Black Belt Food Project

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United States
Greensboro, AL
Black Belt Food Project

Enriching the Alabama Black Belt through food-based opportunity. We'll begin with kids and youth programming before expanding to adult level classes.

Black Belt Food Project is a 501c3 nonprofit organization working to build a stronger, more inclusive environment for children and adults in rural Alabama by providing greater opportunities for growth, nourishment and connection through food-based educational experiences. We believe in the strength and well-being of our community members, and want to ensure that everyone, no matter their backgroun

d, has an opportunity to prosper beyond the challenges faced within the Alabama Black Belt. At Black Belt Food Project, we see food as the driving force for positive growth for our community, both individually and as a whole. Food can provide nourishment, spark change, and provide a connection.There are so many levels of food education, and our organization seeks to offer a community space that is dedicated to the exploration of food studies all while working with local organizations to build a more viable community structure. We are in the process of building Black Belt Kitchen, an educational center with a focus on food studies in Greensboro, Ala. The center will host regular classes and workshops for individuals of all ages and backgrounds and will target a number of interests and issues. From there, we’ll introduce several food-based projects like community gardens so people can learn how to grow and cook their own food. There’s also potential for a local soup kitchen as well as chef and educator residency, using the space as incubator kitchen for aspiring chefs, and so forth. We aim to use as much locally produced and recovered food as possible as a way to support local agriculture and limit food waste. Our organization partners with established (and hopefully new) organizations in this area as well as our local farmers and producers. This could expand into something really special with the Rural Studio Farm. We could build upon the nutritional programs offered by our local extension office. We can work with and highlight all the wonderful things that make this area so unique. The Black Belt is very different from other areas in this Nation. It is a heavily underserved area, and while we may not be able to make a huge impact on the National level, we can do something big locally. We can grow this area through our own community focused efforts. There is no other place like the Black Belt, so we have to work in a way that is truly beneficial for this area. Let’s take those structures already in place and make them work for us, for our community. Most people think of "nutrition" when we mention BBFP, and while this is a ver important topic and an issue we will tackle through hands-on programming, it's not our primary focus. The thing is, we aren’t trying to tell people how to eat. We want to reshape the way people see and experience food, which will ultimately reshape the way they interact with their own community and with the world around them. But, it all begins with providing that opportunity for growth. Find out how you can help by contacting our organization directly.

02/10/2025

Sharing some important news:

Black Belt Food Project has decided to step back as the parent organization of South Street Farmers Market. This means that we are no longer affiliated with the market.

Last year, we were asked by members of the community to serve as the market advisor for a new farmers market in town. Our executive director has several years experience in starting and growing community-based markets, and since we too had a vision of creating a thriving market for our Greensboro residents as a future project, we happily accepted the challenge.

However, without proper support from a market team or advising committee, the market became too time consuming for our director who works on a volunteer basis. It was quickly apparent that we weren’t just the advisor to the market, but also operating as the manager and were forced to take on all the roles and responsibilities to keep it running, which was not within our capacity.

The first season of SSFM was such a beautiful success! We had such a wide range of local vendors and organizations participate. We hosted cooking classes, a big community dinner, two grocery giveaways and so much more. We welcomed hundreds of visitors to our market in just the first season and were able to provide a space for local farmers and producers to sell. It was a dream come true!

We received such positive feedback from our community, which makes it difficult for us to step back from our role with the market. Sadly, as a team of one volunteer, BBFP does not have the capacity to manage a market, which can be a full time job without proper support. Additionally, our director will be on maternity leave during the market season and we have no other staff members for fill her role.

Over the past year, BBFP has been working in collaboration with various organizations across the south and the USDA on a major project and we will to continue focusing on that work.

The market has been passed on to a community member who is working to keep it running. If you would like to get involved with the market, please contact them directly as they’ll need all the support they can get:

[email protected]

01/31/2024

Spent some time this morning market planning with .greensboro Fellows. We also walked around hanging up QR codes for our community survey.

If you’re around town, pull out your phone and scan the code using your camera.

It’ll take you straight to the community survey that you can fill out on your phone. It’ll take you 5-10 minutes to complete.

In other news…we have an account dedicated to our new farmers market. Go give it a follow for all market updates!

