DuPage County Awards Significant Grant to Expand Farm to Pantry Initiative
The Conservation Foundation’s Green Earth Harvest Program Can Now Increase Organic Vegetable Growing for Local Food Pantries by 60 Percent
NAPERVILLE, IL: The Conservation Foundation was recently awarded $322,000 by DuPage County to continue and expand their Green Earth Harvest Farm to Pantry Initiative for the county’s food pantries for the next two years. With this grant, farm-fresh food will now be provided to pantries across all 6 districts, increasing the program’s reach by 60%. The $322,000 also includes funding for a refrigerated van to facilitate deliveries to pantries and for an additional greenhouse for the organic vegetable growing operation that is based at McDonald Farm, headquarters of The Conservation Foundation, in Naperville. This new greenhouse will be constructed in 2027 and will enable the Farm to Pantry season to expand by 2-4 weeks in the future.
DuPage County’s support over the past three years has made it possible for The Conservation Foundation to expand the reliable, impactful, and highly successful Farm to Pantry Initiative for local residents facing food insecurity. Through this and other local partnerships, The Conservation Foundation is able to help address the fresh food gap across DuPage County by providing consistent access to fresh, locally grown, organic vegetables to food pantry partners.
To date the DuPage County Farm to Pantry Initiative has provided 10,800 DuPage County residents with access to truly fresh, locally grown, organic vegetables distributed through local food pantries over the past three growing seasons. The Conservation Foundation has worked closely with their Farm to Pantry partners to identify the most-needed and culturally familiar vegetables for the communities served by the pantries, allowing families to prepare nutritious, familiar meals. More than 49,000 pounds of just-harvested, farm-fresh vegetables have been provided, with pantry clients receiving these nutritious vegetables within 2-3 days of harvest. Pantry partners have shared that this fresh, appealing produce is significantly more likely to be selected, taken home, and eaten — especially by children.
Established Food Pantry partners include Loaves & Fishes Naperville Market, Elmhurst-Yorkfield Food Pantry, and People’s Resource Center in Westmont and West Chicago. They are joined in the 2026 Farm to Pantry Initiative by Neighborhood Food Pantry in West Chicago and Glendale Heights, HCS Family Services, Roselle Food Pantry, and Itasca Food Pantry.
“We are grateful for the ongoing support from DuPage County for our Farm to Panty Program,” said Jennifer Hammer, Vice President of Land and Watershed Protection at The Conservation Foundation. “This grant will allow The Conservation Foundation to provide delicious, farm-fresh, organic vegetables to even more of our neighbors in need this year and next. We are excited to be working with new partners across DuPage County and making a difference for residents facing food insecurity.”
The Farm to Pantry Initiative is funded by individual donations and grants like this one. Learn about how you or your company can support the Farm to Pantry Initiative.
Contact:
Jennifer Hammer, Vice President of Land & Watershed Programs
The Conservation Foundation
[email protected]
Organic vegetables bound for Loaves & Fishes Naperville Market being picked up at The Conservation Foundation’s McDonald Farm in Naperville
Just-harvested, organic vegetables grown by The Conservation Foundation’s Green Earth Harvest for their Farm to Pantry Initiative being stocked at Elmhurst Yorkfield Food Pantry
Organic carrot harvest at The Conservation Foundation’s McDonald Farm in Naperville
Young food patron enjoying the harvest