Food Access La
Food Access LA is a Los Angeles nonprofit operating nine certified farmers' markets serving low-to-moderate-income residents with fresh produce, nutrition education, CalFresh/SNAP/WIC processing, Market Match incentives, and an eat! online ordering platform while supporting local California farmers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2010
- HeadquartersLos Angeles, United States
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Food Access La does
Food Access LA is a Los Angeles-based nonprofit organization (formerly SEE-LA) that operates a network of nine certified farmers' markets across underserved neighborhoods including Atwater Village, Central Avenue, Compton College, Crenshaw, Echo Park, Hollywood, LA River, Watts Willowbrook, and Little Tokyo. The organization's core offering is physical market access to fresh, locally grown produce for low-to-moderate-income Los Angeles residents, supplemented by nutrition education and cooking classes, vendor support programs for urban growers and small farmers, and benefit-processing infrastructure for CalFresh/SNAP, WIC, and Market Match incentive dollars. Food Access LA also operates the eat! online ordering platform, a multi-vendor digital storefront enabling curbside pickup at markets and home/workplace delivery across Los Angeles, and serves as a Neighborhood Wellness hub through its Take Action LA partnership with the LA Department of Mental Health, CalMHSA, and Creative Life Mapping.
The organization's underlying technology stack is intentionally lean: there is no proprietary platform architecture identified beyond the eat! online ordering storefront, and the digital layer functions primarily as a sales and distribution extension of the physical markets rather than a standalone technology product. The business model is a hybrid of earned revenue and institutional funding. Earned revenue comes from vendor stall fees structured as transaction-based take rates — 7.25% of gross sales for certified producer vendors, 12% of gross sales for food vendors, and flat fees ranging from $22 to $92 for artisan vendors depending on market location — plus a one-time $25 vendor application fee. The larger revenue base comes from grants and program funding: founding member status in the California Market Match Consortium provides access to USDA NIFA Food Insecurity Nutrition Incentives (FINI) funding, California Department of Food and Agriculture (CNIP) grants, Los Angeles County ARP Market Match funding, and corporate/philanthropic contributions from Kaiser Permanente and Seeds of Change.
Customer segments span two-sided markets: end consumers are low-to-moderate-income LA residents, CalFresh/SNAP recipients, and WIC participants seeking affordable fresh produce; vendor customers are California small- and mid-sized farms, prepared-food vendors, artisans, and urban growers seeking direct-to-consumer sales channels. Distribution is conducted through the nine physical market locations plus the eat! digital storefront. Customer acquisition is community-led, relying on neighborhood presence, partnerships with public health and mental health agencies, and outreach via email newsletters, Instagram, and community events rather than paid marketing.
Food Access La firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Food Access La
- Legal name
- Food Access LA
- Website
- https://foodaccessla.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2010
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- Food Access LA is a Los Angeles nonprofit operating nine certified farmers' markets serving low-to-moderate-income residents with fresh produce, nutrition education, CalFresh/SNAP/WIC processing, Market Match incentives, and an eat! online ordering platform while supporting local California farmers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Food Access La industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Farmers' Market Operations and Food Access Services
- NAICS
- Fruit and Vegetable Retailers (44523)
- SIC
- Retail-Food Stores (5400)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Produce Markets & Greengrocers (CRAHAHAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Fresh Food Subscription/CSA & Produce Box Retail (CRAHAHAG)
Keywords
Where Food Access La is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Los Angeles
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Food Access La business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Vendor Stall Fees: Vendors pay a percentage of gross sales to participate in farmers' markets. Producer stall fees are 7.25% of Gross Sales; Food Vendor stall fees are 12% of Gross Sales. Artisans pay varying flat fees depending on market location.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Producer vendors (certified farmers) |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Food vendors (prepared food) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Artisan vendors |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | New vendor application |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels4 records
Food Access La product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Food Access LA operates a network of nine certified farmers' markets across Los Angeles neighborhoods (Atwater Village, Central Ave, Compton College, Crenshaw, Echo Park, Hollywood, LA River, Watts Willowbrook, and Little Tokyo) that connect local farmers and food vendors with consumers. The organization also runs the eat! online ordering platform for curbside pickup and home/workplace delivery, plus nutrition education programs and the Market Match dollar-for-dollar incentive program for CalFresh/SNAP recipients.