South Street Farmers Market:

01/24/2024

We’ve received such positive feedback since our announcement yesterday. So much excitement and so many people wanting to be a part of the market, whether it’s vending or volunteering.

Thank you all so much for the encouragement and support thus far!

We still have lots to plan before we’re set to go, but we’ll keep you informed along the way.

Keep up with our current marketing planning checklist on the Black Belt Food Project website and keep sharing that farmers market survey!

All links are available in our bio.

Or go to:

www.blackbeltfoodproject.org

Thank you all again!

01/23/2024

It has been a very long time since we’ve posted. In 2023, we chose to take a step back, restructure our board and reconnect with our mission.

To be honest, things took off rather quickly for the organization and our very small team wasn’t prepared for all the positive and exciting things coming our way. We decided it was best to take some time away and come into the new year with a fresh start.

We have so many big dreams for our region, but we can’t do it all, so we’re starting over and starting small.

Well, somewhat small…

This year, we’re working alongside local organizations and residents to start South Street Farmers Market in downtown Greensboro.

The market will be a program of Black Belt Food Project.

Before we make this market happen, we’re asking our community to get involved. While we’ve had such positive feedback about this idea, we want to ensure we’re building market that works for our community.

At this time, we are seeking input from Hale County, Greensboro and neighboring Greensboro communities through a farmers market survey.

The market is short and takes about 5-10 minutes to complete. Fill out an application online by clicking the link in our bio or visiting the BBFP website.

We’ll also have paper copies available in various locations throughout Greensboro.

More news about BBFP and the South Street Farmers Market coming your way soon. For now, please take a moment to complete our survey.

Thank you for your time and support!

(Featured photo: the potential location for our community market, located in the South parking lot of DHR and behind the Cottage downtown. The kitchen will overlook the market and BBFP will use the space for educational food programs during the market.)

01/21/2023

This year, we're launching a Fellowship program that's designed to provide hands-on experience for individuals seeking to make a social impact through food-based programs and community connections.

Our Fellow will assist our executive director with program coordination which involves outlining and building our current programs all while developing future programs.

Not only do Fellows gain experience in the nonprofit world. They gain a better understanding of real community work through educational service experiences with our partners, our residents and other professionals and advocates working to build a better future through food.

Learn more about this tuition free program on our website. Find the link in our bio!

01/16/2023

Our organization is pleased to announce to launch of the the BBFP Food Systems Fellowship Program.

Deadline to apply is February 18th. More information can be found on our website including all details about the program as well as the application.

The Fellowship is an intensive one-year leadership development program to assist, encourage and inspire social entrepreneurs and system builders as they work to create positive impacts in society through their food-based community initiatives.

We are seeking individuals who have experience and interest in food-based studies and/or culinary work.

Through generous donations, we are able to offer this *without tuition or charge* to Fellows.

Please help spread the word about this exciting opportunity. Visit the website for all the details (link in bio) or contact our organization directly with any questions: [email protected]

Thank you.

12/29/2022

Our founder and executive directly recently had the chance to sit and chat with for the as she wanted to hear about all the good things happening with Abadir's x Black Belt Food Project. This is such a dream opportunity for this nonprofit. To hear her excitement and support over what we're working to create down here in rural Alabama--words can't describe how that made us feel.

Our team is extremely grateful for the opportunity. Thank you so much to the Rachael Ray team for making the process run smoothly and for the continuous support throughout the interview and taping process.

And of course, and great big thank you to Rachael for asking me to be a part of the show. Such an honor getting to share some camera time with her. Thank you for listening to our story and supporting our endeavors!

The episode airs on CBS on January 4, 2023. Check out what time it’ll air in your area by visiting the Rachael Ray Show website.

11/29/2022

On this , our team + supporters at Black Belt Food Project hope you’ll consider making a monetary donation to our efforts here in rural Alabama.

Your contribution will fund the following:

• Educational food-based programs and classes for kids and adults

• Food distribution services that feature better, more nutritious meal options

• Supplies for classes and workshops including things like knives, cutting boards, produce, pantry staples, cookware, etc.

• Staffing through our fellowship program so we can actually get work done in the community

We’re dreaming big and working our way toward a better Alabama Black Belt. This area is ripe with culture and history, but we’ve been neglected for far too long. We see a brighter future; it’s on the rise.

