Fighting food insecurity with CSA shares

AdkAction invests in food programs 

By Izania Gonzalez

There are a number of food programs in the Adirondacks that aim to help people in need and provide them with access to fresh, locally grown food.  

AdkAction is a nonprofit with a number of programs in place to help mitigate food insecurity. Two of their programs include their Fair Share Program and Fair Food Program. Both programs are in their second year. 

Hannah Grall, AdkAction’s food security projects coordinator, says the importance of their programs rests in “supporting our local food system as a whole. Being able to support our farms upfront in the beginning of the season, when they need it the most, and getting local food to people who might not normally have access. Trying to help keep our local food local.” 

The Fair Food Program gives recipients a loaded debit card that they can use at participating vendors. To qualify for the program individuals must meet ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) income guidelines, which are slightly higher than SNAP requirements to help capture more low to middle income people. The program was able to accept 75 individuals this year and they hope more funding will allow them to accept more waitlisted individuals. 

The Fair Share program was initiated when a donor funded 23 people to receive a CSA share from a local farm from June to October. After the first year Grall says “donors and members were really excited so we fundraised to do more.” They raised enough to cover 100 households who have already begun receiving their shares for the year. AdkAction’s partnership with Tangleroot Farm in Essex and North Point Community Farm in Plattsburgh supplies the fresh boxes. 

AdkAction works with referral partners who direct people to their services, some of these partners include the Essex County WIC Office, the Mental Health Association, and JCEO. It allows for people who may not otherwise hear about them to learn about services eligible to them.