Due to Covid-19 and the toll the world wide pandemic took on our economy, the effect of the past few years has the potential to revert any progress that federal, state and private organizations have been made to address food insecurity and Hunger in Pennsylvania. The unfortunate environment led to the necessary and innovative tactics DECA employed during the summer/fall of 2021 and is why such wild thinking had such a great impact on our local community.

Our most recent project, concluding in October 2021, proved that communities can create their own value and benefit when it comes to the Fresh Food industry. Our West End Community Pay-What-You-Can Farmers Market, located in the unused warehouse that once held the historic West End Market, redirected over 2500lbs of produce, classified as waste due to its size or minor imperfections onto the tables of residents in the West End Community of Downtown Lancaster. Some residents paid $5 for a bag of produce and others who could pay it forward, paid $20 and not one person took advantage of the system. Not one!
We interspersed fresh produce with our DECA City Provision line of products as well as spotlighting the products local artisans offering anything from cool, reusable shopping bags to healing skin salves and beyond.
We’d see the same faces each week, build relationships through connection and share stories of the historic space and how Lancaster City has changed over the years.
 
The installation of the market also helped to bring living wages and seasonal employment to a number of city residents through our efforts networking with farmers who need assistance in Lancaster County. Our rural partner, Sidetrack Farms, provided us with access to their unused market garden, their knowledge and mentorship, as well as their network of local farmers from which, we could gleen further unsold produce. 
In exchange, we were able to provide them with labor when they really needed it and all parties were able to create value out of the partnership.
The last and most beneficial effect was to provide volunteer, learning and growth opportunities to Lancaster residents who were looking to give back to their community and share space graciously with their underserved neighbors. Residents could volunteer their time to help set up the market, provide customer service, a smiling face or a silly joke. It was really beautiful to watch folks from such different walks of life, come together around food. and that is our ultimate goal, to build community, and with Discerning Eye Community Ag, we are building it around food. Fresh, nutrient dense, delicious, food.