in 3 virtual calls and an in-person retreat in Phoenix AZ. Through each of these activities team members built relationships with one another, shared about their work and deepened their analysis of ways farm to food assistance programs can be a lever for social change.

The Lab kicked off in September with teams getting to know one another and sharing what values are important to them and their work. Here are values that teams shared during the kickoff call:

Foundational Values:

Moving at the speed of trust
Reciprocity
Servant leadership
Honesty
Vulnerability
Open mind and heart
Grace
Authentic caring connections
Believing in people

Mindsets and Approach:

Curiosity
Learning mindset
Community-thinking and acting as a community
Creativity
Cultural relativity and sensitivity
Equity and inclusion
Honoring lived experience

Collaborative Action and Empowerment:

Coordination
Follow-through
Accountability
Self-sufficiency
Food sovereignty and security
Replicable models and sharing

On the second group call in October, the cohort focused on developing a better shared understanding of what makes an equity-centered, community-driven farm to food assistance program with the help of a graphic facilitator. Through several rounds of conversation, the cohort shaped a vision based on who is at the table, what impacts they are aiming for, and what practices are needed to be an equity centered, community driven program. We’ll share the final graphic in January!

November In-person retreat

In November the Learning Lab cohort convened 25 people in Phoenix, AZ for a two-day retreat. The goal of the retreat was to provide a space for the Learning Lab cohort to deepen connections, share expertise, and explore challenges and solutions within the Farm to Food Assistance (F2FA) community.

Tuesday, 10/31/23 – Arrival Day

The retreat kicked off with team arrivals and a spooky happy hour meet and greet.

Wednesday, 11/1/23 – Introductions, F2FA Models, and Peer Learning Day

On day 1 the tone was set by introductions and sharing the unique contributions each person brings to this cohort. This was followed by a series of activities aimed at fostering connections and understanding of our shared analysis of F2FA. The morning session focused on shared purpose, and the unveiling of personal preferences and theories of change. Teams then got creative in a Challenge Canvas activity where they presented a visual representation of their F2FA model. Later in the afternoon teams explored each others canvases through a gallery walk. The day concluded with reflections and a group dinner.

Thursday, 11/2/23 – Learning Journey Day

Day 2 of the Learning Lab began with a welcome and reflection on the previous day’s activities. Advisors presented a draft typology of the common challenges and assets identified during the first day followed by a group discussion. Before embarking on site visits, we introduced the Learning Journey, a method that encourages individuals to have a fresh outlook, break habitual patterns and do some open-minded exploration. The Learning Journey involves four steps: 1. Reflect before arrival, noting assumptions and curiosities. 2. Observe with all senses during the visit. 3. Reflect on findings. 4. Share experiences with others.

Our first site visit took us to St. Mary’s Food Bank, guided by the charismatic Isaac Orona. We learned that St. Mary’s Food Bank holds the distinction of being the first-ever food bank in the world (founded in 1967), setting a precedent and serving as a model for the establishment of subsequent food banks nationwide.

Later, we proceeded to a nearby park for lunch, enjoying a chance to unwind, reminisce on our youth while playing on the swings, and contemplate the St. Mary’s site visit through silent journaling before our next destination.

Our day ended at Spaces of Opportunity, a cooperative 19-acre farm offering fresh produce and farming opportunities in south Phoenix. Sowan Thai and Ryan Thayer led us through the incubator farm, providing Learning Lab participants with a chance to witness a desert farm, ask questions, and learn their agricultural practices.

After the insightful farm tour, we convened for an engaging panel discussion featuring local leaders. The panel included Isaac Orona from St. Mary’s Food Bank, Jessie Gruner representing Pinnacle Prevention, Jessica Diamond from Arizona Community Hub, Carol Dimer as the farmer representative, and Erica Uhl from the AZ Food Bank Network. This dynamic panel provided a platform for sharing experiences, insights, and discussing the various facets of their work in the community. Participants had the opportunity to gain valuable perspectives from these leaders contributing to the diverse landscape of the local F2FA system.

The day concluded with a joyous happy hour, celebrating our time together and expressing gratitude for everyone who generously shared their insights and experiences during the Learning Journey Day.

November call- unpacking the history of charitable food and strategic planning

During the 3^rd cohort call, two learning lab advisors led sessions based on topics that came up during the in-person retreat. Alison Cohen (Learning Lab Advisor and General Coordinator for the National Right to Food Community of Practice) led a discussion on the history of food access programming (did you know the first food bank wasn’t started until 1967?) and contradictions that have arisen as food banking and local food charities have become professionalized. Many participants were surprised to learn how young this field was, and felt energized by seeing the contradictions they have felt in this work listed clearly through the information spelled out in this table:

Sources:

Strategic Planning:

Erin Pirro walked through a 1-page strategic plan to help teams prioritize their work and link their mission and vision to tangible actions. Teams spent time reflecting on their mission, vision, and values to make sure their objectives and work plans were aligned with them. This exercise is just the start of the process. Team leads will share the template with their colleagues to complete on their own, and then get back together to compare notes and complete their plans. You can download a copy of the worksheet the teams used from Erin’s website here.

Background on the Learning Lab:

What is a Farm to Food Assistance Program?

Farm to Food Assistance Programs are community-based solutions that pay farmers a fair market value for their product and offer healthy food free to underserved communities. This includes those funded by the USDA Local Food Purchase Assistance program and other sources.

For info about F2FA programs please visit this page

Learning Lab Teams will receive

Peer connection via a community of organizations and people doing similar work in a confidential, supportive space
Financial assistance (up to $20k) to be used to strengthen and advance existing farm to food assistance efforts
Technical assistance in the form of dedicated advisors and monthly group calls to increase organizations’ knowledge and capacity for design, collaboration, and implementation of F2FA projects
In Person Retreat to help participants expand their network, deepen their connections and learn from their peers (Lead applicant only)

This learning lab will collectively lead to:

Strengthened relationships of teams implementing F2FA programs
Increased sustainability of F2FA projects across the country
Increased understanding of the challenges, technical assistance needs, and best practices for creating and implementing equity-driven farm to food assistance projects