Thanks to the generous support of our partners at Bank of America and neighbors at The Salvation Army, Raleigh City Farm has been proud to provide a “Pay-What-You-Can” (PWYC) Farmstand to the Raleigh community this fall. Beginning in mid October, the PWYC Farmstand was set up outside of The Salvation Army Community Center on Wake Forest Road and opened to community members every weekday from 2:30 to 5:30pm over the past seven weeks. The PWYC program was also in place at Raleigh City Farm’s weekly Farmstand on Wednesdays.

This PWYC Farmstand gave customers the choice to pay any amount for the fresh produce harvested from the Raleigh City Farm, furthering our mission to improve the accessibility and distribution of healthy foods in the community. With the help of our Farmstand Brand Ambassador, Charles “CJ” Jordan, and Program Manager, Sarah Smith-Ruiz, we were able to impact even more of those in need while also raising awareness of the mission of Raleigh City Farm.

A drastic increase in food insecurity across North Carolina has been one of the many results of the pandemic and emphasizes the importance of making sustainable resources available to impacted communities. This grant-funded opportunity to increase access to healthy food would not be possible without the generosity of Bank of America, and we are very grateful for this chance to expand our reach to even more parts of the Raleigh area.

RCF extends a big thanks to The Salvation Army Community Center for supporting these efforts and providing a welcoming space for our Farmstand. Following our previous Farm to Camp partnership supporting youths to get inspired and involved with sustainable agriculture, we love seeing our vision come to life in these community spaces where we are helping grow a healthier future together.

Thank you again to all of the individuals who supported the success of the “Pay-What-You-Can” Farmstand and for all of the contributions made from our customers, no matter how big or small. Look for us again in the spring when the PWYC Farmstand reopens in April.