Product overview
Food Access LA operates as a nonprofit organization managing a network of nine certified farmers markets across Los Angeles neighborhoods (Atwater Village, Central Avenue, Compton College, Crenshaw, Echo Park, Hollywood, LA River, Watts Willowbrook, and Little Tokyo). The core offering consists of physical market locations where community members purchase fresh produce from local farmers and vendors. The organization offers the eat! Online Ordering Platform as a digital extension, enabling curbside pickup and delivery. Supporting programs include nutrition education classes, Market Match incentive program (dollar-for-dollar match for CalFresh/SNAP users), CalFresh EBT and WIC benefit acceptance services, vendor support, and the Take Action LA wellness initiative. Legacy programs include the Seasoned Accelerator (small business support), CalFresh Healthy Living, Healthy Retail Program with a toolkit, and the Bring a Farmer to Your School program.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- eat!: Online ordering platform allowing customers to order goods from multiple participating farmers and food vendors for curbside pick up or delivery.
Products and services
- Farmers' Markets Network Network of nine certified farmers' markets operating across Los Angeles neighborhoods on different days/hours, connecting local farmers and food vendors with consumers seeking fresh, locally grown produce.
- eat! Online Ordering Platform Online ordering platform allowing customers to order goods from multiple participating farmers and food vendors for curbside pickup at food markets in Los Angeles or delivery to homes and workplaces.
- Market Match Program Nutrition incentive program providing CalFresh/SNAP shoppers with dollar-for-dollar matching for fresh fruits and vegetables at farmers' markets, providing $25-30/day in matching funds.
- Nutrition Education Programs Community nutrition and cooking classes, plus nutrition and physical activity classes offered within the network of certified farmers' markets and community-based sites in Los Angeles.
- Vendor Support Program Program supporting urban growers, small farmers, and local vendors with vendor development, policy and advocacy training, and tools to participate in farmers' markets.
- Take Action LA / Neighborhood Wellness Wellness initiative in partnership with Take Action LA, CalMHSA, LA Department of Mental Health, and Creative Life Mapping. Eight farmers' markets serve as hubs for healthy food, mental health, housing, health services, career, and social service resources.
Quantifiable outcome
- 142,000+ students served through school program
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Food Access La
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Food Access La technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Food Access La partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.
- Los Angeles CountycoreLos Angeles County is a key partner in the ARP Market Match expansion program, providing funding to increase access to nutrition incentives in historically underserved communities across LA County.
- Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (LACDPH)coreLACDPH partners with Food Access LA to implement the ARP Market Match program, focusing on communities with highest need and historically redlined neighborhoods.
- Market Match (Ecology Center)coreMarket Match is California's nutrition incentive program managed by the Ecology Center. Food Access LA is a founding member of the California Market Match Consortium and implements the program at its farmers' markets.
- California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA)coreCDFA provides funding through the California Nutrition Incentives Program (CNIP) and Specialty Crop Block Grants that support Market Match and the Bring the Farmer to Your School program.
- Take Action LAmajorTake Action LA partnered with Food Access LA in May 2024 to expand the wellness model to include Neighborhood Wellness, with farmers' markets serving as hubs for healthy food and local resources.
- CalMHSAmajorCalifornia Mental Health Services Authority partnered with Food Access LA for the Take Action LA wellness initiative to promote mental health and wellness resources at farmers' markets.
- LA Department of Mental HealthmajorLA Department of Mental Health partnered with Food Access LA for the Take Action LA initiative to provide mental health resources at farmers' market wellness hubs.
- Creative Life MappingmajorCreative Life Mapping partnered with Food Access LA to create community resource maps and wellness practice toolkits for the Take Action LA Neighborhood Wellness initiative.
