At a busy intersection in Greenwood, umbrellas outside Lenny’s Produce shade piles of pomegranates, pears, and bananas from the sun. Inside, customers can find tropical fruits, Chinese eggplants, Anaheim chilis, choy varieties, sauces, baked goods, and more. For owner Pheng Dao, that variety reflects the customers who have kept Lenny’s… [ Keep reading ]
From the Fresh Bucks team to leading teams, we’re excited to officially announce Megan Doiron as the Office of Sustainability and Environment’s deputy director! Megan had been with OSE for nine years, most recently as our finance manager, before becoming deputy director this summer. As a born-and-raised Seattleite, Megan started… [ Keep reading ]
This week for National Farmers Market Week, communities across the country are celebrating the vital role farmers markets have in bringing people together around fresh, locally grown food. Seattle goes big for Farmers Market Week, encouraging you to utilize your Fresh Bucks at these amazing markets! Fresh Bucks, operated by our OSE team, is the City’s healthy food access program. Fresh Bucks provides households $60 per month to… [ Keep reading ]
In a growing citywide movement, the City and our educational and community partners are using purchasing power to strengthen our local food system. This year, City of Seattle-supported food programs will purchase more than $1.3 million in local and sustainably grown foods. University of Washington (UW) Dining will join the Coolfood Pledge under its upcoming Sustainability Action Plan, and Seattle Public Schools (SPS) will pursue Eat Real Certification to advance fresh, nutritious, and climate-friendly school meals. City of Seattle Food Program Impacts Are Growing City-supported food access programs will… [ Keep reading ]
Nestled on a busy corner of Aurora Avenue, the owner of Mendoza’s Mexican Mercado, Sonia Mendoza, is hard at work preparing salsas, cooking dishes, and welcoming regulars six days a week. Some neighborhood businesses feel more like coming home than entering a store. Sonia’s earliest memories in her family’s kitchen in Mexico City include smelling chilaquiles on Sunday mornings and… [ Keep reading ]
Yesterday, we joined families, students, community members, and partners to celebrate new investments in childcare, preschool, afterschool and summer programs, mentoring, tutoring, health care, school meals, college, and career pathways. The investments will reduce costs, open doors, and make Seattle a better place to live, work, and raise a family. “Seattle is only… [ Keep reading ]
Anna Chen’s connection to food began very early. Some of her first food memories are of working at her family’s restaurant in Taishan, China. After moving to Seattle with her family in 1998, Anna noticed that many of her elderly and disabled Beacon Hill neighbors had to get help from their children and grandchildren to grocery shop. She saw a need… [ Keep reading ]
Seattle’s Fresh Bucks program is ringing in the new year with a major expansion! On January 1, Fresh Bucks welcomed more than 4,500 households off the waitlist, increased monthly benefits from $40 to $60, and automatically extended benefits for 2025-enrolled and active households for another year. And on top of all that, there’s still room for new enrollment! Fill out the Fresh Bucks application at seattlefreshbucks.org. … [ Keep reading ]
Share OSE’s 2025 Wrapped series on social media: It’s been a big year for our office! Our team embarked on a new update to Seattle’s Climate Action Plan and increased access to healthy foods and nature for communities. Every year, we support community-led environmental justice programs to empower, protect, and… [ Keep reading ]
A new study from the University of Washington (UW) shows that the City of Seattle’s Fresh Bucks program significantly improves food security and access to healthy foods for enrolled households. Fresh Bucks is helping people with low-incomes access more nutritious foods, reducing the risk of diabetes, heart problems, and other… [ Keep reading ]
