FRANKFORT, Ky. — In an effort to create strong local food systems, six federal agencies, on behalf of the White House Rural Council (WHRC), announced 26 communities in 19 states would receive technical assistance as part of the “Local Foods, Local Places” initiative.

USDA Deputy Under Secretary for Rural Affairs Doug O’Brien and Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) Federal Co-Chair Earl Gohl made the announcement Dec. 3. O’Brien said the initiative illustrates that communities are thinking about creative ways to integrate local food in their community economic development plans.

“The projects developed via Local Foods, Local Places will revitalize rural Main Streets and urban downtown areas, and create market opportunities for food producers and entrepreneurs,” he said.

According to information from the WHRC: “A team of federal agricultural, transportation, environmental, public health and regional economic experts will work directly with communities to develop specific local food projects.”

A total of $650,000 has been allocated for the program, which is supported by the USDA, EPA, U.S. Department of Transportation, Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) and Delta Regional Authority (DRA). Since the program was announced last summer, community organizations had the opportunity to apply for these grants.

Bluegrass winners

Two Kentucky communities, Hazard and Barbourville, were among those selected. Gerry Roll, executive director of the Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky in Hazard, said while that agency is listed as the grantee, the project involves many partners in the area.

“We as a community have been looking at local food as both an issue and an opportunity over the last several years,” she explained.

In doing so, Roll said many steps have already been made including farm-to-school planning, raising resources to hire a farm-to-table coordinator in partnership with the Community Farm Alliance and other partnerships all designed to look at several issues and how they intersect.

Roll said from a local economic development standpoint, as the coal industry has experienced a decline, agriculture is being viewed as a way to fill some of that void. “In looking for new opportunities, we see agriculture as a place where there is some potential for economic development and also for health issues. We need to promote a healthier lifestyle, which includes a lot of our food.”

A Food and Farm Hub is the idea this grant will fuel in an area where the demand for local foods is greater than the current supply.

“The Local Foods, Local Places opportunity will help us sit down with a diverse group of people from around the community and a lot of the stakeholders to come up with a comprehensive plan of how to pull all of these initiatives together; how to align them with the vision and goals we have in the community; and how to put all of that into action,” said Roll.

In addition to the $20,000 grant, experts from the Renaissance Planning Group, a cities’ revitalization organization, will help local officials with plans for their local food initiatives – something Roll said is important to the success of these projects.

“They will provide us with resources and tools to help us start thinking in the right direction and thinking collectively,” she said. “When we have finished the research, we will, together, develop a plan of action to move forward.”

Roll said while the grant is relatively small, it gives them a chance to begin to implement their plans and leverage other funds from private philanthropist or public dollars.

In Barbourville, the grant funds and technical assistance will help community efforts in creating a permanent farmers’ market structure. Mayor Darren West said the project is part of revitalization of the downtown area.

“We’re looking at a place on the court square that could be a permanent location for a farmers’ market and would be able to go year-round,” he explained. “The market would offer fruits and vegetables, of course, but also crafts like pottery and woodworking.”

West said in addition to the grant funds, the project will benefit from labor to be provided. In years past, he said a couple of local farmers have tried to start a market but this project, with teamwork from Union College along with Grow Appalachia (an organization that addresses food security issues in the Appalachian region), the local health department and the city of Barbourville, are working together to get this project off the ground.

There are 40 vendors as part of the market. West said another initiative is to get some of this fresh produce into the local and surrounding school systems. “I grew up here, and for years I’ve seen people on the side of the roads selling their tomatoes and green beans. Hopefully we’ll get all those people to this market.”

He emphasized this could benefit consumers in the immediate area and surrounding counties.

The Local Foods, Local Places Initiative is based on a group effort by many agencies supporting many different projects all aimed at making local food available to rural and urban areas in the country.

EPA Deputy Administrator Stan Meiburg said, “By promoting farmers’ markets, community kitchens and other efforts to increase access to healthy food, we are supporting local businesses in struggling downtown neighborhoods and preserving farms and undeveloped land. It’s good for people’s health, good for the economy, and good for the environment.”

There was a diverse selection of grantees chosen to receive funds as part of Local Foods, Local Places. Projects ranged from food hubs to farmers’ market venues, many of which were part of city revitalization plans.

One project was aimed at job training based on vegetable farming and community gardens that will supply food for a farmers market and a café, according to information from the WHRC. Other projects awarded in the region include:

•Youngstown, Ohio, will receive technical assistance to integrate its local food activities into the larger neighborhood revitalization efforts under way in the city.

•Tracy City, Tenn., will receive technical assistance to develop a comprehensive, cohesive regional plan for economic stability that connects organizations and stakeholders involved in the region’s local food economy.