Rural action's project,"growing the shawnee farmers market - networking, peer learning, and technical assistance strategies to expand local foods in a destination community," seeks to develop a…

The Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Marketing Service awarded Rural Action Inc. $320,699.78 under the Farmers Market and Local Food Promotion Program (FMLFPP, CFDA 10.175) for its "Growing the Shawnee Farmers Market" project. The three-year project seeks to develop the Shawnee Farmers Market in Appalachian Ohio to improve access to healthy food and support the local economy. Key services include establishing a governing board, creating a comprehensive marketing strategy, offering producer training and connecting farmers to regional food systems through peer mentoring with successful markets. Outcomes include increased vendor participation, a fiduciary board structure, and expanded producer and consumer access to educational resources. This aims to bolster economic opportunities and access to healthy food for over 5,800 residents across Shawnee and surrounding rural communities in Athens, Hocking and Perry counties.

Rural action's project,"growing the shawnee farmers market - networking, peer learning, and technical assistance strategies to expand local foods in a destination community," seeks to develop a promising farmers market in appalachian ohio to improve healthy food access and the local economy. Shawnee ohio is part of the little cities of black diamonds region of athens, hocking and perry counties. This region includes a group of historically important former coal towns that have worked to RE-build their historic significance and architecture that dates back to the coal boom of the late 1800'S. The shawnee farmers market, held monthly in 2020 and 2021,and weekly in the 2010'S, is part of a destination and food access strategy to support RE-development in the area. IT is currently constrained by the lack of a formal board, guidance policies, comprehensive marketing efforts, consumer purchasing access options, and a small pool of growers selling at the market. This project seeks to fill these gaps through establishing a board, creating a comprehensive marketing strategy, initiating a peer mentoring process with successful farmers markets, offering producer training, diversifying purchase options for consumers, and connecting shawnee with the appalachian ohio local food system. Outcomes include increased vendor participation, creation of a fiduciary board, and producer and consumer access to training and educational opportunities. This will result in increased access to healthy food and economic opportunities for 5,834 people in shawnee and surrounding rural communities.