Managing the Grow Your Own program for the past three years has been an eye opening and community building experience. Our groups are so diverse in all sorts of categories, and that makes them all the better. As philosophers, politicians, judges, and activists have said throughout the years, a “marketplace of ideas” is necessary for people to make the most informed and best choice. This has been construed in a number of ways, but I like to imagine it means this:
everyone has a seat at the table. Everyone’s voice is equally important, and each person’s experience is valued and respected.
This is the community I am working to build with Grow Your Own in Southwest Virginia & Northeast Tennessee. We have folks of different race, nationality, socioeconomic class; retired, veteran, disabled; all coming together over something they love: food sovereignty.

Two of the best people I have ever met – Joyce and her mother, Evelyn – are participants in Grow Your Own this year. They drive up to Abingdon, VA from Johnson City, TN to come to our classes! They are such wonderful people and it is amazing to have their insight included in our discussions about food preservation, growing, uses for plants, and more.
Our most recent workshop covered the topic of Season Extension. A lot of these workshops tended to go off track. People were so interested in building community and comradery with one another that they bonded deeply over their own gardens and the issues they have seen this year. While we did cover everything on the topic of season extension, it was heartwarming to hear people share and learn from one another.

Our heart-healthy cooking class in July was taught by a local gerontologist. She discussed the pathways, causes, and effects of food on our heart health. Everyone had the chance to make their own “ratatouille” (without eggplant?) with home grown spices and herbs.
The wonderful woman shown here also explained some yoga positions that are not too hard on the body but still contribute to heart health and overall body function health.
With many big changes at Appalachian Sustainable Development and within the Grow Your Own program, too, we have a lot of planning to do. We rely wholeheartedly on the participants of this program to ensure our success.
ASD is part of the Appalachia Regional Food Business Center, meaning it has the opportunity to work with those who want to grow for profit on a much deeper level. Grow Your Own, in the future, will become a tiered system that both serves those who are hungry or like to grow for fun as well as those who want to grow for a living. We are committed to teaching organic, regenerative practices and will continue to improve ourselves and the world around us over time.

Leave A Comment