Chad Morrison , Mountaineer Food Bank , and Jason Koegler , Grow Ohio Valley , visit the Lincoln Meadow farm .
in turn feed hungry neighbors in their communities ,” says Morrison . “ These foods include donated foods from manufacturers and retailers , federal commodities through the USDA and WVDA , and , more increasingly , food purchased to support these programs .”
These feeding programs include food pantries , hot meal programs , backpack programs , senior programs , youth programs and domestic shelters .
Mountaineer Food Bank also operates many of its own programs to fill in the gaps where there may be a lack of service through its mobile pantry program and its Veterans Table , Extra Mile , Summer Feeding and Food for Health programs . These programs all focus on vulnerable populations that may lack transportation , access or the means to regularly consume healthy foods .
“ It ’ s important that Mountaineer Food Bank is able to provide the right foods in the right places for our neighbors ,” says Morrison .
Over the past decade , the food bank has increased its efforts to empower West Virginia communities , including work on nutrition and healthy eating , local food purchasing and building collective partnerships that address multiple reasons for food insecurity . Through its local food purchases , Mountaineer Food Bank has been able to not only provide fresh , healthy foods but also support West Virginia farmers and the local economy .
“ In the past year , we ’ ve purchased over $ 2 million of West Virginia grown foods , including potatoes from Preston
County , beef from Hardy County , tomatoes from Putnam County and apples from Berkeley County ,” says Morrison . “ We currently have a robust program that purchases from more than 15 farms that are owned and operated by socially disadvantaged producers in West Virginia .”
The West Virginia Food and Farm Coalition ( WVFFC ) was founded by the West Virginia Community Development Hub in 2010 . In 2009 , West Virginians began reaching out to the hub for guidance on developing local food systems .
“ While some critical food and farm infrastructure existed in the state , no organization specifically focused on integrating this infrastructure with the broader development of local food systems ,” says Spencer Moss , executive director of the WVFFC . “ The need for a network became evident — one capable of identifying and addressing the needs and opportunities within the local food and farm sector at the state level , while facilitating resource and information sharing among stakeholders statewide .”
The coalition serves all 55 counties in the state . It addresses and combats food insecurity and food deserts by creating strategic programs , projects and partnerships . One of its key strategies is placing staff in the most rural areas , enabling them to forge strong connections with local farmers and producers .
“ This approach ensures these farmers can access markets , grocery stores and schools , allowing them to supply fresh , locally grown food to their communities ,” Moss says . “ In turn , this fosters a sustainable cycle where the community
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