Broadview Federal Credit Union

Albany, New York | EST. 2018

Since 2018, Broadview Federal Credit Union has purchased four Freight Farms and generously donated three of them to local nonprofits. Broadview’s container farming initiative has helped increase food security, provide hands-on education for kids, and improve community health outcomes.

About Broadview Federal Credit Union:

Overview

Based in Albany, New York, Broadview Federal Credit Union has long been committed to uplifting its local community, with a particular focus on addressing food insecurity. Recognizing the need for a sustainable, long-term solution, Broadview explored the potential of hydroponics and soon discovered Freight Farms.

Since 2018, Broadview has acquired four Freight Farms, generously donating three of them to local nonprofit organizations. Collectively, from all four container farms, Broadview and their nonprofit partners are able to donate 10,000 lbs of produce every year. The overwhelmingly enthusiastic response from community members about this initiative has motivated Broadview to continue expanding their efforts in tackling food insecurity through hydroponic container farming.

Implementation

After visiting Boston to tour a Freight Farm firsthand, the Broadview team was immediately captivated. In 2018, they purchased their first farm to use at their company headquarters. Starting with one farm allowed Broadview to test the potential of hydroponic container farming as a solution to sustainably feed their community.

With their container farm model, the Leafy Green Machine, Broadview can produce 25,000 heads of lettuce every year.

Initially, they supplied the produce to their own cafeterias and staff. However, in March 2020, they transitioned to a 100% donation-based model, recognizing a crucial need in the community for increased access to fresh, nutritious, and affordable produce.

Moving to a donation-based model prompted Broadview to focus on growing more nutrient-dense crops to meet community needs, such as kale, collards, swiss chard, butterhead lettuce, and various carrot varieties. 

Community Response

The community impact of Broadview’s produce donations has been profound. One of the community food pantries that receives the hydroponically-grown lettuce every week expressed their appreciation:

“At Living Hope United Methodist Church Food Pantry in Waterford, NY, we love the Broadview lettuce. It’s always fresh and flavorful. Packaged in individual servings, our guests can take as little or as much as they need for their family size, from 1-person families to 5-6 people or more, and our guests love having greens for salads and garnish. Many of our guests cannot afford to buy fresh foods at the grocery store and the lettuce is a welcome addition to their table. Broadview lettuce is a staple at our pantry and has had a tremendous impact in improving the nutrition of our guests. Thank you to Broadview for this generous gift.”

Thrilled by the positive feedback and the tangible impact of their produce donations, Broadview looked to donate more Freight Farms to local nonprofits focused on addressing various social issues in their community.

Impressed by the success of BGC’s Freight Farm, Broadview donated a second farm to the City Mission of Schenectady. City Mission provides shelters for men, women, and children, housing 100 people every night while serving about 600 meals daily. 

City Mission serves many individuals living in food-insecure areas. The organization discovered that the average life expectancy in their zip code was 66 years, the lowest in the capital region. But in a neighboring community only a few miles away, the average life expectancy was 87. This was a 21-year difference that City Mission was motivated to change. 

Now, their on-site Freight Farm produces over 45,000 heads of lettuce every year. It grows an abundance of produce – more than they need for their own operations — which allows them to share the excess with other community shelters.

When City Mission first offered a salad bar in its cafeteria, people merely passed by it. But after adding fresh, flavorful produce from their Freight Farm, more and more individuals started choosing salads as part of their meals. By offering more diverse and nutritious produce options to community members, City Mission has witnessed a significant shift toward healthier eating habits.

Broadview donated a third farm to the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York. With a mission focused on eliminating hunger and reducing food waste, this organization plays a critical role in addressing food security across 23 counties.

However, sourcing culturally diverse, fresh produce has always presented a significant challenge due to the food bank's reliance on donors and seasonal limitations. The food bank also operates a traditional farm where they can somewhat control the fresh produce they offer, but during the drought season and winter months, control over the farm is minimal.

An on-site Freight Farm has allowed the food bank to grow a wide variety of fresh, culturally relevant produce that they previously had very limited or no access to in their area. It’s empowered them to meet the cultural preferences of their community while ensuring that the individuals who rely on the food bank’s services can also receive the highest quality and most nutrient-dense produce available.

Want to learn more?

Dive deeper into Broadview Federal Credit Union’s journey by watching our webinar recording featuring Broadview and one of their nonprofit partners, the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York.

They discussed their planning process, how each nonprofit utilizes their farm, and how the community has benefitted.