Frequently Asked QUestions

What does LEAP do?
‍Local Environmental Agriculture Project (LEAP) is a Roanoke-based 501c3 nonprofit. Founded in 2009, LEAP strives to nurture an equitable food and farming system that prioritizes health and abundance. LEAP programs include two farmers markets, a mobile market, a farm share, a food hub, a commercial kitchen, three community gardens, and robust nutrition incentive programs. LEAP will be opening a retail store in 2024 at its location in Roanoke’s West End neighborhood. LEAP is a fiscal sponsor for the Roanoke Foodshed Network, a community of partners from across the region working together on initiatives that promote farmers, food access, and local food systems.  LEAP is also the fiscal sponsor for Virginia Fresh Match, a statewide network of farmers markets and retail stores that make fruits and vegetables more affordable for SNAP participants. Learn more about Roanoke Foodshed Network at roanokefoodshednetwork.org, and Virginia Fresh Match at VirginiaFreshMatch.org.

What’s another way to understand LEAP’s work?
‍The LEAP Mobile Market is a good program to look at in order to understand the wide range of ways LEAP works in our community. The mobile market is a farmers market on wheels that has (during its busiest season) 12-15 stops, in Roanoke neighborhoods that have limited access to fresh produce and in two rural communities that are a 30-minute drive from the nearest grocery store. LEAP purchases all food we sell on the mobile market from local farmers and food businesses so that they have viable markets for their products. LEAP (though grants and donations) provides 50 percent discounts on fruits and vegetables to people who participate in SNAP, Medicaid, and WIC. By connecting local food to people who struggle to access it, and fundraising to make it affordable, LEAP increases demand for local food and improves our community’s health.

Where is LEAP located?
LEAP's work is spread across the Roanoke region. In 2023, we moved our offices and food hub into a renovated building at 1027 Patterson Ave. that we call The LEAP Hub. Here, we have a community room available to the public for small group meetings. In 2024, we plan to open a retail store, as well. On Tuesdays, the West End Farmers Market sets up in the field beside The LEAP Hub, from 3-6 pm.

Down the street, at 1210 Patterson Ave. SW, LEAP manages a shared commercial kitchen. Our mobile market travels throughout the city and beyond; the Grandin Village Farmers Market is held Saturdays in the parking lot behind the Roanoke Co+op. Find out more about LEAP's Community Gardens here.

‍How should I send mail or a check to LEAP?
LEAP's mailing address is:
PO Box 3249, Roanoke, VA 24015.
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You can also make a donation through our website here.

How can I support LEAP's work?
You can make a donation (see above) or volunteer your time (see below). Businesses and organizations can also sponsor LEAP. Here's more information on our sponsorship program. If you're a small business, you can donate gift cards or merchandise for LEAP to use as fundraiser prizes. Everyone is invited to sign up for our monthly email newsletter to hear about all the good work LEAP is doing. Follow along, too, on our Facebook and Instagram pages.

How can I volunteer for LEAP?
Right now, our greatest needs for volunteers are in the LEAP Kitchen and in our community gardens. In the kitchen, volunteers work with LEAP's kitchen manager to process local food, giving it a longer shelf life and making it more accessible for market customers. In the gardens, volunteers will be put to work improving garden infrastructure (think building fences and removing weeds). When you're ready to volunteer, fill out this form. LEAP's volunteer contact will reach out with more information.

Can the community reserve The Gathering Place?
‍Yes! The Gathering Place is available for community members to reserve. Find more information here. The room is limited to 17 people and requires an advance registration.
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Can I eat local food even in winter?
‍Yes! The offerings are not as abundant in February as they are in July, but LEAP's West End Farmers Market is held year round; the Grandin Village Farmers Market continues to meet in the winter on the first and third Saturdays of each month. And LEAP offers a Winter Farm Share that runs from November through January.

What is it like to eat seasonally?
‍Eating seasonally can be an eye-opening experience. Most of us are accustomed to having access to a wide variety of fruits and vegetables year round. Often, commercial varieties of fruits and vegetables are bred to withstand long travel, rather than for taste or quality. When eating seasonally, you'll experience lack, then the joy of getting your fill of one fruit or veggie, then a windfall of more fruits and vegetables as the seasons shifts. Eating seasonally means enjoying certain foods to the fullest while you can. As the seasons progress, you will feel the ebb and flow of scarcity and abundance associated with farming. Signing up for the LEAP Farm Share is a great way to give seasonal eating a try!

Is the produce at your markets USDA-certified organic?
Much of it is not. LEAP prioritizes buying from farmers who grow sustainably and regeneratively. Few farmers in our region are certified organic by the USDA, but almost all of our vegetable farmers grow according to organic standards. Our hot, humid climate creates challenges for our fruit farmers to grow organically, but most spray minimally, and LEAP prioritizes no-spray or low-spray fruit when it's available.

‍I bought a new vegetable, but I don’t know how to prepare it!
‍LEAP is creating a bank of recipes for produce you're likely to bring home from the markets or in your farm share. In addition to LEAP's recipe collection, try searching for inspiration at Virginia Cooperative Extension,  Smitten Kitchen, or  Dishing Up The Dirt. A seasonal recipe is always included in our monthly email newsletter (Sign up here.) Have a favorite farmers market-inspired recipe? Email it to us at info@leapforlocalfood.org. We'd love to give it a try!

