San Diego Ag Exchange
Connecting local farms with community food programsThe San Diego Ag Exchange is a regional healthy food infrastructure platform designed to connect local farms with nonprofit and community-based food access organizations through a more efficient, flexible, and farmer-centered marketplace.
Local Farms
Easily access a trusted network of nonprofit food security agencies, schools, clinics, and community organizations seeking fresh, healthy food for the populations they serve.
Community Food Programs
Increase access to fresh, locally grown fruits and vegetables for the communities you serve through a more reliable, diverse, and local supply of fresh produce
About the SD Ag Exchange
The San Diego Ag Exchange is a locally grown collaborative initiative between ProduceGood and the founder of +BOX, a San Diego-based nutrition security nonprofit focused on expanding access to fresh fruits and vegetables for underserved communities. The Ag Exchange serves as a centralized intermediary connecting local farms with nonprofit and community-based food access organizations, helping streamline communication, coordinate logistics, and facilitate reliable produce transactions between growers and community feeding programs. By strengthening connections between local agriculture and the nutrition security sector, the Ag Exchange aims to increase access to fresh, healthy food while creating new market opportunities for regional farms.
Your Produce. Your Terms. Your Community.
The SD Ag Exchange provides local farmers with access to a trusted network of nonprofit food security agencies, schools, clinics, and community organizations seeking fresh, healthy food for the populations they serve. By handling outreach, coordination, and customer acquisition, The Exchange allows farmers to access new market opportunities without taking on additional administrative or logistical complexity. Importantly, farmers retain full control over transaction terms—including pricing, quantity, delivery, and timing—allowing them to offer excess, surplus, or cosmetically imperfect produce at discounted rates rather than donating it entirely at a loss.
Benefits for local farmers:
1. Generate revenue from excess, surplus, or cosmetically imperfect produce that might otherwise go unsold.
2. Access new market opportunities with minimal administrative burden or financial risk.
3. Reduce food waste while helping increase access to nutritious food for children and families across the community.
Reliable Access to Fresh, Local Produce
Food insecurity and nutrition insecurity remain widespread across San Diego County, with schools, nonprofits, clinics, and community organizations struggling to secure consistent access to fresh, healthy food for the communities they serve. The SD Ag Exchange gives nonprofit organizations access to a more reliable, diverse, and intentional supply of fresh produce than traditional in-kind donation systems typically provide. The Exchange creates a dedicated marketplace for fresh, locally grown produce—supporting farmer viability, reducing food waste, and increasing community access to nutritious food simultaneously.
Benefits for local non-profits:
1. Increase access to fresh, locally grown fruits and vegetables for the communities you serve.
2. Maximize limited food budgets by purchasing high-quality local produce at reduced prices.
3. Increase agency over food inventory, enabling more intentional, culturally relevant, and nutrition-focused offerings.
4. Diversify and strengthen your food sourcing network while supporting local farms and regional agriculture.
Help Shape the Future of Local Food Access
The San Diego Ag Exchange is being developed in collaboration with local farms, nonprofits, and food system partners to ensure the platform reflects real operational needs and creates long-term value for the community. We're currently onboarding a small group of pilot farm and community partners to help launch and refine the platform. Join our growing network to receive updates, explore partnership opportunities, and help build a stronger, more connected local food system.