About the Highland County Community Food Coalition
The Highland Community Food Coalition brings together representatives from a variety of organizations and institutions across Highland County to address food security. The mission of the coalition is to create a community where all residents have access to an abundance of food, whether that be through local markets, food distribution programs, or home gardens.
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Research and Goals
The Highland Community Food Coalition was created in March of 2021 with the goal of bringing together key stakeholders involved with food access to collaborate, share resources, and work to increase food security in Highland County. As a first step, the coalition conducted a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) analysis of food access in Highland to inform the coalition's goals and projects.
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Notable Findings:
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Highland County offers a wide variety of food resources, programs, and community support
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Many existing programs/organizations are underutilized and need to be better advertised and made more accessible
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Logistics around sharing the abundance of summer produce can be improved
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Accessible produce in the winter months is needed
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Resulting Goals & Projects:
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Marketing and promotion of available resources
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Increased preservation education through community workshops
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Pooling and preserving excess summer produce via community preservation days for winter distribution
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Founding Members
Allegheny Mountain Institute
Blue Grass Resource Center
Blue Ridge Area Food Bank
The Highland Center
Highland Children’s House
Highland County Public Library
Highland County Public Schools
Highland Department of Social Services
Highland Farmers’ Market
McDowell Presbyterian Church
Philosophers' Farm
Valley Program for Aging Services
Virginia Cooperative Extension
Local Food Resource Guide
The Highland County Local Food Resource Guide was created to better connect Highland County residents with available food and related programming. It is the first major project of the Highland Community Food Coalition.
The guide features information on programs and resources related to five categories. Basic information about program eligibility, offerings, and timing are included, but readers are encouraged to use the provided organization's contact information to learn more.
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