That’s what 230 Demeter St looked like in June 2025 when Fresh Approach held our opening ceremony with friends, neighbors, and local officials for the new East Palo Alto Community Garden. One year later, walking along the gravel paths amongst the planter beds blooming with veggies and flowers, you wouldn’t realize you were in the same space. The magic you feel walking through the garden comes from the tender care and love that everyone has intentionally put forth to make this a place for the community.

In East Palo Alto, access to fresh, affordable produce has never been a given. As grocery prices climb and food insecurity touches more families, the ability to grow your own food isn’t just a hobby– it’s a form of resilience. The East Palo Alto Community Garden at 230 Demeter Street exists at that intersection: a place where community members can feed themselves, share knowledge, and build something that belongs to all of them.

Between April and November, Wednesday mornings at Bloomhouse are bustling with community members gathering for the East Palo Alto Community Farmers’ Market. Eager shoppers line up at the information booth with Fresh Approach staff ready to welcome them as farmers unload crates of fresh produce from their trucks, vendors place their special wares and products on folding tables, community-based organizations set up their booths with outreach materials and event fliers, and compost hub staff gather their gardening supplies.

The people helping run Fresh Approach’s community compost hubs are part of the organization’s Community Ambassador Program, which provides paid opportunities for local residents to gain professional experience and build skills in food systems, community nutrition, urban agriculture, and community engagement.

It’s late October 2025 and community members are beginning to think about their plans for the upcoming holiday season: dusting off old recipes or researching new ones, confirming times and locations with family members and friends traveling, and deciding on outfits and centerpieces for their gatherings.

Bay Area native, Valeria Aguirreche, attended a local job fair in Richmond when she made a connection with Fresh Approach and learned about our Richmond Nutrition Education Community Ambassador role. With an intention to move into a graduate study program centered on nutrition and public health, a recently completed certificate in personal training, and a desire to build a more positive relationship with food and invest in her community, she was a natural fit to apply.

It cannot be understated how grateful we are to our donors and community members who have supported us through this past year. You all gave us hope. A hope that affirms how we do our work, who we’re serving, and our momentum to keep going. 

From temporary funding freezes and nationwide advocacy pushes, to program termination and pivots, 2025 has proven to be a roller coaster for our Farms Together team. Samiha Hamdi, Farms Together Program Manager, and Acacia Lynch, Farms Together Program Specialist, share the journey they have traversed over the last year and what they hope to see in 2026.

Every habit begins somewhere, but knowing that a change is needed is often where folks begin when it comes to learning about which foods and activities are really nourishing. Expanding that understanding into lasting habits can be intimidating, but for Belinda and Arelly, starting small made all the difference.

Fresh Approach’s Mobile Farmers’ Markets began in 2013 as a way to bring fresh local produce to Bay Area neighborhoods that lacked access to fruits and veggies.