Tahoe Food Hub: Connecting Mountain Communities to California Farms

Nestled in the high-altitude town of Truckee, California, the Tahoe Food Hub redefines what it means to eat locally in a mountain town.

With snow-capped peaks in winter and alpine wildflowers in summer, Tahoe might seem an unlikely place to find a thriving local food scene. But thanks in part to this pioneering nonprofit, it’s a place where small farms and sustainable food systems flourish.

The California Grown team recently visited Tahoe Food Hub to uncover how this community-powered organization bridges the gap between Northern California farms and the Tahoe region. 

We found an innovative, energetic operation that champions local agriculture, supports small farms, and brings fresh, seasonal food to schools, restaurants, and families no matter the season.

A Small Team with a Big Mission

Tahoe Food Hub is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit food aggregator. It helps farms within 100 miles of Tahoe reach markets and locals in Truckee and the surrounding area. 

That means stone fruit from Newcastle, citrus from Placer County, apples from Apple Hill, leafy greens from Grass Valley, and heirloom tomatoes from Chico all make their way up the mountain to fill CSA boxes, school lunch trays, and local restaurant plates.

“The Tahoe Food Hub has been around for a little over a decade,” says General Manager Maddie Rohner. “It was started by a local named Susie Sutphin, who saw a need for local produce in our region and decided to create a way to bridge that gap”.

And bridge it they have. Today, the organization partners with roughly 50 small, regenerative farms, many family-run and less than 500 acres in size. 

About half are in Placer County, 40% in Nevada County. The rest are spread across surrounding counties like Yuba, Butte, and El Dorado. These aren’t industrial producers. Many farms consist of just one or two people, growing everything from edible flowers to heritage kiwis. 

“Most of our farmers don’t have the time or staff to sell at farmers markets,” Maddie explains. “So we make it as easy as possible for them to move their food”.

Building a Sustainable, Regional Food System

What makes the Tahoe Food Hub vital isn’t just its hyperlocal sourcing but also its commitment to a more resilient and regenerative food system. While many consumers shop by certifications, Maddie encourages people to look deeper.

“Labels and organic certifications are super helpful when you’re shopping in a larger grocery store,” she says. “But the best way to know that you’re supporting sustainable farms is to know your farmer and their practices”.

The farms the hub partners with use regenerative practices like low- or no-till soil management, drip irrigation, and organic inputs, even if they aren’t certified organic. 

“We’re very well versed in their practices… their soil stewardship, their water usage, their lack of using pesticides and herbicides,” Maddie adds.

Sustainability extends beyond the farm. The hub offers weekly CSA pick-up services to get the consumer closer to their food. They also return shipping boxes to reduce costs, and do the majority of the marketing so farmers can focus on growing. “We love to post about them on social media, help with pricing, and move the food for them,” says Maddie. “It saves them time, money, and stress”.

Tahoe Food Hub in Action: Feeding the Community

The Tahoe Food Hub is more than a distribution center; it’s a movement. Its influence can be seen across the community, from school lunches to chef-driven restaurants.

One shining example is the partnership with the Tahoe-Truckee Unified School District. “They have an amazing scratch cooking program,” says Maddie. “We’ve been able to distribute hundreds of pounds of local kiwis from Shared Abundance Organic Farm to students every year”.

Restaurants also play a key role. Local favorites like Old Town Tap and Everline Resort’s Six Peaks Grille use ingredients sourced from the hub. “At Old Town Tap, they’re doing a wonderful salad using Foothill Roots Farm’s salad mix,” Maddie says. “And at Six Peaks, they feature a ‘Tahoe Food Hub Vegetable of the Day’”.

For everyday shoppers, the hub operates a market and a CSA-style harvest box program. Through that program, people can subscribe weekly or order à la carte from dozens of farms. 

“It’s a mix of farms every single week, so we get to share the love with a lot of different growers,” Maddie notes.

Nourishing Those in Need

As a nonprofit, the Tahoe Food Hub has a strong social mission. Its Giving Box Program provides weekly food deliveries to food-insecure families in the Tahoe region. Many of whom work in seasonal jobs and are vulnerable to snow or fire-related disruptions.

“In Lake Tahoe, there’s a lot of food insecurity that hides because it is a wealthy area,” says Maddie. “But we try to bridge that gap by providing giving boxes every single week”.

Boxes are filled with produce harvested to order, meaning it’s fresh, nutrient-dense, and picked at peak ripeness. “Everything is harvested on Wednesday and distributed on Thursday or Friday. It’s the highest quality, most nutrient-dense produce you can get,” Maddie emphasizes.

How to Support Tahoe Food Hub

If you’re inspired by what the Tahoe Food Hub is doing, there are plenty of ways to support their mission:

• Shop their online farmers market or their weekly on-site farmers market. Or stop by local stores, New Moon Natural Markets, which carry their produce.
• Subscribe to a harvest box or donate a Giving Box to a needy family.
• Dine out at local restaurants that proudly source from the hub. A few to look out for are Mountain Lotus Cafe, Stella, Sierra Bakehouse, Moody’s, and The Crescent Cafe.
• Spread the word by sharing their mission and following along on social media.
  

You can also visit their vibrant space at the Truckee Tahoe Airport. There you’ll find everything from organic fruits and vegetables to cut flowers, honey, and locally made goods.

 “Cut flowers are one of my favorite things we sell,” says Maddie. “We work with about six different cut flower growers, and it’s always changing with the season”.

A True Taste of Tahoe

The Tahoe Food Hub is helping redefine what it means to eat local in the Sierra. From supporting regenerative farms and strengthening community food security to making California agriculture accessible year-round in a snowy mountain town, this nonprofit is cultivating more than just food—it’s growing connection.

“Every time I’m skiing and I can look and see the lake from the mountain, it still blows my mind,” Maddie reflects. “That’s the most special thing about Lake Tahoe”.

And now, thanks to the Tahoe Food Hub, you can taste that magic too—one heirloom tomato, a bunch of greens, or a Giving Box at a time.

Find more Only in California stories like this one!