named programs · 5 · from sources
What they call their work
Family Table: Food, Knowledge, and Tools
Reduces food insecurity by delivering meal kits with local, whole foods and ready-to-eat meals to vulnerable families, combined with nutrition education and kitchen tools.
Farm to School
Serves up to 14,000 students, nearly half of whom qualify for free or reduced lunch, by supplying local food to schools in partnership with educational service providers.
Mutual Aid
Provides logistical support for food distribution to communities in need across New York State, including free food distributions funded by state and federal programs.
Rural Grocery Access
Supports rural grocers and farm stores through a wholesale ordering platform and affordable delivery of local products from small farms and producers.
Westport Retail Market
Brick-and-mortar market offering local produce, dairy, meat, pantry staples, and baked goods from over 60 regional producers.
activities · 5 groups
What they do
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Food Distribution and Hunger Relief 3 activities
- Financial support for farmers, entrepreneurs, and community membersProvides financial support to bridge gaps for small farmers, food entrepreneurs, and individuals in the community, including grant-funded free food distributions.
- Food as Medicine and emergency meal distributionOperates Food as Medicine and emergency meal kit programs that deliver ready-to-eat meals and nutrition education to vulnerable families, including through the Family Table program which uses local, whole foods.
- Food distribution from local farms to low-income householdsDistributes food grown by local farmers to low-to-moderate income families through mutual aid partnerships, reaching 660 households. Delivers food to regions including Adk North, Adk South, Adk West (seasonal), and NYC & Capital Region.
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Local Food Systems Development 2 activities
- Management of local food access initiatives and infrastructure projectsManages a $1 million annual budget and oversees infrastructure projects and local food access initiatives, including the transition of The Hub on the Hill's operations to Essex Food Hub between 2022 and 2023.
- Wholesale aggregation and distribution for small farmsEnables wholesale buyers to access local foods from over 50 small farms and food businesses through a single order, delivery, and invoice. Supports rural grocers and farm stores via an online wholesale ordering and delivery service.
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Shared Kitchen Incubator for Food Entrepreneurs 2 activities
- Provision of shared commercial kitchen and processing infrastructureOperates a commercial kitchen with large-scale food processing equipment available for shared or exclusive rental by caterers, value-added processors, and community preservation efforts.
- Support for small-scale food producers and value-added processingProvides storage, distribution, processing, licensing, labor, packaging, and labeling services to support small-scale food producers and the creation of value-added products. Offers climate-controlled storage and permanent affordable production space with access to shared resources.
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Child & Youth Meal Programs 1 activity
- Operation of Farm to School programImplements Farm to School initiatives that serve up to 14,000 students, approximately half of whom are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, by supplying fresh local food to schools and featuring products from New York State Grown and Certified producers.
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Local Food Market Operation 1 activity
- Operation of retail market featuring local producersRuns a retail market in Westport that offers food and household items sourced from more than 60 local and regional farmers and producers.
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financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$502K
Contributions & grants$996K198%
Program service revenue$00%
Investment income$740%
Other revenue$-494K
expenses
Total expenses$253K
Program expenses40%
Admin / overhead60%
Fundraising0%
Salaries & benefits$158K
Grants paid out$506
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$850K
Cash$129K
Investments$0
Liabilities$296K
Net assets$554K
Liquid reserves6.1 mo
3 years on record · 2022–2024 · YoY revenue -6.6%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
board members · 4
- ERICA OLMSTEAD — SECRETARY
- HOLLY RIPPON-BUTLER — PRESIDENT
- JOHN MCMILLIN — TREASURER
- KARA PAGE — DIRECTOR
relationships · 34
Who they work with
- Adirondack Harvest Network — Proud member of Adirondack Harvest.
- Adirondack Harvest Network — Proud member of the Adirondack Harvest network.
- Barred Owl Brook Farm Partner — Farm partner based in Essex, NY supplying local products
- Battenkill Creamery Partner — NYS Grown and Certified producer whose products are featured in Essex Food Hub's market.
