Buy Fresh Buy Local of the Greater Lehigh Valley (BFBLGLV), a program of the Nurture Nature Center, connects consumers to fresh, locally grown foods. Our purpose is to build the Greater Lehigh Valley local food economy by educating our community about the many benefits of choosing locally grown foods; promoting our local food partners; improving fresh food access; facilitating local food purchases; providing research about our local food economy; and enhancing the connectedness of our local food system. BFBLGLV’s work takes many forms.

Our website: We maintain a special informational website, with numerous resources, including a Local Food Finder to help you find providers of locally grown foods. We also provide information on farmers’ market locations and CSA pickup sites, farms and orchards to visit, restaurants in the area that serve local foods, specialty products, food access, SNAP incentive programs, and more! Our social media sites (Facebook and Instagram) provide colorful guides, resources, and information about fresh and local foods.

   

Our Local Food System Resources and Research: We circulate a wide range of information in print to help educate the public about when and where to obtain locally grown foods. Among other items, we distribute thousands of Local Food Guides biannually along with many other grant-funded resources.

In 2013, we published Assessment Report: Lehigh Valley Local Food Economy, which comprehensively examines resources, production, infrastructure, stakeholders, and economics in our local food system. This research led to the creation of a Fresh Food Access Plan for the Lehigh Valley. We also released reports on several other topics, including a price comparison of seasonal produce sold at farmers markets and grocery stores and an analysis of the potential institutional wholesale markets for local food.

Click here to view these and our resources.

Presentations, forums and workshops, and other events:
We are always looking for ways to connect with the community directly and share education resources and run fun engaging programs! You might see us tabling at farmers’ markets and events or presenting for local organizations about the importance of buying fresh and local foods. If you are interested in connecting with us about running a program or tabling event. Let us know by contacting bfbl@nurturenaturecenter.org.

In the past, we have made classroom presentations to students of all levels, from elementary and middle schools through college; we have led forums and workshops, cooking demonstrations, and discussion groups; and we have hosted a variety of events, such as our Taste Event, which was attended in 2016 by more than 2,000 people, and our Local Food Challenge, where consumers agreed to increase their spending on local foods, adding $311,000 to the Lehigh Valley economy. We hope to run more events like this in the future.

Access for Low Income Groups: In 2023, we transitioned the administration of the BFBL-GLV SNAP incentive’s program Fresh Food Bucks to the Food Trust to incorporate in their broader reaching Food Bucks program. This program allows individuals with SNAP/EBT Access cards to double up their dollars when purchasing fresh, healthy produce at participating locations. Learn more about this program and how you can get FREE coupons for fresh food here. 

Partnering with local food producers, suppliers, and consumers: We work with a large number of local food providers in the region who are dedicated to increasing the consumption of local foods and improving the health of our community and environment. Visit our Find Local Food page to view a listing of our 100+ passionate partners including Farms, CSAs & Farm Shares, Vineyards & Distilleries, Specialty Products, Farmers Markets, Retail Stores, Restaurants, Institutions, and Distributors. Look for the BFBLGLV trademark and Taste the Difference!

***To learn more, visit http://www.buylocalglv.org/ or call us at 610-253-4190. Sign up for our newsletter and follow us on social media so you don’t miss a “beet”!***