Chase Goldston is the interim manager of the Pop Up Food Hub team at FRESHFARM, a Washington, DC-based nonprofit dedicated to building a more equitable, sustainable, and resilient food system in the Mid-Atlantic region. Since 1996, FRESHFARM has partnered with local communities to promote food access, economic development, and thriving neighborhoods through hands-on education, farmers’ markets, and food distribution programs.
In his role, he oversees the setup and operations of the Pop Up Food Hub, ensuring that quality food is packed and ready for delivery. Growing up surrounded by farms and agriculture, Chase values being part of an organization that enhances healthy food access in DC while supporting local farmers. He enjoys working with FRESHFARM’s network of farmers markets—spanning DC, Virginia, and Maryland—which is the third largest in the U.S. These markets support local economies, create opportunities for farmers, and provide vital food access for all. Through initiatives like FreshMatch and Produce Plus, FRESHFARM makes fresh, healthy food more affordable for underserved communities, generating over a million dollars annually for local farmers.
The Pop-Up Food Hub program connects small farmers with underserved individuals and community organizations, while FRESHFARM’s FoodPrints education program teaches students to grow, prepare, and enjoy fresh, local foods, integrating science, math, and social studies. FRESHFARM’s work addresses systemic issues in the food system by fostering community-driven solutions, promoting environmental awareness, and challenging food insecurity.
Food Policy Center: Can you tell us about FRESHFARM’s mission and the core values that drive your work? How do those values shape the programs you offer?
Chase Goldston: FRESHFARM’s mission is to build a more equitable, resilient, and sustainable food system in the Mid-Atlantic region. Our work values inclusivity and accessibility. Within FRESHFARM there are many different branches and focus areas. I work with the Pop Up Food Hub (PUFH) as both an operations manager and procurement coordinator.
One aim of the PUFH is to leverage connections to a large network of local farms to fill food access gaps. Simultaneously we prioritize the economic well-being of small farms by connecting them to wholesale clients in the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia (DMV) area and our packed bag programs.
Food Policy Center: FRESHFARM is focused on creating an equitable, sustainable, and resilient food system. What does a truly equitable food system look like to you, and how does FRESHFARM work toward achieving that vision?
Chase Goldston: An equitable food system looks like access to locally grown produce regardless of race, zip code, income, or any other demographic factors. For us, this includes creating more physical points where local produce can be found in the DMV while also working towards affordable options for purchasing produce. Wholesale pricing and several food-access incentive programs help us meet this goal. Going a few steps further, we work to provide education about regional food systems and increase familiarity and knowledge about healthy produce options.
Food Policy Center: How do your farmers’ markets support local farmers and businesses, and what benefits do they bring to both farmers and the communities they serve?
Chase Goldston: On the PUFH, we support local farmers by placing large wholesale orders with a wide network of farms. We use our own vehicles to meet with farmers at markets and supplement their sales on market day. For a small farm, it is costly to go to a market and pay high fuel prices while also having your (often small) labor force away from farm activities. An order from the PUFH ranges in size but can consistently hit $1000-$2000. Farming does not always provide much certainty, and being able to attend a market with the certainty of a large sale before even opening is a nice support for smaller farms.
We support businesses by connecting them to farmers and providing them with a source of fresh produce that helps them meet their local procurement goals and seasonal sourcing goals.
Food Policy Center: With the rise of food insecurity and rising grocery prices, how do FRESHFARM’s markets address the need for affordable, healthy food in underserved areas?
Chase Goldston: FRESHFARM has Food Access and Incentives teams that work to make the produce at our markets and within our PUFH programs more accessible. Our Market Share bags are CSA-style bags packed either at the market or at our warehouse and then distributed across the DMV. Market Share bags can be bought at a discount with SNAP dollars or other programs such as WIC, Senior Produce dollars, or Produce Plus.
If someone cannot make it to market due to transport or mobility issues, there are also programs by which a shopper can have market share bags delivered to their home from May to Thanksgiving.
Food Policy Center: Can you explain how FRESHFARM’s Produce Plus program makes fresh produce more affordable for individuals in underserved communities?
Chase Goldston: At markets, Produce Plus gives seniors in DC get a monthly stipend to spend on produce that they can buy at a discounted price. Additionally, older adults in DC can also use Produce Plus subscriptions to get home deliveries. This year PUFH partnered with a few residences that registered Produce Plus participants to organize bulk dropoffs of Produce Plus bags.
Food Policy Center: What impact have these food access programs had on local farmers and the regional economy?
Chase Goldston: Food Access programs have brought an influx of spending to markets that otherwise would likely not exist. Farmers get the benefits from both at-market shopping using incentives and the wholesale orders PUFH places to pack bags for SNAP and Produce Plus shoppers.
Food Policy Center: How does FRESHFARM ensure that these programs are reaching those who need them the most, especially communities that are traditionally excluded from the local food system?
Chase Goldston: Part of how FRESHFARM increases equitable access to healthy food is by physically being in areas that have seen disinvestment in food systems and providing delivery services on the days when there is no market. These areas include farmstands at Minnesota Avenue, Cesar Chavez, the Kennilworth Rec Center, The ARC, and the Smithsonian Anacostia Community Museum bridge the need for food availability and access in Ward 7 and 8 in Washington DC.
