Hartford Food System, Inc.
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Since 1978, Hartford Food System has been dedicated to addressing problems of food security in Hartford. Our work focuses on understanding and addressing the underlying causes of inadequate community access to healthy food. The change we seek is a healthy and just food system as a critical part of a healthy community. In our program and advocacy efforts, we implement programs that improve access to high quality, nutritious and affordable food, we help consumers make informed food choices, we advocate for a robust and economically sound food system, and we promote responsible food policies at all levels of government. For more than 40 years, HFS has led grassroots efforts to fight hunger and improve nutrition in low-income neighborhoods. We promote the concept of community food security; we work to assure that all persons have access at all times to a sufficient quantity of nutritious, culturally acceptable food in their community for an active, healthy life.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Grow Hartford
Urban Agriculture and Youth Leadership Development
North End Farmers Market
Seasonal Farmers Market
Healthy Food Retailer Initiative
Various efforts to increase access to healthy groceries in Hartford
Hartford Mobile Market
Year round mobile produce market
Little City Sprouts
Gardening and nutrition program for children in Hartford's early learning centers
Where we work
External reviews
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Dollars of SNAP benefits redeemed at the Farmers Market and Mobile Market.
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Age groups, Ethnic and racial groups, Social and economic status
Related Program
North End Farmers Market
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
2020 markets dramatically impacted by COVID
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
Hartford Food System's mission is to fight hunger and improve nutrition in our community. The goal is for our community to have a healthy, culturally-responsive, resilient and sustainable food system that meets the needs of all community members. To help make this happen, we implement programs that improve access to nutritious
and affordable food, we help consumers make informed food choices, we advocate for a robust and economically sound food system, and we promote responsible food policies at all levels of government.
We believe that all members of our community have the right to safe, nutritious and affordable food. Few things are more fundamental to the health and well-being of our community residents than food. At the same time, we regard those who grow and distribute food as having a special role in our society, and we seek to deepen the
connection between urban food consumers and the sources of healthy food production.
We also believe that long-term solutions to Hartford's food problems can only be found by addressing the root causes of hunger and poor nutrition. These solutions require working in partnership with community members, especially those who are experiencing food insecurity. We do our work locally, statewide, and regionally in
concert with public officials, farmers and producers, nonprofit allies, business leaders in the local food economy, and other people of good will. Together, we can build a more equitable and just food system.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
In carrying out the goals of our Strategic Plan, Hartford Food System will:
Be deeply engaged with the community we serve to both identify the food problems affecting community members and the solutions to those problems.
Be known as one of the most creative and competent food security organizations in the country, committed to developing talent and passion for the field through internships and volunteer opportunities.
Partner with individuals and organizations in the community to achieve constituent-responsive and comprehensive answers to food system issues.
Use best practices and research findings to provide guidance for effective program and policy efforts.
Be open to new challenges, recognizing that a changing food environment provides opportunities for system innovation and creativity; we will use these new opportunities to chart new directions to achieve a healthy and just community food system.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
Since its founding40+ years ago, Hartford Food System has developed dozens of projects, initiatives, and coalitions that tackle a wide range of food cost, access, and nutrition problems. This work has included active participation in a number of public policy initiatives at the local, state, regional and national levels that affect community-based
food systems.
Hartford Food System operates a program model that includes the following priorities:
Access to Quality Food – increasing access to and supply of quality food (food that is nutritious and affordable) especially for low-income residents in the Hartford area.
Community Building -engaging the community to better understand issues and concerns about food; work with residents, government, local businesses, and organizations to develop action plans that address key concerns.
Education and Advocacy -- offering residents and policymakers information about food security, food justice and sound nutrition that is pertinent, easily understood, and can be acted upon.
Health and Nutrition—providing information, tangible examples and
opportunities for Hartford's youth and families to understand the connection between food, eating, and the health of their bodies and their communities.
Coalition and Network Building—actively engaging with others locally, statewide, and regionally to build a more just and resilient food system, recognizing that a strong regional food system provides a necessary context for a just and sustainable food system in Hartford.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
Recent Accomplishments:
• Grow Hartford, having completed its 16th year, has harvested thousands pounds of produce annually from urban lots. This produce is sold at Hartford farmers markets and on the mobile market.
• Grow Hartford Youth Leadership Program works with more than 40 Hartford youth, ranging from ages 14-18 to become community food system leaders.
• Healthy Hartford Food Stores engaged mid-size Hartford food retailers in SNAP incentive programs to increase and promote healthier grocery selections. We also are working with others to bring a new grocery store to Hartford.
• North End Farmers Market completed its 12th season in 2019, continuing to attract thousands of visitors every year and offers SNAP matching as way to incentivize fresh fruit and vegetable purchases.
• Little City Sprouts provided cooking and gardening skills, and nutrition education to more than 500 Hartford preschoolers in 2019.
• City of Hartford Advisory Commission on Food Policy developed and promoted policy recommendations including increasing participation in federally supported child nutrition programs.
• Hartford Mobile Market provides thousands of Hartford residents in low income neighborhoods with year-round access to healthy fruits and vegetables.
Little City Sprouts provided cooking and nutritional skills-building for more than 150 youth community residents in 2015 and continues with garden builds and nutrition classes in 2016.
The City of Hartford Advisory Commission on Food Policy is developing policy recommendations for city leadership to consider, including increased participation in federally supported child nutrition programs.
The Hartford Mobile Market launched its year round mobile produce operation in late 2014, ramped up to full operations throughout 2015 and is a consistent and welcome presence in several Hartford neighborhoods.
What's Ahead
Programmatically, we have challenges with the size and scope of the Hartford Mobile Market. It has grown to be almost a daily service which creates demands for staff to support the operation; our goal is a financially self-sufficient program, but we believe that we have much to do to achieve that.
Little City Sprouts has also grown, but the challenge is consistent, part-time staffing for the specialized activities that the program demands.
The Grow Hartford farming is, of course, subject to all the vagaries of agriculture in the Northeast, e.g., the up and down temperatures of the spring and the very dry summer has impacted production.
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
-
How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To inform the development of new programs/projects, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve
-
Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
-
What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
It is difficult to find the ongoing funding to support feedback collection, Staff find it hard to prioritize feedback collection and review due to lack of time
Financials
Unlock nonprofit financial insights that will help you make more informed decisions. Try our monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights?
Learn more
about GuideStar Pro.
Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Hartford Food System, Inc.
Board of directorsas of 10/08/2021
Kristyn Neal
Martha Page
Hartford Food System
Sheryl Horowitz-Kiefer
CT Association of Human Services
Jocelyn N Perez
VISTA
Samantha Lew
Public Policy
Kristyn Neal
Self-Employed
Yesenia Hernandez
Education
Thien Nguyen
Marketing
Christine Caruso
Public Health
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
-
Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Yes
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
No data
Gender identity
No data
Transgender Identity
No data
Sexual orientation
No data
Disability
No data