Awards issued prior to january 20, 2025, were funded under previous administrations and may not reflect the priorities and policies of the current administration.** the planto revitalize the food…

Awards issued prior to january 20, 2025, were funded under previous administrations and may not reflect the priorities and policies of the current administration.** the planto revitalize the food landscape of mingo county, WV, aligns seamlessly with USDA/nifa's mission to foster food security and promote sustainable agriculture. This project will seek to do so by achieving the following:1) development of a food hub: central to our initiative is the creation of a food hub within the existing infrastructure of facing hunger food bank's warehouse. By dedicating 40% of the warehouse space to this cause, we will facilitate the aggregation, storage, and distribution oflocally grown produce. Equipped with cold storage capabilities, the hub will serve as an essential resource for local farmers, allowing them to preserve their harvest's integrity and extend its marketability. This arrangement also includes the unique opportunity for farmers to sell theirproduce directly to the food bank, thus reinforcing the charitable food system within our community. Furthermore, the food hub will serve as a centralized location for large distributors, thereby attracting them into the region and providing smaller markets with unprecedented access to a wider variety of goods.2) commercial processing kitchen: the establishment of a commercial processing kitchen will act as a catalyst for value addition. This facility will be pivotal in transforming raw agricultural commodities into frozen and shelf-stable products. Our partnership with project healthykids/healthy kids INC. Will ensure that these products not only support our charitable food system but also contribute to creating medically tailored meals for vulnerable populations, addressing both food insecurity and nutritional deficits in one stride.3) expanding blue acre aquaponics: our collaboration with blue acre aquaponics aims to double their production capacity, which will have a ripple effect on local food availability. By increasing the output of fish, greens, and strawberries, we anticipate that this non-profit social enterprise will substantially augment the supply of fresh produce to local markets such as blue 52 and post 49. Furthermore, the surge in production will bolster the food bank's distribution network and project healthy kids/healthy kids INC.'s capacity to deliver medically tailored meals to those in need. In mingo county, where economic disparities and geographic isolation present unique challenges to food access, this project is not merely an enhancement of the current food system – IT is a necessary evolution. The mingo county food forward foursome: SOW to store project willserve as a model of community resilience and innovation in food systems.