Although Merced is in the middle of California’s breadbasket, the Merced County Food Bank received few donations of fruits and vegetables, especially fresh fruits and vegetables. Each year, the food bank distributes 4.4 million pounds of donated food to more than 100 neighborhood food pantries.

Maine SNAP-Ed Nutrition Educators engage with local farmers to increase access to these healthy local foods with the aim of addressing nutrition security. Specifically, educators facilitate farm-to-community collaborations to support gleaning or excess harvesting partnerships to collect and distribute quality produce that would otherwise go to waste.

**An updated story on this program is available.** Nutrition Educators in Sagadahoc and Lincoln counties partnered with their local food security organizations to distribute gleaned produce to high-need sites throughout the Midcoast. At one low-income housing site, Bath Housing, an estimated 150 individuals received nearly 1,000 pounds of free, fresh, local produce in the summer of 2016.

The Go!Healthy Eat Smart Food Box program establishes local produce buying clubs, where pre-packed bags of regionally-grown, fresh produce are sold at wholesale cost weekly for thirteen weeks.

The Good Choice Healthier Retail Initiative is making it easier for Alabama shoppers to choose healthier items. They are doing this by increasing access and appeal of healthier items.

This campaign gives moms tools that they can incorporate into their daily routines.