2020 ANNUAL REPORT
Yet in response to intense change and uncertainty we all discovered ways to adapt and meet the needs of our gardeners, farmers, and partners. Moving forward, the knowledge saved from growing through these experiences will become what informs our collective work in our communities and throughout all growing seasons to come.
As we prepare for an upcoming leadership transition and reflect on that work, we’ve seen resilient ecosystems of support emerge from the past 15 months of intense loss, severe weather events, heightened need, and shifting resource development.
This growth and resiliency stems from working in partnership to support community leaders who best understand what their community needs to thrive in challenging times. This understanding has been the foundation of our work since we started, with these partnerships defining our programs and services.
Thank you.
We are so thankful to be able to grow with you and cultivate this future together.
2020 UPDATES
$75,000 in local farm purchases with 16 small producers
$175,000 spent with local restaurants for food used in meals
69,000 pounds of Mountain Pride (our Organic fertilizer) distributed
9 irrigation systems installed with the NRCS
967 families/households across 5 states
553,047 pounds of organic produce harvested by gardeners
9 workshops on small-farm topics
11 instructional videos on production practices created
Since the pandemic began in March, Berea Kids Eat served over 420,000 meals to families.
Since the pandemic began in March, Berea Kids Eat injected more than $250,000 into the local economy.
2020 UPDATES FROM OUR GARDEN PARTNERS
Over 40 of our Garden Grant Partner Site Coordinators made the trek to Berea for our annual All Hands Gathering! Coordinators traveled from all over Kentucky, West Virginia, Tennessee, Virginia, and Ohio for two days of program planning, networking, and sharing resources for the coming growing season.
We had the honor of partnering with 22 organizations in 2020, who all adapted and shifted their work to address increasing rates of food insecurity and demand for gardening throughout the pandemic. By partnering to provide organic garden production resources and technical assistance we seek to work together to create healthy, resilient, and economically viable food systems in Appalachia.
Thank you to our partners for helping us imagine a vibrant, regional Appalachian food system where healthy food is accessible to all.
The feeding program utilized a drive-thru delivery service and employed over 30 workers, paying more than $200,000 in worker wages.
MODIFYING EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS
The COVID-19 pandemic challenged many of our educational models we have relied on since we started back in 2009. Our site coordinators were forced to rethink how they deliver workshops on gardening, cooking, and food preservation. Not all of our gardeners have sufficient broadband access, so many coordinators mailed home printed materials to ensure gardeners had what they needed. For those who did have access to internet, coordinators developed and shared virtual training videos on a variety of topics. Check out a few from our partners below!
Whitesburg, KY
Johnson City, TN
Hindman, KY
Cincinnati, OH
Production Planning Support
SLAK MARKET FARM
SWEET BEE GARDENS
WHOOPSYDAISY FARM
WOLF GAP GARDENS
This plan is a compass as we work with partners, families, farmers, residents, policy makers, funders, and community groups toward a vibrant regional Appalachian food system where healthy food is accessible to all.