Food Policy Center: Tell us about the Pop-Up Food Hub program and how it supports small farmers while improving food access. What have been some of the challenges and successes of this initiative?
Chase Goldston: PUFH leverages large wholesale orders from a wide network of community partners to support farmers at FRESHFARM markets. Using our vehicle fleet we can source local produce at markets and deliver it throughout the DC area. This includes bulk orders to schools, faith-based organizations, community-based organizations, and other non-profits. PUFH programs support small farms, especially those in marginalized farming communities by placing bulk orders with BIPOC-owned and women-owned farms.
Our model can move produce with wholesale prices and use grant money to bring even lower prices to our partners, while also bringing fair prices to small farms. Our orders guarantee that a farmer will make a minimum payday at the market that can make their trips more worthwhile. Another success has been our Market Share program, which works towards the goals of increasing education about and exposure to local produce. The bags are a mix of familiar seasonal fruits and vegetables that also incorporate a variety of culturally significant crops.
Some of the greatest challenges have been related to infrastructure for our growing programs. With longer, hotter summers, having reliable cold storage has been an issue, and we have allocated more time to fixing our storage capacities. Having enough vehicle space to accommodate our large orders has also been an issue this season.
Food Policy Center: Can you share any stories or examples of how FoodPrints has transformed the way students and families approach food and nutrition?
Chase Goldston: Our FoodPrints program combines gardening, cooking, and nutrition education into the curriculum through a collaborative model that includes partnerships, standards-based lessons, connections to the cafeteria, and improved food access. Our expert educators lead hands-on lessons that engage students in growing, preparing, and enjoying fresh, local whole foods, while also making science, math, and social studies more relevant. The program aims to enhance the health and well-being of children and their families.
Foodprints provides a space for children to learn about the growth of their food from seeds in soil to preparation in the kitchen, including hands-on education within school gardens. This holistic educational experience provides children with the skills and tools the need to prepare nutritious foods. These classes also close the gap between people and their food and allow students to imagine ways they can participate in their regional food system.
Food Policy Center: In what ways does FRESHFARM work to address systemic discrimination and inequities within the food system?
Chase Goldston: FRESHFARM recognizes historical inequities in both food access and farming within the United States and the DMV specifically. By using this historical lens we seek to broaden opportunities for marginalized food-system stakeholders. This includes providing support for BIPOC-owned farms at markets and in PUFH programming. So far in 2024, PUFH has sourced 60 percent of the produce for our market-share and wholesale programs from BIPOC-owned farms.
FRESHFARM also works to open markets and farmstands in communities that have experienced disinvestment in food systems and closed outlets for local produce.
Food Policy Center: How does FRESHFARM incorporate the needs and feedback of the communities you serve into your program development and decision-making?
Chase Goldston: We frequently seek feedback, which comes in the form of surveys at market and online. The PUFH seeks feedback through annual surveys and Market Share survey forms.
The responses we receive directly inform our programs and allow us to perfect the way we serve communities across the DMV. For example, PUFH feedback forms often ask what produce customers want to see more of. We use this information to coordinate with farmers over the winter to let them know what crops we intend to order more of next season.
Food Policy Center: How do you evaluate the success of FRESHFARM’s programs? Are there specific metrics or outcomes you track to assess your impact on the food system and the communities you serve?
Chase Goldston: Traditional metrics like sales at markets, the number of new vendors, and new wholesale partners are captured along with lots of other data. At PUFH we often look at the number of farms we source from each year, their net change in sales each year, and the number of clients for whom we were able to source produce.
Food Policy Center: Can you share any specific examples or data points that demonstrate the success of your programs in terms of economic development, food security, or community health?
Chase Goldston: Over the last year, we packed more than 30,000 bags of produce to distribute to our partners across the DMV. We also distributed more than 195 bulk orders and 465 orders specifically for our network of Foodprints schools.
Food Policy Center: As you look to the future, what are some of the biggest challenges you foresee in building a more sustainable and equitable food system, and how is FRESHFARM preparing to tackle them?
Chase Goldston: Over the last few seasons, we have seen heat as a challenge that puts stress on infrastructure, workers, and production on the farms. We will have to put more effort into planning workarounds for it such as when our air conditioning systems will need fixing or there is extreme heat on market days. To account for this we have sought out community refrigeration spaces, and we’re providing them with more mandatory breaks and water receptacles to keep staff safe during heat events.
Warmer weather has also changed the output from farms and created new expectations for what may be “in season.” Sitting here now we just had a weekend moving thousands of pounds of eggplant and tomatoes that normally have no longer been in season around Thanksgiving. Warmer nighttime temperatures have led to a longer season for summer squashes and watermelon as well. However, greens and lettuces have had a harder time.
Food Policy Center: How can other organizations or individuals get involved in supporting FRESHFARM’s mission and programs, whether through partnerships, volunteering, or advocacy?
Chase Goldston: In general, I believe there is more room for collaboration across organizations in the regional food system, such as sharing of storage spaces or other infrastructure. Many organizations are working towards the common goals of alleviating food insecurity and building up regional food systems. At times we feel siloed in our networks, and in the future, it would be helpful to have more room for collaboration.
