Grow Appalachia

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Grow Appalachia Our vision is a vibrant, regional food system where healthy food is accessible to all.

We teach families how to prepare and preserve food in a healthy way while empowering them to share their knowledge in their own communities. Grow Appalachia is in its fifth year of gardening and has grown to include 43 sites in 5 states. The program is constantly expanding and evolving to meet the needs of the individuals that it serves throughout Appalachia. Each site operates differently but the widespread focus includes community gardening, individual home garden plots, agricultural workshops, community events, local food marketing initiatives, educational opportunities, and lots of delicious fresh food!

In our most recent newsletter, we announced the launching of the Storytelling page on our website (growappalachia.berea....
10/05/2026

In our most recent newsletter, we announced the launching of the Storytelling page on our website (growappalachia.berea.edu/storytelling). Have you checked it out yet?

This page features recent videography projects with highlighting community food leaders across central Appalachia (more coming soon!) and links to our blog, which publishes stories from our partner sites in the Garden Grants program. This blog features hundreds of posts over the many years of the Garden Grants program, and it's such a beautiful, living archive of the food sovereignty work happening across the region.

We hope you enjoy the new webpage and some of the photos here shared by our Garden Grant partners. If you missed our full Autumn Equinox newsletter, read it here: https://mailchi.mp/0c7cef9eebc3/springequinox2026-6753238

Have you read our Autumn Equinox newsletter yet? Check it out here: https://mailchi.mp/0c7cef9eebc3/springequinox2026-67...
09/28/2026

Have you read our Autumn Equinox newsletter yet?
Check it out here: https://mailchi.mp/0c7cef9eebc3/springequinox2026-6753238
You'll find lots of sweet stories from the summer, information on our on-farm conservation program we launched in the spring, and a variety of resources and upcoming events!

Our Garden Grants program partners with communities across central Appalachia to help families grow, cook, and preserve ...
09/23/2026

Our Garden Grants program partners with communities across central Appalachia to help families grow, cook, and preserve as much of their own food as possible. There are so many more benefits of this program beyond the harvests, and we witnessed some of those this summer during our site visits. This program began in 2009-2010, and over the years, leadership development and mentorship has been a key part of these projects across the region.

In Giles County, Virginia, Extension agent Kloe Rife is wrapping up her first year hosting a program in her community after interning with Phil Meeks, one of our long-time partners in Wise County, Virginia, who also serves as an Extension agent. She is now inspiring her office's intern this year to imagine a similar in her community.

In Lincoln County, West Virginia, Jessie Cook grew up attending youth programming at the local Big Ugly Community Center, which has hosted a Grow Appalachia Garden Grants program through Step by Step since 2012. Now, Jessie is taking on a more prominent leadership role with the program and attended our annual All Hands Gathering this February in Berea for program coordinators across central Appalachia.

One of the most important components of the Garden Grants program is that programs are led by the communities they serve, and these two sites exemplify that value in the work they do.

Final applications for 2027's Garden Grant program are due by Thursday, October 1st at 5pm. Visit bit.ly/gardengrants2027 to submit your application!

This summer we expanded our partnership with Bobtown Arts , a Berea-based nonprofit, and our former founding Director D...
09/19/2026

This summer we expanded our partnership with Bobtown Arts , a Berea-based nonprofit, and our former founding Director David Cooke to offer educational workshops for growers in our community.

David grew out several varieties of tomatoes, cucumbers and squash in two 15' x 80' high tunnels with a goal of hosting a two-part trellising and pruning series demonstrating the long-term process of pruning to “double-leaders", the best trellising materials to use, proper w**d & water management, how to incorporate shade cloth, and the importance of ventilation and soil health.

This workshop series was funded through our Partners at the Maxwell / Hanrahan Foundation, and we are planning our workshops for 2027.

What workshop would you like to see on our schedule next year?

Are you curious about incorporating conservation practices on your farm or the land you steward? In collaboration with t...
09/11/2026

Are you curious about incorporating conservation practices on your farm or the land you steward?

In collaboration with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and , we are able to provide technical assistance to farmers interested in implementing conservation practices which will enhance their operation and improve the farm's natural resources, such as soil and water quality. Practices could include cover cropping, high tunnel systems, installing riparian buffers along creeks adjacent to your farm, managing invasive plants, and much more.

Fill out our intake form (bit.ly/rcppkentucky) to get connected to a technical assistance provider, and we can coach you on the next steps.

Applications for funding are due to your local NRCS office by Friday, September 25th at the end of the business day. We are here to help support you before you apply, through the application process, and the implementation of conservation practices (if awarded).

So far this year, our 26 Garden Grant sites across six central Appalachian states have grown over 300,000 pounds of orga...
08/21/2026

So far this year, our 26 Garden Grant sites across six central Appalachian states have grown over 300,000 pounds of organic produce to feed their families, share with neighbors, and sell at their local farmers' markets!

Since 2010, this program has supported the production of over 8 million pounds of organic produce! The impacts of this program go far beyond the food production alone. Sharing knowledge and skills, building relationships, strengthening communities, and creating new partnerships across organizations all emerge from these cohorts throughout the growing season.

If you're curious about implementing a program like this in your community in central Appalachia, we encourage you to apply by September 1st at bit.ly/gardengrants2027 to received feedback on your application. The final deadline for Garden Grant applications is October 1st. Email [email protected] with any questions!

08/05/2026

We have always known how powerful food growing can be when you garden together with a community. Watch the full video via the link below to learn more about our Garden Grants partner Owsley Grows in Owsley County, Kentucky. In addition to teaching people how to grow their own food, they are also building connections across their community. Special thanks to Evy Medley and In Cahoots for this beautiful film. https://growappalachia.berea.edu/video-stories/

We are accepting applications from nonprofits for our Garden Grants program until October 1st - visit our website to learn how to apply. https://growappalachia.berea.edu/garden-grants/

We are so grateful to our funders JP's Peace, Love & Happiness Foundation and other private donors who make this work possible. Want to help us sustain this essential work? Consider a monthly donation to help us reach more families across Central Appalachia. https://bit.ly/4coEWOC

Every summer, we're so fortunate to travel to some of our Garden Grant partners across central Appalachia. During these ...
08/03/2026

Every summer, we're so fortunate to travel to some of our Garden Grant partners across central Appalachia. During these visits, we learn about the community, meet gardeners in the program, and strengthen our relationships with the staff and volunteers who help coordinate the program. This year, our travels brought us to all 6 states of central Appalachia - Kentucky, Ohio, West Virginia, Virginia, Tennessee, and North Carolina. Words cannot describe how much we learn from these visits - from resourceful and innovative organic gardening techniques to important historical events which continue to shape these communities. This part of our work is invaluable. We hope you enjoy looking at some of these memories from this summer.

If your community would benefit from a Grow Appalachia Garden Grant program, then we encourage you to apply! The 2027 application cycle is now open. If you want feedback on your application, you must submit your application by September 1st. Final applications are due on October 1st. Apply at bit.ly/gardengrants2027 ! Questions? Email [email protected]

Reminder!! Spots are still avialable for this informative workshop! Attendees will be able to take home cuttings from th...
06/20/2026

Reminder!! Spots are still avialable for this informative workshop! Attendees will be able to take home cuttings from the pruning demo.🍅🌱

Address

210 Center Street
Berea, KY
40403

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 5pm
Tuesday 8am - 5pm
Wednesday 8am - 5pm
Thursday 8am - 5pm
Friday 8am - 5pm

Telephone

+18599853941

Website

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