Press Releases

Highmark Wholecare to greatly expand its Farm-to-Family produce markets in 2026

• Community-based program connects farmers, food banks, schools and health care providers
• The number of events will increase by 40% from 2025.
• 35 events across Pennsylvania are expected to help more than 10,000 families

PITTSBURGH (January 12, 2026) — Highmark Wholecare announced today that it will be expanding its Farm-to-Family program in 2026. This program, supported by local communities, delivers healthy food, preventive health care and human connection directly to families throughout Pennsylvania.

In 2025, the program provided more than 160,000 pounds of fresh produce — a 90% increase from 2024 — to 7,500 families. In 2026, the program’s food distribution will expand by 40%, providing more than 225,000 pounds of fresh, locally grown produce to 10,000 families through 35 community events.

The main goal of the program is to give free, fresh produce to people who need it. Its true success comes from offering food with other community services. By bringing together schools, health care providers, local nonprofits and social service agencies, the program helps address many needs at once. This approach has made Farm-to-Family a successful model for building community connections and preventive health, supporting the idea of ‘food as medicine.’

"Good health starts at home, often with the food we eat. This program has created strong partnerships between farmers, health providers, and educators, building a social network that provides not only food but also respect, access, and hope,” said Highmark Wholecare CEO Ellen Duffield. “Farm-to-Family is clearly working — communities are participating, more people are learning about it, and the demand keeps growing. We are expanding because families want it, and we know this effort is making a real difference."

The Farm-to-Family program began in 2024 at Sto-Rox High School, located in a financially struggling area of Pittsburgh. It has grown from a trial into a statewide example of how health insurance companies can improve health care through local partnerships. Based on Highmark Wholecare's belief in treating the whole person, Farm-to-Family addresses the factors that affect health by reaching people where they are — in schools, churches, and community centers — and providing the resources they need most.

At each event, families receive:

• Free fresh produce, often from local Pennsylvania farmers, through partnerships with the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank, Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank and Westmoreland County Food Bank.
• Help with renewing Medicaid and connections to preventive health care.
• Support from the Allegheny Health Network (AHN) and other health care providers, who offer on-site health checks such as temperature readings, flu shots, blood pressure checks, blood sugar tests, and cholesterol screenings.

According to Feeding Pennsylvania, one in eight residents — nearly 1.7 million people — struggles with hunger each year. Nationally, 47.4 million Americans lived in households that didn’t have enough food in 2023, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

As Farm-to-Family enters its third year, the program is growing across Pennsylvania with new locations in Armstrong, Fayette and Westmoreland counties, and more events planned for Central Pennsylvania. In 2026, the program will host markets in Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Fayette, Lawrence, Mercer, Washington, Westmoreland and many Central Pennsylvania counties. The markets connect both city and rural areas through one united, community-driven program.

“None of this would be possible without our Community Engagement team, Highmark volunteers, school staff, and local partners who make these markets happen,” said Michael Callaghan, manager, Highmark Wholecare Connection Center. “It’s a team effort driven by compassion, and that’s what makes our company’s mission real — we’re not just giving out food, we’re building connections. That’s how we create healthier communities."

Farm-to-Family is a joint project between Highmark Wholecare, Highmark Health, AHN Center for Inclusion Health, and regional food banks and community organizations.