FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 2/2/2022|
Contact: Lindsey Felty
Outreach Manager
https://asdevelop.org
276-623-1121
lfelty@asdevelop.org
DUFFIELD, Va. – Appalachian Sustainable Development (ASD), is now recruiting participants for their 2022 Grow Your Own food access program. Experience is not necessary and residents of Buchanan, Tazewell and Washington counties in Virginia are encouraged to fill out the intake survey at: https://www.asdevelop.org/programs-resources/grow-your-own. Space is limited and applications close at 5pm on Sunday, 2/13/2022. For more information, contact Lindsey Felty: lfelty@asdevelop.org.
ASD’s Grow Your Own program has been fighting food insecurity in Central Appalachia since 2012. Delivered as a needs-based program, applications are reviewed and selected based on certain income guidelines. Partially funded by Grow Appalachia and the Thompson Charitable Foundation, this program provides seasonally appropriate training, technical support, seeds, plants, tools and tilling services to participating members. Virtual workshops and online growing guides teach families basic nutrition, how to plan, plant, grow, cook and preserve home-grown produce for their households, neighbors, and local food banks.
“We meet folks where they are and provide them with effective tools for health, wellness and financial success. Grow Your Own participants often struggle with finding, consuming and being able to afford fresh, nutritious produce. Not only does this program teach people how to grow food, it also offers activities and opportunities designed to give participants more entrepreneurial experiences, increased networking opportunities and bridges to employment in the agriculture field,” explains Sylvia Crum, ASD Communications and Development Director.
About the Thompson Charitable Foundation
The Thompson Charitable Foundation was established in 1987 by B. Ray Thompson, Sr., a leader in the U.S. coal industry and developer of the Thompson non-recovery coke oven process. The Foundation supports projects that seek to improve the quality of life for individuals and communities in Tennessee, Kentucky and Virginia. Specifically, the Foundation supports non-profit organizations in the areas of health services and sciences, education, human services, and quality of life. Learn more at: http://fdnweb.org/thompson/.
About Appalachian Sustainable Development (ASD)
Living Better. Locally. It’s what drives ASD’s commitment to propel its mission to build a thriving regional food and agriculture system that creates healthy communities, respects the planet, and cultivates profitable opportunities for Appalachians. Since 1995, ASD has been working in Central Appalachia, providing hope, and making a difference for the people who call the region home. What began as opportunities for struggling tobacco farmers to grow fruits and vegetables have become lasting solutions to regional challenges that impact economic development, workforce development, food access, health, and wellness. Over the years, ASD has expanded its reach from northeast TN and southwest VA to include partners in WV, OH and KY, enabling the organization to bring resources back to the region. For more information, visit: https://asdevelop.org.
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