ASHEVILLE - Thirteen years ago, Mother Earth Food launched and has continued to feed residents across Western North Carolina and upstate South Carolina. The Asheville-based home delivery grocer's services have gone further to address the exacerbated food insecurity issue, spurred on by major events, like the COVID-19 pandemic and Tropical Storm Helene.On Nov. 1, Mother Earth Food will end its services as the business permanently closes."Despite trying everything possible, the combined loss of Hurricane Helene and losing the HOP/Medicaid program was simply too much in one year," CEO and co-founder Andrea DuVall wrote in a newsletter distributed to customers and supporters on Oct. 7.Volunteers unload fresh fruit and vegetables off of a delivery truck at Barnardsville Baptist Church in Barnardsville, June 12, 2025.The Health Opportunities Pilot Medicaid program ended on June 30, after not being included in the House and Senate’s proposed budgets for fiscal years 2025-2027, put forward by the N.C. General Assembly.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementMother Earth Food partnered with several area food service outreach nonprofits to assist with distributing groceries and meals, with ingredients sourced from local farms."Mother Earth Food truly represented my prayer for the kind of future that I wholly believe is possible, one where the food that we eat reconnects us with the sacredness of life itself. It was such an honor to be able to nourish you and yours from local farms that we love and trust," DuVall stated in the newsletter.In June, DuVall told the Citizen Times that she was concerned that the elimination of the program would have a ripple effect, beginning with the Medicaid clients who would no longer receive the services and further impact the service organizations and the farms that provide the food.Volunteers unload fresh fruit and vegetables off of a delivery truck at Barnardsville Baptist Church in Barnardsville, June 12, 2025.In DuVall's message, she reported that the company invested more than $9 million in small local farms over the past 13 years.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementShe stated that more than 800 boxes were lost weekly after the Medicaid program, which was originally funded through 2027, was cut. She said of the program that it was the runway the company needed to rebuild and diversify after Helene."Those dollars were able to support our farm families, create farm jobs, preserve agricultural land, & fuel our local food economy," DuVall wrote.DuVall stated that those seeking ways to support Mother Earth Food in its final weeks should purchase more local food from the company through October. A virtual "donation" box will be available on the business's website for customers to purchase a box of fresh, local produce to be delivered to a food-insecure family in the community.Other donations may be sent via Venmo @motherearthfood29.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement"Thank you again for all of your love & support over the years. My commitment to this mission will continue on. Everything I've learned has reinforced my desire to work on systemic food system change," DuVall stated.For more, visit motherearthfood.com and email questions to andrea@motherearthfood.com.Tiana Kennell is the food and dining reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA Today Network. Tips, comments, questions? Email tkennell@citizentimes.com or follow @PrincessOfPage on Instagram. Sign up for AVL Bites and Brews, our weekly food and drink newsletter here.This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Mother Earth Food to close, following Helene, Medicaid cuts