Fresh Food Access
We run variety of programs that simultanniusly support fresh food access for MIT community and support local farmers.
We run a variety of programs that simultaneously support fresh food access for the MIT community and strengthen relationships with local farmers. At the heart of our work is a direct-to-community food model that cuts out the middleman and puts money directly into the hands of the farmers who grow our food.
In Fall 2025, MIT Farm Club partnered with Hannan Healthy Foods to pilot a six-week Fresh Food Bag program that brought organic, locally grown produce directly to campus at an affordable price. MIT purchased a large share of produce at full wholesale price from Hannan Farm in Lincoln, MA, ensuring consistent and fair farmer compensation. Smaller shares, called "fresh food bags," were then sold at a 50 percent discount to the MIT community at a weekly farmstand in the Stata Center. Each bag contained approximately $20 worth of organic produce but was offered for just $10. Over six weeks, the pilot distributed 260 large fresh food bags, consistently selling out within the first hour of distribution. Student volunteers harvested produce, assembled bags, and staffed the distribution point, contributing over 100 volunteer shifts and gaining meaningful education about periurban farming and sustainable agriculture. The results were striking: 94% of respondents indicated they would like the program to continue next year, 79% found the bags very affordable, and 70% reported increased vegetable intake.
This success revealed something important. Demand is proven. What's needed now is infrastructure. Building on what we learned, we're scaling in multiple directions. Summer 2026 launched a traditional Community Supported Agriculture program, where members purchase CSA shares from the farmer before the growing season and receive regular installments of food for the duration of the season. We're also piloting a farm-to-dorm model, bringing kitchen-sized shares to cook-for-yourself dorms and student organizations, allowing us to reach more students while reducing assembly labor. This expansion is supported by Undergraduate Association Discretionary funding and reflects our commitment to making local, organic food accessible across the entire MIT community.
In Collaboration with:
Resiliant Future Dinners
Farming is great but somteimes instead of workig in the field we come together to prepare a shared meal!
Together with Kate Brown (MIT STS) and Gabriel Bonamy (DUSP ‘26) we started running a series of on campus dinners titled Resilient Future Dinners. We meet together in one of the big kitches of MIT to cook and eat together. It’s a great oppotunity to meet new people while stiring a pot of French Onion soup or cutting kale for a delisopus farm fresh salad.
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Fresh Food Access
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