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About Us
Philly Foodworks is an online market and farm share program that is dedicated to creating a sustainable local food system for the Greater Philadelphia region.
Having started out as urban farmers ourselves, we understand the rewards and challenges of growing food, and we are committed to building a better distribution network between farmers/producers and consumers in our area.
what we do
Make High-Quality, Sustainably Produced Food Available to Consumers Year-Round.
Shop a la carte or select one of our unique subscriptions. In our online market, we offer the largest selection of local food in the Greater Philadelphia region (including fresh produce, meats, cheeses and other dairy products, baked goods, pantry items and prepared foods, and home and beauty products)—plus fully customizable farm share boxes.
We choose our local market vendors by evaluating the quality of their products, the health and safety of their workers, and the farms’ or companies’ environmental impact. 92% of the produce we source is within a 150-mile radius of Philadelphia. Many of our local farmers grow organically but are uncertified; some use Integrated Pest Management (IPM) growing methods, some are certified organic, and some are pursuing Certified Naturally Grown status (a less costly alternative to USDA Organic).
During the winter, when local produce is limited, we source non-local fruit. This enables us to capture the attention of some customers who would otherwise not shop during the winter and consequentially sell more local produce. Some of our non-local produce come directly from small farms in the Miami area. The rest comes from a local, family-owned distributor. Unfortunately, due to our low non-local order volumes, we have trouble working with distributors of organic and fair trade produce. We have chosen to focus our efforts on building the local supply chain rather than purchasing more non-local produce to meet the order minimums required by larger wholesales. We never introduce non-local items that will compete with products from our local farmers.
Support local farmers & producers.
We work with a diverse group of farmers and producers to navigate the challenges faced by producing outside of the mainstream commodity food system. We coordinate the transportation of food from the farms to our warehouse, collaborate closely with growers to reduce crop overlap, and help finance crucial investments that increase production yields and overall farm efficiency. (Read more about our collaboration with farmers here.)
Reduce food waste.
Composting—As we receive and pack produce throughout each week, we cull for any significant quality issues and send unsellable produce to our neighbors, Bennett Compost, who then use it to make compost soil for gardening.
Selling mildly damaged and “ugly” produce at a discount—Rather than composting fruits and vegetables that have minor bruises or dings or are nearing over-ripeness, we offer them in our market as “seconds” priced at a bulk discount. (They're still delicious but meant to be processed right away.) Similarly, if the produce our farmers harvest is oddly shaped or has an unappealing appearance, we take those items at a slightly lower price and pass the savings to our customers in the market. We also see this as a way to teach people in our community that nutritious, sustainably grown local produce comes in all shapes and sizes.
Increase food access for those in need.
The food we sell reflects the real cost of production, which often makes it inaccessible for some of our neighbors. To help bridge that gap, we have built relationships with local food cupboards and have worked with Philly-area organizations to distribute food to those in need via fundraising drives, donations, and charity events.
Since March 2020, when many people in the Philadelphia region lost their jobs due to COVID-19, we have distributed thousands of free food boxes to community members who are struggling to make ends meet. This has been made possible by the generosity of our members, who signed up for one-time and recurring donations, and by many of our vendors, who have donated food products. We plan to continue this program into 2021 and beyond, working with various community groups, restaurants, and businesses to make fresh, good food accessible for ALL Philadelphians.