Strong Food and Farm Future” project launched to address food equity and promote sustainable farming in Roanoke and Southwest Virginia
Roanoke, Virginia – The Roanoke Foodshed Network (RFN) has effectively obtained a $800,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s agriculture Marketing Service, thus supporting activities in agriculture and food equity. Aimed at reviving the food and agricultural systems around the Roanoke area of Southwest Virginia, this major funding is poised to lead the “Strong Food and Farm Future” project.
Promoting sustainable farming methods and local food systems in the area has been considerably assisted by the RFN, a cooperative network including more than 50 partners including community groups, non-profits, farmers, food enterprises, and educational institutions. The grant will help to coordinate a coherent marketing plan including the building of a Regional Food and Farming Website, the Roanoke Region Food and Farm Trail, and other multimedia materials including narrative stories, podcasts, and a documentary-short.
This all-encompassing marketing strategy promises to combine efforts from across the area. Partners like Live Work Eat Grow in Montgomery, SustainFloyd in Floyd, and Land and Table in the Lynchburg area will play crucial roles.
“SustainFloyd is very grateful for this grant funding to continue development of a resilient local food system in Floyd County. The grant will help us expand our fledgling Floyd Farm Trail, an innovative and engaging platform to bridge the gap between our hardworking small-scale farmers and agritourism experiences for customers,” Jackie Crenshaw, Board President of SustainFloyd, said.
Moreover, the project is meant to increase support for area farmers through ther programs. Key RFN partner Virginia Association for Biological Farming (VABF), will lead farmer education initiatives, field tours, and listening sessions up to a regional food and farm summit. Operations Manager at VABF Becki De Russeau expressed enthusiasm about the possibility of the project improving regional farm viability.
Emphasizing food justice and abundance, the “Strong Food and Farm Future” project directly addresses communities most impacted by food inequalities. “This initiative will fortify our efforts to create an inclusive community through enhanced planning and community engagement in Northwest Roanoke,” Gene Yagow, Secretary of One Valley, said, stressing the project’s fit with their goal.
Under the Regional Food System Partnerships Program, the USDA AMS has committed $5.2 million overall to ten alliances spread over several states. This project seeks to link public and private resources in order to support the growth of local and regional food systems, thus improving the viability and resilience of local food economies.
Read also: Virginia expands cell phone-free policies in schools to tackle youth mental health challenges
The progress and results of the three-year initiative, which will run from December 2024 to September 2027, will be posted on the Roanoke Foodshed Network website and through other communication channels.
Established in 2020, the Roanoke Foodshed Network aims to build a more equitable and resilient food and farming system in the Roanoke region, a vision shaped by a decade of conversation with local farmers and food activists. Through its broad initiatives meant to foster fair food systems, the Local Environmental Agriculture Project (LEAP), the network’s monetary sponsor, keeps supporting this goal.
Through the power of locally grown and sustainably harvested food, this project aims not only to improve the economic viability of local farms but also to promote a healthier, more linked community.
