About The Farm Food Collaborative

The North Alabama Farm Food Collaborative (FFC) is a Working Group of local Farmers, Buyers (such as public schools, hospitals, and restaurants) and agencies that support the journey from farm to plate in north Alabama.  It is facilitated by the Food Bank of North Alabama.

What role does the Food Bank of North Alabama play?

The Food Bank of North Alabama is committed to not only serving the hungry, the ill, and children but also working with a host of community partners to support a robust local food system with thriving family farms, a healthy population and strong local economy in North Alabama.

As a member of the FFC, the Food Bank is assessing how its infrastructure (cold storage and refrigerated trucks) can be leveraged not only to support charitable feeding programs but also aid local farmers’ ability to sell local foods through the FFC. 

The Farm Food Collaborative is working to:

·         Help family farmers sell fresh, local foods to public schools,  hospitals,  restaurants, and corporate cafeterias in our region;

·         Increase access to healthy food choices for all residents;  and

·         Keep our food dollars local (which retains wealth in our region).

Why a Farm Food Collaborative?

In the current supply chain, farmers are anonymous, interchangeable and unknown.  One reason for this is that the majority of fruits and vegetables consumed in the U.S. come from outside this country.  In the FFC local Farmers and Buyers work together on sales of local foods.  FFC Farmers are key strategic partners in the Collaborative who are not only known, but are esteemed.  Plus, the FFC promotes each Farmer to the constituents (including students, employees and patrons) of each Buyer.

How is the Farm Food Collaborative different?

·         The goal is to supplement – not supplant – an institution’s existing purchases with local foods.

·         Our core values are innovation, communication and collaboration.

·         Farmers are key strategic partners who are known, valued, and promoted.

What does the Farm Food Collaborative do?

The FFC matches Farmers with appropriate Buyers and markets that meet their needs, capacity, and aims.

The FFC also helps Farmers build capacity by linking them to supporting agencies’ programs and resources.

How does the Farm Food Collaborative do this?

The FFC has a team who coordinates sales and logistics among Farmers and Buyers. The team also facilitates planning meetings to synchronize Buyers' purchasing plans with Farmer’s planting and harvesting schedules before planting begins.  Finally, FFC also works with farmers to increase productivity.