Fare Share WNY

Fare Share WNY's mission is simple, yet powerful: Good Food for All.

Fare Share WNY is an independent nonprofit (501c3) organization working to increase access to fresh, locally grown food while building a stronger, more equitable local food system.

& its story started right here at Groundwork.

From The Farm to Something Bigger

Over the years, we saw the same challenge again and again: the people who could benefit most from fresh, locally grown food were often the least able to afford it, while small farms were already operating on incredibly tight margins.
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We didn't believe the answer was asking farmers to charge less for their food. We needed a model that supported both sides of the equation.

Some of Groundwork's early food access efforts began as small, farm-based programs. As that work grew, it became clear that it needed an organization of its own. Fare Share WNY was created to take that work beyond a single farm and build partnerships among farmers, food producers, community organizations, funders and the people they serve.

Groundwork + Fare Share

Groundwork Market Garden and Fare Share WNY are separate organizations with a shared history and a close working relationship.

Groundwork is a working, for-profit Certified Organic farm.
Fare Share WNY is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

The two organizations collaborate on projects that make locally grown food more accessible, create opportunities for community members to grow and learn, and strengthen the network of farms and food producers across Western New York. Keeping the organizations separate also means something important: farmers can be paid fairly for the food they grow while charitable funding helps make that food accessible to people who otherwise might not be able to afford it.

Building a Stronger Local Food System

Food access is only sustainable if the people growing our food can sustain themselves, too.

Fare Share WNY works to create stronger connections between local farmers, food producers and the communities they serve.
That means creating new markets and distribution opportunities for local producers, expanding access to fresh food, building community food infrastructure, and developing programs that respond to what both farmers and residents actually need.
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It's work grounded in a simple idea:
A strong local food system should work for everyone.

Support the Work



Want to help make locally grown food more accessible in Western New York?

Because Fare Share WNY is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, eligible donations made directly to Fare Share WNY are tax-deductible.

Your support helps invest in local farms, expand food access and build a stronger regional food system.