ECA Partner Spotlight - Farms for Life

Farms for Life (FFL), founded in 2009 by farmer Claire Thomas, has a unique, dual mission: to ensure the viability of local sustainable farms and to provide fresh produce to underserved members of the community. Every year, farmers have to overplant to allow for variables such as weather, pests and even people’s tastes. This surplus produce is first quality, but unfortunately doesn’t have a market.

FFL raises funds to pay farmers a fair price to harvest, wash and pack surplus produce which they couldn’t otherwise afford to do. It’s then donated to community agencies in East King County, Seattle, and Everett. Most recently, grants from ECA have helped pay for produce delivered to our Eastside agencies: YWCA Family Village Redmond, Imagine Housing, Open Kitchen and Bellevue Clubhouse.

FFL, a 501(c)3, is small but scrappy! Administrative costs are low: our board is all volunteer, we don’t have an office and the only thing we do own is a new cooler which was recently purchased to increase the amount of produce we could donate. In the first year of operation, FFL donated $11,285 in produce.

This year, the projected produce budget is $65,100. We look forward to our continued partnership with ECA which began with our first grant in 2012. It’s a win-win: underserved people on the Eastside receive healthy produce, small farmers are more economically stable and food waste is reduced. Look for the upcoming dedication ceremony for our new cooler at Church of the Holy Cross in Redmond this fall after the busy growing season. Thank you for supporting ECA and FFL!