We’re just a small part of the change that’s happening in our communities. It’s important that we grow in a way that’s viable for this area, so we’re doing everything we can to ensure our community needs come first in our efforts.

Please support our work by making a contribution. Your support can and will make a tremendous impact on this area.

We’ve only just started, and we need the financial and emotional support to keep pushing forward. We hope you’ll be a part of this positive movement.

Donations can be accepted online or by mail. (Please keep in mind that online donations require a fee that is paid by our organization.) All details can be found on our website. Check our bio for the link.

Thank you for all your love and support thus far! We have some exciting in things in store for 2023. We hope you can help make those endeavors possible.

Love,

BBFP

11/09/2022

In case you missed it, we have a new blog post up about our recent Food For Thought weekend in partnership with and the .

Head on over to our website for photos and highlights of the day. Link in bio!

Thanks again to everyone who joined us at the inaugural event. We hope to do it again soon.

11/02/2022

Fall veggies are making their way into our Fresh Produce Pickup stand at the store in downtown Greensboro. Here’s what we have available this week!

This is a “take what you need, leave what you can” stand. Donations are welcome, but not required to take home produce. All proceeds will benefit future BBFP programs.

Soon we’ll have more produce available. Working on more partnerships with neighboring farmers and producers. We’ll get there soon!

Limited amounts are available, so please be considerate of those community members need.

A big thank you to the Farm + team for making this program possible by supplying us with beautiful, organically grown produce!

10/27/2022

We just want to take a quick moment to say thank you to the farmers who provided the produce and meat for the Food For Thought event.

Alabama is an agricultural State. It’s one of many things we’re known for. However, most of our State’s farms utilize conventional techniques that are bad for our soil health and not so great for our (human) health as well.

Good, healthy soil is the basis of a good farm. Giving back to the environment by using organic farming practices is vital for the well-being of this planet. Good soil means healthy produce and meats. Healthy produce and meats means higher nutrient levels in the things we consume.

That’s why we are so extremely grateful for our farming partners who are out there doing the good work. Without them, the planet would be a scary place.

We may never change things on a national level, but locally + regionally, we have a strong group of folks doing the hard work, so let’s make sure we support their efforts.

We are grateful for for the beautiful meats they provide, to for the variety of gorgeous organic produce they grow and share and Farmer Eric Ball + the farm team at Farm for utilizing the space provided for something extra special for our Black Belt community and our environment.

Thank you.

10/25/2022

We’ve taken some much needed time to recover after a beautiful Food For Thought weekend. Our team would like to share a moment of gratitude as we acknowledge all the people and organizations who helped make our first-ever event a success.

This event was about providing space for our regional partners to share their work all while showcasing what the current state of food looks like for this area. Moving away from the scarcity mentality and highlighting our abundance, our work--the future of our community. It was about acknowledging our history and using that to move ourselves forward.

We aren't quite sure where to begin, so we'll start with day one. Thank you to for hosting the first evening, to Emily Blejwas of for leading a wonderful presentation of her book, and to the Friends of the Library for putting the tasting items together.

A great big thank you to for welcoming everyone to your campus on Saturday, and to Farmer Eric Ball for touring folks through the farm. Everyone was so excited to see all the beautiful work you're doing for our community. So thankful for your time and energy. Thank you to the partners who attended--Hale County Extension Services and . A very grand thank you to our board member .fuller for taking over the BBFP table and for lending a hand throughout the event.

Thank you to Professor , & for joining our chefs in the kitchen and for helping organize such a wonderful gathering. Also, shoutout to the Marusich duo for lending a hand with cleanup. Thank you all so much for being there for us.

To our chefs--Halima Salazar of and Sarah Cole of , thank you for all the time and work you put into creating such a special meal for our community.

Lastly, thank you to everyone who came out in support. We had such a beautiful mix of locals and out-of-town guests in attendance. We are so grateful you chose to be a part of this gathering. We shared stories and explored and ate together. Although we had big visions for what the day could hold, we are so pleased with how it all turned out. Thank you for being there with us.

This was a great way to kick-off all we have planned for this organization. Excited to launch more programs in the coming months and to watch this nonprofit grow.

Love always,

the BBFP team

Address

902 Whelan Street
Greensboro, AL
36744

Website

http://www.blackbeltfoodproject.org/

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