I am a farmer who would like to sell at a LEAP market. What do I do?
Check out the information about LEAP Market Vendors and also about our Grandin Village and West End markets. Questions? Email: markets@leapforlocalfood.org.

What discounts do I get with my SNAP/Medicaid/WIC cards?
Every $1 spent = $1 free on fresh fruits and vegetables with SNAP, Medicaid, and WIC. Learn more about how to use your cards at our farmers markets here and here. Learn more about LEAP's new Market Bucks program here.
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I heard the Mobile Market stops in my neighborhood. Can I use my SNAP card there?
LEAP's Mobile Market is open to everyone. We accept SNAP and you will receive an extra dollar to spend on fruits and vegetables for every dollar swiped from your EBT card. You may also be available for further discounts. Ask your mobile market manager. For the mobile market schedule check here.

I’m thinking of starting a community garden. Can you help?
Congratulations! Community gardens can be amazing spaces that encourage a connection with the land and help participants gain new skills and awareness of what it takes to grow their own food. That said, LEAP does not currently have capacity to oversee more community gardens than the three it manages. (Find out more about LEAP’s community gardens here.)
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But there is a thriving gardening community in Roanoke. Here are a few ways to connect with other gardeners and resources who may be able to help.
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1) Join the Roanoke Foodshed Network’s Roanoke Gardeners Feed. This is an online community filled with resources and gardeners. You can ask your questions to this gardening community, as well as connect with other local community garden leaders.
2) Check out these resources:
- Roanoke Master Gardeners
- A listing of community garden tool kits
- A listing of community-garden focused webinars from Virginia Cooperative Extension’s Virginia Community Garden Network
- Roanoke Victory Gardeners, an active Facebook Group

Tell me more about LEAP’s Farm Share.
LEAP offers an “aggregated” Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program, meaning that instead of growing the vegetables, fruits, eggs (and more) that we distribute in our shares, we purchase them from a range of farmers and producers. LEAP buys wholesale from Berrier Orchards, Den Hill Farm and Fungi, Garden Variety Harvests, Kat the Farmer, Patchwork Family Farm, Riverstone Organic Farm, Thornfield Farm, Wade’s Orchard, Weathertop Farm, Yoders’ Farm, and many others. (Find more information about all our farmers on this Meet Our Vendors page.)

Our farm share is structured this way, in part, so that we can bring a wide variety of local food to our customers. LEAP has also set up its Farm Share this way to support farmers. We inherited our Farm Share from Floyd County farmer and early food systems innovator Tenley Weaver, whose Good Food-Good People was this region’s original aggregated farm share and upstart food hub. As a farmer, Weaver understood that growers wanted a variety of ways to sell their products. Some might choose to set up single-farm CSAs, others might prefer to sell to wholesale clients, others might be vendors at farmers markets – some might move their farm goods in all these ways. Find more details about LEAP’s Farm Share and how to sign up here.

What do I do if I miss my Farm Share pickup?/Can someone else pick up my Farm Share for me?
LEAP’s Farm Share has five convenient pickup locations on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. When someone registers for Farm Share, they choose their pickup location, which determines their pickup day and time. A postcard is sent to members' addresses the week before Farm Share begins, reminding them of pickup day, time, and place. Anyone can retrieve a Farm Share for a member. They need only give the name the Farm Share was registered under. Occasionally, life happens and a Farm Share member might forget or is unable to pick up a Farm Share. Because of this, we have an alternative pickup option. On Fridays during open hours of the LEAP Community Store (12-7 pm), Farm Share members can stop by The LEAP Hub (1027 Patterson Ave.) to retrieve a missed Farm Share from the Carilion Wellness, Roanoke Memorial Hospital, or LEAP Hub pickup sites of that week. Unfortunately, Parkway Brewing Co., and Big Lick Brewing Co. Farm Shares are forfeited if they are not retrieved. In order to use this alternative pickup option, the farm share member must email farmshare@leapforlocalfood.org  by 10 am on the Friday they are picking up. Questions? Email farmshare@leapforlocalfood.org.

Can I recycle my egg cartons at LEAP’s markets?
‍Yes! Simply give your egg cartons (all kinds: paper, plastic, or styrofoam) to the market operator. We can take 18 count and 12 count. They don’t need to have come from a LEAP vendor. We ask that the cartons be clean and dry. If you have collected a large quantity, please open and stack them.

‍What else can I recycle at LEAP?
‍Farm Share members can return plastic wrap and bags from their share back to their pickup site. Kitchen members can compost inside the kitchen. Inside The LEAP Hub, City of Roanoke recycling, plastic film, and compost is collected only for waste created inside the building. LEAP encourages everyone to recycle with Roanoke City and compost with Star City Compost. (The LEAP Hub is a drop-off site for Star City Compost. Bringing your food waste to West End Farmers Market is a convenient way to add sustainability to your weekly routine.)

What happens to the mobile market or farmers market if it rains or snows?
LEAP markets open and run, rain or shine. If snow or ice makes it dangerous to drive, LEAP may cancel or postpone a market. A LEAP employee will contact vendors about any cancelations. Customers should check LEAP's Facebook and/or Instagram pages for announcements.
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Other questions?
Email: info@leapforlocalfood.org or call: 540.632.1360.