Community Health: Access to Healthy Food

Access to Healthy Food

Chester County Farm Guide

Chester County's Farm Guide, available both in English and Spanish, includes over 125 farms and retail outlets selling locally grown fruits, vegetables, and other farm products. It also includes a list of Chester County's Farmer's Markets as well agriculture-related events and festivals. The guide is updated annually to include the most up-to-date information. View the guide.

Chester County Food Bank

The Chester County Food Bank is the central hunger relief organization serving more than 120 partner agencies in Chester County. More than just a food bank, this organization fights food insecurity through many angles including nutrition education, a community raised bed garden program, culinary job training, partnerships with area farmers, as well as the Fresh2You Mobile Market, a mobile farmer's market that visits communities across the county. Fresh2You accepts all forms of payment including SNAP, WIC and Senior Farmer's Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) coupons. Visit their website.

In 2018 the Chester County Food Bank commissioned the Community Food Security Assessment for Chester County to understand the extent of food insecurity in the county, which populations are most at-risk of food insecurity, what resources are available, and what barriers stand in the way of food security. View the report.

Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)

Women, infants and children who live in Pennsylvania, have a medical or nutritional risk, and meet the household gross income guidelines may be eligible for WIC. Studies show pregnant women who participate in WIC have fewer premature births, fewer low birth-weight babies; experience fewer fetal and infant deaths; seek prenatal care earlier in pregnancy and consume more key nutrients like iron, protein, calcium, and Vitamins A and C. WIC helps ensure infants' and children's normal growth, reduces levels of anemia, increases immunization rates, improves access to regular health care/social services and improves diets. Learn more about WIC.