- Ben Wever Farm Partner — Farm partner based in Willsboro, NY supplying local products
- Blue Pepper Farm Partner — Farm partner based in Jay, NY supplying local products
- Boquet Valley Farm & Apiary Partner — Farm and apiary partner based in Westport, NY supplying local products
- Casa Visco Partner — NYS Grown and Certified producer whose products are featured in Essex Food Hub's market.
- Catskills Agrarian Alliance Partner — Partner in mutual aid food distribution efforts.
- Champlain Orchards Partner — Orchard partner based in Shoreham, VT supplying local products
- Champlain Valley Education Services Partner — Partner in Farm to Institution initiatives, including Farm to School programming.
- Choy Commons Partner — Partner in mutual aid food distribution efforts.
- Choy Commons Partner — Producer partner supporting local food access
- Cornell Cooperative Extension of Essex County Partner — Partner in Farm to Institution initiatives, including Farm to School programming.
- Creative Kitchen Garden Partner — Farm partner based in Westport, NY supplying local products
- Crown Point Farm & Dairy Partner — Dairy and farm partner based in Crown Point, NY supplying local products
- Essex County Department of Health Partner — Partner in the Family Table program, particularly in delivering services through WIC clinics.
- Essex Farm Partner — Farm partner based in Essex, NY supplying local products
- Friendly Fridge BX Partner — Partner in mutual aid food distribution efforts.
- Full and By Farm Partner — Farm partner based in Essex, NY supplying local products
- Harmony Hills Farmstead Partner — NYS Grown and Certified producer whose products are featured in Essex Food Hub's market.
- Hudson Headwaters Partner — Partner in Food As Medicine programs through regional healthcare system collaboration.
- Latremore Pine Ridge Farm Partner — NYS Grown and Certified producer whose products are featured in Essex Food Hub's market.
- North Country Creamery Partner — NYS Grown and Certified producer whose products are featured in Essex Food Hub's market.
- Northern Orchard Partner — NYS Grown and Certified producer whose products are featured in Essex Food Hub's market.
- People's Fridge Partner — Partner in mutual aid food distribution efforts.
- Rulf's Orchard Partner — NYS Grown and Certified producer whose products are featured in Essex Food Hub's market.
- Sfoglini Pasta Partner — NYS Grown and Certified producer whose products are featured in Essex Food Hub's market.
- Somewhere in Time Partner — NYS Grown and Certified producer whose products are featured in Essex Food Hub's market.
- The Hub on the Hill Partner — Transitioned operations from The Hub on the Hill to Essex Food Hub between 2022 and 2023.
+ 4 more
strategies · 5
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Client-Centered Food Access with Education and Toolsmethodology: integrated_nutrition_supportBy combining emergency food support with nutrition education, cooking demonstrations, and kitchen tools, we promote sustained healthy eating behaviors because holistic support addresses both immediate needs and long-term behavioral change.
- Co-Production and Economic Support for Small Food Producersmethodology: economic-support-for-food-producersBy providing financial support, co-packing services, and market access, we reduce economic and production barriers for small farmers and food entrepreneurs because lowering entry costs enables broader participation in the local food economy.
- Food as Medicine Integrationmethodology: food-is-medicineBy embedding food access within health and education systems through initiatives like Food as Medicine and Farm-to-School, we improve nutrition and wellness outcomes because clinical and educational settings amplify the impact of nutritious food as a preventive health intervention.
- Inclusive, Community-Driven Programmingmethodology: inclusive_programmingBy designing programs in collaboration with diverse communities—including asylum seekers, rural youth, and Indigenous populations—we increase relevance and engagement because inclusive design rooted in cultural and community context improves access and trust.
- Strengthening Local Food Systems to Ensure Food Securitymethodology: resilient-local-food-systemsBy addressing structural gaps in regional food systems—such as cold storage, aggregation, and distribution—we ensure reliable access to nutritious food because resilient local supply chains improve food availability during both emergencies and stable periods.