About Us
18 key partners and collaborators are working towards a more just, equitable, and resilient food system.
We’re poised to make lasting change in Appalachia with our regional partners leading the charge; some of whom have been working in Appalachia for over three decades. With Rural Action at the helm, our 18 key partners and collaborators are working towards a more just, equitable, and resilient food system.
Our partners and collaborators bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to our efforts in Appalachia. Together, we are working to create a food system that is not only economically viable but also socially and environmentally sustainable. By building a network of small-scale farmers, food businesses, and community organizations, we believe we can create a food system that benefits everyone in Appalachia.
By working together and sharing our knowledge and resources, we believe we can make a real difference in the lives of people in the region and create a stronger and more resilient food system for everyone throughout Appalachia. Learn more about our partners below.
Over the next 5 years, we plan to:
1.
Strengthen infrastructure for aggregation, distribution, and processing.
2.
Make local foods more accessible by creating new markets and increasing connectivity between rural producers and urban consumers.
3.
Build capacity (through sub awards and direct technical assistance) among small- and medium-sized farms and food businesses.
Meet Our Partners
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Appalachian Sustainable Development
Since 1995, ASD has been a driving force in economic development through agriculture, supporting growers, food access, workforce development, and sustainability. Our mission is to build a thriving regional food and agriculture system that creates healthy communities, respects the planet, and cultivates profitable opportunities for Appalachians.
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Appalachian Center for Economic Networks (ACEnet)
The Appalachian Center for Economic Networks (ACEnet) is a community-based economic development organization serving the 32 counties of Appalachia Ohio. The mission of ACEnet is to grow the regional economy by supporting entrepreneurs and strengthening economic sectors.
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Agrarian Trust
Agrarian Trust is a nonprofit national land trust co-organizing the Agrarian Commons. Our collection of legal tools and funding campaigns supports communities seeking to collectively acquire, own, and steward land. We welcome landowners to join us in reimagining their land’s legacy.
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Appalachian Resource Conservation and Development Council
Appalachian Resource Conservation and Development Council's mission is to conserve natural resources and improve rural economies through community leadership and enhanced educational opportunities.
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Black Soil
Black Soil’s mission is to reconnect Black Kentuckians to their legacy and heritage in agriculture. By bringing together urban families with rural and urban-based Black farmers/growers/producers across the state, we help introduce opportunities in agriculture that promote self-sufficiency, encourage healthy living, and activate cooperative economics.
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The Center for Regional Agriculture, Food, and Transformation (CRAFT) at Chatham University
CRAFT cultivates a more equitable, sustainable, and inclusive food system by providing practical support, research-based tools, and learning opportunities for farmers, food business owners, and food system visionaries.
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Coalfield Development - Refresh Appalachia
Coalfield Development’s vision is to build resilient rural communities with socially, environmentally, and financially thriving economies that create the community conditions for all kinds of people to unlock their full potential, power, and purpose.
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Community Farm Alliance
We work to organize and encourage cooperation among rural and urban citizens through leadership development and grassroots democratic processes to ensure an essential, prosperous place for family-scale agriculture in our economies and communities.
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Community Food Initiatives
Community Food Initiatives (CFI) has a mission to foster communities where everyone has equitable access to healthy, local food. CFI's vision is a resilient and sustainable region where everyone is nourished by a just, inclusive, and thriving local food system.
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Economic Development Greater East Incorporated
Economic Development Greater East (EDGE) curates and cultivates the greater East’s economic edge through education, entrepreneurship, and innovation in land-based (ag+) and creative industries, tourism, and the trades.
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Grow Ohio Valley
Grow Ohio Valley’s goal is to improve the health and the economic future of their region. A robust and sustainable local food system, built by and for the community, can impact both of these areas. Through their work, they strive to foster a community that celebrates and shares the food that it produces.
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Kentucky Center for Agriculture and Rural Development (KCARD)
The Kentucky Center for Agriculture and Rural Development (KCARD) is a non-profit organization established to facilitate agricultural and rural business development in Kentucky. We provide educational opportunities, technical assistance, and business support services to new and existing agribusinesses.
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Mountain Association
The Mountain Association invests in people and places in Eastern Kentucky to advance a just transition to a new economy that is more diverse, sustainable, equitable, and resilient. They offer business support, energy savings expertise, affordable loans, and work with partners on a variety of projects to demonstrate what’s possible in Appalachia.
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Northwest Tennessee Local Food Network
The Northwest Tennessee Local Food Network serves as a catalyst for a thriving and equitable local food system that is accessible for ALL. They envision a sustainable regional food system that utilizes locally grown and produced foods to promote healthy individuals, equitable communities and thriving local economies.
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New Roots Community Farm
New Roots Community Farm is an 82 acre demonstration production farm that offers services and programs to support farmers in accessing land, markets, and resources to launch or improve their operations.
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Partner Community Capital
Focusing on economically distressed areas, Partner Community Capital (PCAP) catalyzes environmentally sustainable development by providing affordable, flexible capital and advisory services to small and emerging businesses that create employment.
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Rural Action
Rural Action was founded in 1991 on the principle that locally-based, sustainable, and inclusive development is the main strategy for building resilient rural Appalachian communities. Rural Action’s mission is to build a more just economy by developing the region’s assets in environmentally, socially, and economically sustainable ways.
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Rural Support Partners
Rural Support Partners (RSP) equips changemakers, organizations, and networks to cultivate lasting, equitable, participatory change in rural areas. We provide mission-centered management consulting services, training, and educational opportunities to a diverse portfolio of leaders, nonprofits, foundations, networks, and social enterprises.