Every week in Charlotte, N.C., The Bulb is making fresh food accessible to everyone. Through mobile markets, urban farm plots and grocery partnerships, they bring healthy produce directly into neighborhoods where it’s needed most.
“When we say community-led, community-fed, we have a bit of a unique business model,” says Lisa Mathews, executive director for The Bulb. “We’re not going out deciding where markets should be and trying to pitch for business in certain areas. Instead, people are coming to us and letting us know areas that not only have a need, but a want for what we’re providing.”
Consistency is key, so markets run at the same times and places each week so families can plan ahead, Mathews says.
“Consistency is really important for us,” she adds. “And I think one of the things that sets us apart a little bit from other organizations … is being a consistent resource for communities allows them to plan their schedules.”
Just three miles from Charlotte’s city center, The Bulb Urban Farm, a 2.5-acre farm, provides seasonal, locally grown food based on what the residents request.
Eddie Watt, farm manager at Garinger High School for The Bulb Urban Farm, explains: “We have 16 plots that we can grow off of. We have a full commercial-size greenhouse where we do all of our seed production. Everything we do grows from a seed.”
Partnerships with Trader Joe’s, Costco and Whole Foods help rescue thousands of pounds of food every week.
Six days a week, volunteers sort through thousands of pounds of donations — around 4,500 pounds weekly. About 70% of it is still perfectly good, Mathews says. The rest goes to compost, creating a closed-loop system that keeps food out of landfills and nutrients in the soil.
The result of The Bulb’s efforts? Families save money, health improves, and food that might have gone to waste is feeding the community instead. The Bulb is proof that when fresh food is shared with dignity, everyone wins.
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