The Appalachian Foodshed Project Engages Community to Enhance Community Food Security in Appalachia West Virginia, Virginia and North Carolina

The communities of cultural Appalachia have historically experienced low rates of food security and economic viability. The poster presentation will showcase key accomplishments of the USDA-NIFA funded Appalachian Foodshed Project (AFP) that aimed to strengthen, sustain, and expand the regional foodshed of southwest VA, WV, and western NC by addressing the complexities surrounding community food security (CFS). This collaborative university-community effort between diverse community stakeholders from these states, and NC State University, VA Tech, and WV University facilitated a network of organizations and individuals working to enhance community development, economic viability, health, nutrition, food access, social justice, and agriculture. AFP engaged extensively with community partners to shape project work (graduate curriculum, community seed grants, a CFS modeling, an eXtension community of practice, and CFS assessments) in a responsive way within these unique regions. As a result, the CFS assessment approach evolved differently across the tristate region. This allowed a way to address the specific needs and assets of each state, and at the same time build regional learning. Throughout the AFP, we have experienced a shift in how individuals and organizations see themselves in the larger food system, and in how they approach their work. Together, we have pushed our thinking and boundaries, and built a strong foundation for collective impact across the region. Moving forward, we are in the process of transferring our shared learning from the project to engage new voices/players from other Appalachian communities and networks interested in ensuring a more resilient, fair, and healthy food system.