In New York's Champlain Valley, Essex Food Hub is a women- and BIPOC-led nonprofit advancing a just, sovereign food system in the North Country. Centering small, underserved producers using ecologically beneficial practices, EFH collaborates with neighboring food hubs and 18 community-focused partners to connect good food with those facing access barriers. Originally founded in 2015 as the Hub on the Hill, it aimed to fill gaps in the region’s food system.

EFH provides first- and last-mile distribution for local farms and values-aligned food hubs across the Adirondacks and as far south as New York City. Its network links nonprofits, mutual aid groups, food pantries, and government agencies to low- and middle-income families and children. EFH serves over 40 farms in Essex, Clinton, and Franklin counties, 11 in the Hudson Valley and Catskills, as well as 17 schools, hospitals, and thousands of low-income families across New York.

In 2023, EFH received a major grant from New York Ag & Markets through a Local Food Purchasing Agreement. While they cash-flowed most of this reimbursable grant, a federal funding freeze in early 2025 created uncertainty about future payments and unsustainable reimbursement delays.

Foodshed Capital stepped up with a low-interest bridge loan, ensuring EFH could continue operations, pay staff, and compensate farmers while awaiting reimbursement.