Regional berry farm brings new energy to longtime partnership that has delivered enough fresh produce to fuel 2.7+ million meals so far
Dozens of volunteers from Wish Farms and Publix gathered in Zebulon recently to anchor our monthly Pop Up Market at Hopkins Chapel — and it was a resounding success!
Equipped with a new, state-of-the-art Food Bank truck provided by Publix and a semi truckload of fresh berries donated by Wish Farms, the market served more than 750 people in a single day, including 400 kids and seniors.
A Major Produce Milestone
The Wish Farms donation here in North Carolina is part of a longstanding partnership with Publix Super Markets, working to connect their produce suppliers with food banks like ours throughout the Southeast. What began as a pandemic-era food purchase and donation program to support struggling farmers has since grown into a long-term commitment to address hunger through regional partnerships with food assistance organizations. Combined, the effort has donated enough fresh fruit and vegetables to support more than 83.3 million meals (100 million pounds!) to Feeding America food banks nationwide
“As a supplier of strawberries and pineberries to North Carolina Publix stores, we wanted to introduce ourselves in the local community by making a meaningful impact during the peak of the Florida strawberry season. This project is in perfect alignment with our company values, brand promise, and our family foundation’s vision of a hunger-free America,”
– Nick Wishnatzki, Wish Farms
“Helping provide food to our neighbors in need is at the heart of who we are at Publix… We’re thankful to Wish Farms for their support of hunger alleviation efforts in the areas we serve. We’re proud to do good, together.”
– Jared Glover, Publix Super Markets
Fueling Local Food Assistance Efforts
When people think of traditional “food assistance,” an image of canned goods or nonperishable items may come to mind, perhaps even in a predetermined box. But here at the Food Bank, we’re proud that fresh fruits and vegetables make up the majority of food we distribute across our network of 700+ pantries, no-cost markets, meal sites and delivery programs — fueled by longtime partnerships with local growers and retailers like Publix and Wish Farms. And our Pop Up Markets bring fresh produce, dairy, protein and pantry staples, directly to communities that need it most, especially in rural and remote areas where local resources may not be regularly available.
“We’re grateful to Publix and Wish Farms for their commitment to our vision for a future where no one goes hungry. With food insecurity at a record-high, it is crucial that we build our capacity to distribute more food, especially fresh produce. Their support will go a long way toward achieving this goal in the near-term — and provide a firm foundation for our systemic approach to ending hunger for good.”
– Mickey Holt, Food Bank Interim CEO
Making a Difference through Produce Partnerships
Nourishing hope and providing meals to local communities is at the heart of Publix Super Markets Charities‘ partnership with food banks throughout the southeast. Since 2015, Publix has contributed more than $52 million to regional anti-hunger programs — alongside the equivalent of 2.7 million meals donated to the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina alone.
With a mantra of “Feel good. Eat berries. Make a difference,” Wish Farms has supported hunger relief organizations for decades, giving to food banks both monetarily and through donations of fresh produce. Since 2019, its charitable foundation has given more than 1.6 million pounds of fresh berries to local food banks, while awarding over $750,000 in grants.
Join the Fight for a Future Where No One Goes Hungry!
We’re incredibly proud of our relationships with retail and agricultural partners who help ensure we can connect families facing hunger with nutritious, culturally-familiar foods — resources that in many cases would have been unnecessarily discarded.
