Shalom Farms is a nonprofit working together to build healthy communities by growing and sharing healthy food. The food they grow is distributed through their network of programs and partnerships in communities where access to healthy food is limited.
Shalom Farms is the evolution of the work of the United Methodist Urban Ministries of Richmond (UMUMR) which has a long history of social service work in Richmond VA. In 2009 UMUMR started a pilot project growing food on just half an acre at Westview. As the impact of the project quickly became clear, the organization decided to focus exclusively on food access work and eventually changed its name to Shalom Farms.
In 2016, they relocated their primary growing site to a larger, more accessible 12 acre farm in only 20 minutes west of Richmond. And they have since added a second five-acre site in Richmond’s Northside. This expansion has allowed them to evolve from distributing just a few thousand pounds of produce a year to local food banks, to a comprehensive range of food access programs and strategies that serve over 10,000 community members annually.
What makes Shalom Farms so unique is their focus on Providing meaningful access to healthy food which is at the heart of everything they do. So What does "meaningful access" mean?
- Fresh produce is always affordable for individuals of all income levels.
- Fresh produce is available, easy to find and easy to get to with convenient and consistent hours of operation.
- Fresh produce options reflect what community members are familiar with and wish to feed their families.
- Consumers have access to the tools, information, and recipes needed to enjoy fresh produce.
If any of these components are missing, then access is limited and it is not considered meaningful access.
I had the pleasure of speaking with Änna Ibrahim, Executive Director of Shalom Farms. Anna’s diversity of career knowledge, experience, and exposure to food access and equity issues, led her to this unique role as the ED of Shalom Farms. It was like the job was crafted just for her. And her husband intuitively knew that as soon as he saw the job post! Enjoy my inspiring conversation with Anna.
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