Urban Farms of Central Ohio (UFCO): aims to utilize vacant land to feed hungry communities. The program transforms vacant, underutilized land into community farms. These community farms aim to increase access to fresh, healthy foods for low-income, food insecure residents.

Produce Express: helps Mid-Ohio Food Collective’s partner agencies provide fresh fruits and vegetables to individuals in need on a regular basis. This fresh produce delivery program services emergency feeding pantries and soup kitchens.

Produce Markets: also helps provide food to those in need. These markets are free to community members and are put on by Mid-Ohio Food Collective and select partnering agencies. At these markets, a Foodbank truck typically delivers at least 10,000 pounds of food (fresh produce, bread, and bakery products).

Community Garden: provides a hands-on opportunity for families in need, as well as community volunteers, to learn about how to grow food, eat better, and manage their food budgets. This garden, which sits outside of Mid-Ohio Food Collective’s Kroger Community Pantry, has around 1,400 square feet of growing space and has contributed more than 6,000 pounds of produce for the emergency food system.

BackPack: provides a rotating menu of easy to prepare, nutritious food for children and their families. Food from Mid-Ohio Food Collective’s warehouse is delivered to school sites. The food is then divided and placed in bags. The amount of groceries sent home is based on a family of four and includes shelf-stable food along with bread and fresh produce when available.

Kroger Community Pantry: offers non-perishable products, frozen meats, dairy products, fresh produce, and bread to those in need. This choice-model pantry is located at the Food Collective’s Brookham Drive location in Grove City and aims to help the meet the needs of the growing community, while also serving as a learning lab to improve best practices in emergency feeding services for Mid-Ohio Food Collective and its partner agencies.