- Roots of ChangeminorRoots of Change provided initial funding and technical support to implement the Market Match Program in 2010.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Food Access La competitors and assessment
Company assessmentOthers
- Sustainable Economies Law Center: Nonprofit that provides legal and policy support for food access organizations, small farmers, and resilient local economies. Adjacent ecosystem player whose advocacy and technical assistance overlaps with Food Access LA's vendor support and policy work.
Direct peers
- Local Harvest: Online directory and community platform connecting consumers to farmers' markets, CSAs, and local farms. Comparable as a complementary channel for farmer-direct produce access, with overlapping vendor and consumer audiences to Food Access LA's eat! platform.
- Wholesome Wave: National nonprofit that pioneered Double Up Food Bucks, a nutrition incentive program doubling SNAP benefits at farmers' markets and grocery stores. Directly comparable mission and operating model to Food Access LA's Market Match and CalFresh programs.
- The Food Trust: Philadelphia-based nonprofit that operates farmers' markets, nutrition incentive programs, and school-based food access initiatives. Mirrors Food Access LA's combined model of physical markets, SNAP incentives, and school education programming.
- Fair Food Network: Ann Arbor-based nonprofit operating the Double Up Food Bucks program in multiple states alongside farmers' market and food access initiatives. Comparable as a peer nonprofit designing and scaling nutrition incentive ecosystems with farmers' market operators.
- Ecology Center: The Ecology Center manages California's statewide Market Match nutrition incentive program that Food Access LA implements at its markets and also operates the Berkeley Farmers' Market. Highly comparable as a nonprofit combining farmers' market operations and nutrition incentive program stewardship in California.
Emerging players
- Fresh Approach: Bay Area nonprofit operating farmers' markets, community gardens, and nutrition education programs. Comparable operating model to Food Access LA's combined markets-plus-education approach, though smaller and Northern California-focused.
- Misfits Market: For-profit online produce delivery company selling imperfect and surplus produce direct to consumers. Adjacent comparable for the eat! online ordering channel, though fundamentally different as a venture-backed for-profit rather than nonprofit food access operator.
Broad incumbents
- Feeding America: Largest U.S. hunger-relief organization operating a national network of 200+ food banks. Operates a fundamentally different model (food banking vs. farmers' market retail) but addresses the same core problem of food insecurity for low-income populations that Food Access LA serves.
- Hunger Free America: National hunger-relief nonprofit combining direct food assistance, federal nutrition program advocacy, and research. Broader and more policy-oriented than Food Access LA, but shares the mission of expanding access to federal nutrition benefits for low-income communities.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks4 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Food Access La social profiles
Digital presenceFood Access La financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Food Access La leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Food Access La funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Food Access La M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Food Access La
What does Food Access La do?
Food Access LA operates a network of nine certified farmers' markets across Los Angeles neighborhoods (Atwater Village, Central Ave, Compton College, Crenshaw, Echo Park, Hollywood, LA River, Watts Willowbrook, and Little Tokyo) that connect local farmers and food vendors with consumers. The organization also runs the eat! online ordering platform for curbside pickup and home/workplace delivery, plus nutrition education programs and the Market Match dollar-for-dollar incentive program for CalFresh/SNAP recipients.
Is Food Access La a public or private company?
Food Access La is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Food Access La founded?
Food Access La was founded in 2010.
Where is Food Access La based?
Food Access La is headquartered in Los Angeles, United States, in the North America region.
How does Food Access La make money?
One revenue line is on record: vendor Stall Fees.
Who are Food Access La's main competitors?
Sustainable Economies Law Center is listed as an others. Direct peers are Local Harvest, Wholesome Wave, The Food Trust, Fair Food Network and Ecology Center. Emerging players are Fresh Approach and Misfits Market. Broad incumbents are Feeding America and Hunger Free America.
Does Food Access La have an API?
No public API is recorded for Food Access La.
What industry is Food Access La in?
Food Access La's product category is Farmers' Market Operations and Food Access Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAHAHAA, Produce Markets & Greengrocers, with a secondary code of CRAHAHAG, Fresh Food Subscription/CSA & Produce Box Retail. Its NAICS code is 44523 and its SIC code is 5400.