Back in 2006 members of the new Anchor Run Farm CSA in Wrightstown were so impressed with the flavor and quality of the vegetables they were receiving from the CSA that they wanted to be able to get meat, dairy and eggs produced locally without harmful inputs as well. With the help of local community leaders, they reached out to new, small local farmers who were growing using organic practices or with animals on pasture. 

Dozens of farmers, CSA members and community leaders gathered to discuss ways to work together to promote local, sustainable agriculture and to facilitate connections between them. The farmers were renting land in off-the-beaten-path locations and needed more access to markets. The group concluded that a new farmers’ market was needed — one geared to locally grown or produced agricultural products which would give priority to those products grown without fossil fuel-dependent chemical fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides and to farm animals raised in fresh air, sunlight and on rich pastures. Shoppers would be able to talk with producers to learn how the food was grown. 

Many of the participants in the meetings already understood the damage that is done to our health, air, water and climate by agricultural systems that rely heavily on irrigation, extensive packaging, processing, long distance shipping, concentrated animal feeding operations and limited and polluting fossil fuel resources. Others recognized the many benefits of supporting local farms, which are still being lost at an alarming rate. We realized that we would need a non-profit to raise funds to start a market and to provide community education about how our foods are grown and why these new farm products were so special. The idea for a Bucks County Foodshed Alliance was born. We incorporated in July 2006 and together set about building an alternative, local, healthy, sustainable food system that would support healthy farms, communities and local economies and increase local food resiliency and security while reducing food related greenhouse gas production and toxins.

That September we launched the Wrightstown Farmers Market with a kickoff harvest festival and only a dozen vendors! But its resounding success led farmers to eagerly rejoin the coming year. It has now grown to more than 45 participating vendors each year. In 2017 the Foodshed Alliance inherited the Doylestown Farmers Market, which just celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2025! It has been a steady source of locally grown fresh farm products throughout that time. Both markets now operate under the Bucks County Foodshed Alliance and are beloved Saturday morning shopping ventures in their communities.

Bucks County Foodshed Alliance introduced our Small Farm Grant Program in 2019. These grants help local sustainable producing farms within the Bucks County foodshed expand and improve their businesses enabling them to be more efficient and productive.  We will consider requests for small capital improvements and conference registration. We prioritize farms that use or are actively transitioning to sustainable agricultural practices.

Since 2019, we have awarded over $33,000 in grants to 19 farms!

We founded the Wrightstown Farmers Market in 2006 and adopted the Doylestown Farmers Market in 2016. These markets manifest our mission and are crucial to maintaining a vibrant local food system and economy. Our farmers’ markets celebrate not only our beautiful local farms and talented farmers, but also local producers of baked goods, jams, sauces, fermented foods and beverages, teas, herbal products and more using local ingredients. Local artisans using locally sourced materials are featured as well. Our markets create opportunities for new farmers and businesses to showcase their talents and succeed as well as for family farms that have been in Bucks County for generations to continue to thrive.

We started our Summer Farm Tour program in the summer of 2007. Know your farmer, know your food…as part of our mission to connect, educate and collaborate, every summer BCFA holds farm tours so you can get to know your farmers and grower.

Since 2007, we have visited over 20 different farms with more than 3,000 attendees!

We have two programs to fight food insecurity:

• Feed A Family, Support a Family Farm – The Feed a Family Support a Family Farm aims to expand access to healthy local produce by providing excess produce from local farmers at Doylestown and Wrightstown Farmers Market to limited resource members of the community. 
• SNAP Matching – we match $2 for every $5 spent in SNAP dollars at our Farmers Markets

We  have shared $1,000s of dollars with neighbors in need and increased fresh food to local food pantries

In 2024, BCFA expanded into native plant education, recognizing the essential role native species play in farm and ecosystem health. We hosted engaging events, including Nature’s Best Hope with Doug Tallamy, and organized a lawn-to-habitat planting project that replaced grass with a thriving native pollinator garden.

Since our inception, BCFA has worked with community and regional experts to provide programs for the general public to get to know their farmers and better understand our overall food system: ways to grow, create, prepare, preserve and share local food as well as how healthy food that comes from healthy ecosystems supports our health, well-being and economic resilience.