Pay What You Can Markets

Pay-What-You-Can (PWYC) Markets make fresh, locally grown food more accessible to Erie residents while strengthening community connections and supporting a more equitable and just local food system. Rather than setting fixed prices, our markets invite community members to pay what they can afford, whether that means offering a dollar or contributing more to help make fresh food available to their neighbors. This model removes financial barriers while creating a welcoming market experience where everyone can participate with dignity.

Groundwork Erie along with urban farmers, farmers, community members and partners, as well as nonprofits like BUILD CDC and Erie Downtown Partnership assist in the coordination of markets. This network of volunteers and partners makes local, healthy produce available in neighborhoods where access to affordable, healthy food can be limited. Rather than expecting residents to travel across the city, we bring fresh produce into neighborhoods and partner locations where people already live, work, gather, and access services. This neighborhood-based approach helps reduce transportation barriers and builds stronger relationships between residents, growers, youth, and community organizations.

The PWYC model is intentionally designed around choice and dignity. Traditional food assistance programs can create barriers or require individuals to identify themselves as being in need. At a Pay-What-You-Can Market, everyone shops together. Customers are not required to demonstrate need or explain what they can afford. Someone may pay a few dollars or pay more to help another shopper. This creates a shared community resource rather than a separate service for people experiencing financial hardship.

The markets also provide an opportunity for residents to experience the value and importance of locally grown food. Depending on the season, offerings may include fresh vegetables, herbs, and fruits grown through Erie County including urban farms in the city like Groundwork Erie’s 4th Street Farm. 

In 2025, the Pay What You Can Network distributed over 30,000 pounds of fresh produce to community members. At their core, PWYC Markets are a practical demonstration of what an equitable local food system can look like: food grown in Erie, by people from Erie, made available to Erie residents in a way that recognizes both economic realities and individual dignity.

A donation to PWYC markets supports supplies for markets like reusable bags, scales to weigh produce, additional produce purchases from Erie County farmers, and printing flyers with market information and suggested recipes. 

Thank you for your support of this model and this work in Erie!