Wello — WI LFPA

Cultivating Community Healthy Food Access Program

Project of Wello, Inc.

PROJECT CONTACT

Beth Heller

773.329.3573

The Cultivating Community Healthy Food Access Program expanded a community-led food distribution system in Northeast Wisconsin. Stemming from successful Covid-19 emergency food distribution pilots, the program leveraged trusted community spaces to distribute locally sourced produce to low-income BIPOC and socially disadvantaged populations.

The initiative prioritized relationship-building, flexibility, and cultural relevance, providing health benefits to over 12,480 individuals since 2020. The trust-based model fostered candid conversations about barriers to healthy food access, including structural challenges and systemic racism. The program strengthened relationships between local farms and community members, influencing the types of foods grown to align with culturally specific preferences.

With a waiting list of partners and requests for expansion, the program continues to grow, engaging the Oneida Nation and collaborating with regional stakeholders for broader impact. Wello, the lead organization, employs data management tools, ARC-GIS mapping, and established communication strategies to track, report, and disseminate project outcomes. The initiative's success and sustainability efforts extend beyond the 2024 season through collaborations with stakeholders like the Wisconsin Farmers Union.

PROJECT UPDATE 1

Wello’s efforts concentrated on onboarding Hmong farmers, beginning with an orientation on April 17, which saw participation from both returning and new growers. Subsequent one-on-one meetings led to seven contracts worth $5,000-$7,500 each, based on farmers' production capabilities. Wello anticipates increasing these contracts as the farmers gain confidence. Key achievements included arranging halal slaughter for Muslim recipients and purchasing two cows from the Oneida Nation for distribution to the Oneida Pantry. Wello successfully developed a delivery schedule, conducted site visits, planned two Hmong-farmer trainings on wholesale marketing, business management, post-harvest handling. and explored offering GAP training for small farms and non-English speaking farmers. Although translation costs exceeded expectations, Wello mitigated this by accessing multilingual training materials through DATCP. Preparations were set for food deliveries starting July 15, marking a significant step in the project's progression.

PROJECT UPDATE 2

During this grant period, Wello focused on food distribution, successfully sourcing over 80% of food from socially disadvantaged growers and implementing halal meat processing for community partner COMSA. They faced challenges, including confusion over an egg recall and processing dates for chicken, which they addressed by educating partners about local food systems. Looking ahead, Wello plans to finalize October deliveries, prepare for holiday drops, and host a year-end strategic planning meeting.

PROJECT UPDATE 3

Wello organized several successful food distribution events across Wisconsin, partnering with Seasonal Harvest to source and deliver fresh food from BIPOC and other local farmers to pantries, schools, and community centers. The November and December drops featured fresh eggs, produce, turkey, and ham, with a special substitution of Halal goat meat for Muslim communities. The program increased access to healthy, local food and fostered community connections through a bottom-up, community-led approach. Key lessons included the need for more funding to meet year-round food demands, the importance of aggregators like Seasonal Harvest for order fulfillment, and the necessity of season-extending farming. Challenges included dissatisfaction with the program’s end and difficulties in increasing the number of BIPOC farmers due to land access issues. In response, Wello is working on developing high tunnels for season extension and partnering with organizations to improve land access and support more BIPOC farmers in the future.