From Farm to Table with Dignity: Glynwood's CSA is a SNAP Initiative

Glynwood

Overview

Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is a SNAP addresses the critical challenge that while New York's Hudson Valley produces abundant fresh, sustainably grown food, many low-income residents cannot access it due to affordability and accessibility barriers.

The program removes these barriers by enabling SNAP recipients to join local farm CSA programs at half price while ensuring farms receive full payment. Since 2020, we've connected over 768 SNAP households (2,840+ individuals) with 32+ regional farms, providing weekly boxes of fresh, locally grown produce during the 20-24 week growing season. The program transforms both food security for families and farm viability, creating a more equitable regional food system.

Alignment with EAT-Lancet Commission

Healthy diets: 89% of participants report consuming more vegetables and fruits
Sustainable food production: Partners exclusively with farms using regenerative/organic practices
Food system transformation: Creates direct producer-consumer relationships that strengthen food systems
Equity and access: Specifically targets food-insecure households, with 56% experiencing low/very low security
Progress indicators: Comprehensive evaluation includes participant surveys, biomarker data (skin carotenoid assessments), food security measurements, and farm impact assessments showing 93% of farmers feel more connected to SNAP customers.

Lessons learned

Technology and peer-to-peer promotion have been vital to program success. The SNAP Ambassador program - where participating households receive stipends to promote the program in their communities - has proven most effective for recruitment, as professional market research shows peer-led, word-of-mouth promotion is the most impactful means of raising CSA awareness.

Key actors

Glynwood Center for Regional Food and Farming - Program design, implementation, and farmer support
Hudson Valley CSA Coalition farms - 32+ farms providing CSA shares
SNAP households - 768 low-income families as primary beneficiaries
CSA is a SNAP Ambassadors - 12 peer-led promoters from participating households
NYU Langone Department of Population Health - Evaluation and impact assessment
Distribution site partners - Community centers, churches, farmers markets in 80 locations

Next steps

Scaling reach: Expanding from 360 households in 2025 to 768 in 2026
Business partnership expansion: Collaborate with more businesses to expand access to regenerative goods and educate consumers about sustainable food choices
Farmer network growth: Invite more Hudson Valley farmers to implement the CSA model, expanding revenue sources while restoring environmental health
Research publication: Work with NYU partners toward peer-reviewed publication demonstrating health impacts to support program replication nationally

For more information contact: Kathleen Finlay at kfinlay@glynwood.org

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