Wellness doesn’t begin in a doctor’s office. It starts with a seed in the soil, and the simple act of bringing nourishing food to the table. When local farmers have the resources to thrive and families can access what farmers grow, a community grows stronger from the inside out. By supporting growers and expanding access to healthy food, GoFarm, alongside strong community partners, helps shift the focus from treating illness to cultivating wellbeing.
“We’re a nonprofit working directly in the local food system; how food gets from the farm to your plate and everything in between,” says Jess Soulis, community food access program director for Colorado nonprofit GoFarm.
GoFarm’s mission starts where good food begins: with the farmers. The organization offers education, mentorship, and market support that help local growers build sustainable operations. Farmers’ livelihoods are strengthened, while communities benefit from fresh, nutrient-dense food. New farmers can learn regenerative agriculture and experienced growers can expand their reach. In this way, GoFarm helps make local farming viable and vibrant.
“There are a lot of people who want to farm but have no access to land, equipment or a marketplace,” says Soulis. “Our job is to lower those barriers so that good farmers can succeed.”
But thriving farms alone don’t guarantee healthier families. Access is the next crucial step. GoFarm bridges that gap through a CSA farm share, community markets and hands-on educational initiatives. Seasonal cooking demos, canning workshops, farm tours and youth programs help families turn produce into daily habits, and those habits into long-term wellbeing.
Their “Chuck the Truck” mobile market brings fresh, locally grown produce directly to neighborhoods, workplaces and community centers. GoFarm uses a flexible-pricing model at these markets, offering reduced-cost shares for families who need financial support, or the option for those who can pay a little more to subsidize discounted options. Additionally, GoFarm partners with SNAP/EBT, Double Up Food Bucks, WIC and Head Start programs, making fresh produce more accessible to households using federal nutrition benefits or enrolled in early childhood programs.
This thoughtful approach caught the attention of AdventHealth, rooted in the belief that health is more than the absence of illness. For AdventHealth, food is central to its mission. By supporting community-based food programs, the organization aims to extend wellness well beyond the clinic.
“Fresh fruits, vegetables, sunlight, water; those have always been central to the Seventh-Day Adventist understanding of health,” says Kevin Miller, Director of Mission Integration at AdventHealth Littleton hospital. “Partnering with providers of farm-fresh produce is really part of our core identity."
In GoFarm, AdventHealth found a partner already doing the work. In season, Chuck the Truck stops at AdventHealth Littleton once a week for employees and community members. Employees receive a $10 weekly credit toward the purchase of produce. Together, they’re advancing programs that put healthy food at the center of wellness. Their shared mission isn’t simply to distribute produce. It’s to empower families to use food as a lifelong tool for health.
Sustainability is also central to GoFarm’s mission. The organization assists farmers in adopting responsible practices such as soil regeneration, water conservation, and reduced chemical use. These efforts strengthen the land and help ensure healthy food for consumption now and in the future.
Soulis explains, “All of the farmers we work with follow organic, regenerative, or sustainable growing practices. When we support farmers, we’re also supporting soil health and ecological health.”
GoFarm tracks food distribution, program participation, and farmer outcomes to refine its work continually. This commitment to impact ensures that every contribution, donation, time volunteering or community partnership translates into meaningful results. AdventHealth Littleton’s program participation tracking shows a significant increase in both community members visiting Chuck the Truck and those choosing the lower or middle price points.
Looking ahead, GoFarm is scaling what works: supporting farmers, connecting communities to local agriculture and strengthening food access. It goes beyond healthier diets; it weaves well-being into the everyday fabric of the community.
Farmers thrive, families eat well, and AdventHealth invests in prevention before illness appears. From farm fields to family kitchens, GoFarm and AdventHealth are redefining community wellness: rooted in nourishment, strengthened by knowledge, and built to last.
Advancing programs that put healthy food at the center of wellness. Start with a seed, and bring nourishing food to the table