True food access goes beyond availability. It includes education, affordability, dignity, and local connection. Community-based nonprofits play a vital role in building sustainable food access by empowering people with knowledge and strengthening local food systems.

Food education helps children develop healthier eating habits, environmental awareness, and a stronger connection to their community. Hands-on learning—like gardening, farm visits, and market experiences—builds food literacy that benefits families, local food systems, and long-term community health.

Farmers markets are one of the simplest ways to build healthier habits at the start of the new year. They support local farmers, strengthen local food systems, create everyday food education opportunities, and bring communities together around fresh, seasonal food. Choosing to shop at a farmers market helps build a more resilient, connected, and sustainable community—one visit at a time.

To date in 2025, Orange Home Grown (OHG) has distributed $36,640 in CalFresh and $18,239 in Market Match benefits, helping households stretch their food budgets and directly supporting local producers. Since introducing these benefits in 2017, OHG has distributed more than $201,491 in CalFresh and $82,673 in Market Match at the market.

On Saturday, July 26, 2025 Orange Home Grown proudly hosted Market for the People: Buy-Out to Nourish Our Community, a one-day farmers market event held at 303 West Palm Avenue in Old Towne Orange from 9:30 AM to 1:00 PM. The event brought the community together in a shared mission of care, connection, and collective action, turning the farmers market into a platform for direct support of local families.