Whole Cities’ approach to community partnerships are guided by Whole Foods Market’s Community First Principles,
an expansion of the Core Value: We care about our communities and the environment.  Guided by these principles, we aim to build partnerships with community-led organizations to build thriving local food systems and grow community health.

Our Community First Principles define our approach to building partnerships with community-led organizations to build thriving local food systems and grow community health. They help us meet the needs and reflect the desires of the people we serve, be respectful and responsive to different perspectives, and increase access to fresh food. Through our Community First Principles blog series, we spotlight our seven principles in action and examine what it means to bring to life the Whole Foods Market Core Value of “caring for our communities and the environment.”

Learn more about Our Approach and and check out our blog series to see our Community First Principles in action.


Whole Cities is on a mission to improve individual and community health through collaborative partnerships, nutrition education, and broader access to nutritious food. We champion projects that nurture people’s power to grow food and expand the range of fresh produce available in their neighborhoods.

Through a community-led process, Whole Cities offers grants to nonprofits with food access projects like urban farms, mobile markets and community gardens which provide fresh, affordable produce close to home. Read on to learn more about our approach.


 

Congratulations to our 2023-2024 Community First Grant Partners!

We are awarding 64 Team Member-nominated, community-led organizations an average of $9,000 each to advance fresh food access and nutrition education through our annual Community First Grant. This commitment of over $575k is being invested in 49 cities in the U.S. and Canada!

Whole Foods Market Team Members are known for being dedicated to their communities, energized by community engagement and actively supporting local projects, so we tap into that excitement in our Community First Grant Program. These annual grants support partnerships between Team Members and local nonprofits with programs focusing on long-term fresh, healthy food access and community health. Read on to meet our 2023 Community First Grant partners and learn about their incredible work


A Celebration of Urban Farmers

This year we celebrated National Farmer’s Day as a day to acknowledge the work, time, and efforts that go into feeding and nourishing a nation, and we want to take this opportunity to shine a spotlight on urban farmers — the problem solvers, innovators, and often unsung heroes in many underserved communities.  

At Whole Cities, we see urban farming as one of the essential pathways forward, and urban farmers as agents of change. They are helping to reimagine community-driven solutions for building thriving, sustainable local food systems, growing neighborhood health, and creating more just and equitable communities. Read on to learn how urban farmers impact local communities beyond providing fresh, healthy food access


Healthy Food for All Podcast

Hear from Whole Cities community partners to learn about healthy food access and find out what happens when everyone has a seat at the fresh, healthy food table.

 


What’s Cooking with Our Partners

Whole Cities Community Partners are paving the way in nutrition education and healthy cooking classes.

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