While the 2016 growing season is well underway, the West Virginia Food & Farm Coalition and Working Groups are busy writing grants, outlining research proposals, and developing programs to continue to grow and nourish the food and farm community in West Virginia and the Appalachian Region.

To tell the story of West Virginia's food and farm community, WVFFC staff will continue to take to the road to "feature" many inspiring farms across the state. So, be on the lookout for upcoming Food and Farm Features. 

We look forward to visiting you in the field this season. 

Enjoy,

West Virginia Food & Farm Coalition
 Food and Farm Feature: What's going on in the field?
"From Junkyard to Social Enterprise: Hudson Farms' Mobile Market is Removing Barriers for Senior Communities to Access Locally Grown Food"

The West Virginia Food & Farm Coalition traveled to Big Chimney in early March to film the making of Hudson Farms' mobile market coming June 2016. Watch the video here.

Film Created by Spencer Moss, Communications Director with the WV Food & Farm Coalition
FOOD AND FARM EVENTS
Visit our events calendar: http://wvfoodandfarm.org/news-media/events
2016 Food Tank Summit in Washington, DC at American University on April 20th - 21st

The 2nd Annual Food Tank Summit will feature over 70 speakers from the food and agriculture field. Join researchers, farmers, chefs, policy makers, government officials, and students on the issues of improving nutrient density, the future of organic, nourishing the planet, investing in the food movement, legislating change in the food system, and more. Register here.
USDA Webinar Presents Updates on the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) on Thursday, April 21 at 2PM (EST) 

The webinar will cover the standards for the growing, harvesting, packing and holding of produce for human consumption, i.e., the Produce Safety Regulation and will announce USDA projects for implementation and compliance, training, and research. Register for the webinar here
AgriBusiness Certification Information Session on Monday, April 25th 4PM- 8PM in Martinsburg, WV

To learn more about the information session and Blue Ridge Community and Technical College, contact Morgan Seeley: [email protected]; (304) 839-4411 OR Tiffany Hine: [email protected]; (304) 433-2677. 
"Food Systems Change Through Procurement Policy" Webinar on Wednesday, April 27th at 2PM

The webinar will give an overview of the Center for a Livable Future's recent report, Instituting Change, which examines the benefits and barriers to increased institutional procurement of regionally and sustainably produced food. Register for the webinar here.
New Entry Sustainable Farming Project and The Carrot Project are Hosting a Webinar on the Farm Financial Calendar Tool on Thursday, April 28th at 12PM

This webinar is designed to give you the tools to stay on track during the growing season. Learn how the tool can help you stay organized with daily, weekly, monthly, and annual tasks. Register for the webinar here.
West Virginia FOODLINK's Nourishing Networks: Food Access Planning Workshop on May 19-20, 2016 at West Virginia University

The workshop will address improving food access for urban and rural communities, preventing hunger, and discussing the food desert problem in WV. WV FOODLINK invites any members, nonprofit workers, health professionals, or public servants to register and attend. Click here to learn more and to register.
"Pasture Porkshop" on Wednesday, May 25th 9AM-5PM in Winston-Salem, North Carolina

This all-level seminar, presented by NC Choices and NC Cooperative Extension, is geared toward NC pastured pork producers interested in taking their business one step further on-farm and off. Topics that will be covered include: alternative feeds and developing good forage, maximizing meat quality, wholesale versus retail, and much more. Register for the event here.
J.Q. Dickinson Salt Works Hosts Monthly Farm-to-Table Dinners This Growing Season

J.Q. Dickinson Salt Works is hosting farm-to-table dinners throughout the growing season to support the regional food system and to share the talents of local chefs from across the state. To learn more about the dinners and to purchase tickets, visit their website here.
GRANT OPPORTUNITIES
No Deadline

Deadline: May 12, 2016


Deadline: May 12, 2016


Deadline: October 15, 2016

Deadline: May 2, 2016

LOI Deadline: April 28, 2016
JOB ANNOUNCEMENTS
For more information about the position and to apply, visit the job description here.


No Deadline


Deadline to Apply: May 5th, 2016
No Deadline
FOOD AND FARM RESOURCES
Visit our free library: http://wvfoodandfarm.org/resources/

Check out Nathan Larson's "Teaching in Nature's Classroom" here. Thanks to generous support from the Wisconsin Partnership Program at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Healthpaperback and ebook editions of Teaching in Nature's Classroom are available for free to educators around the world. 

North Carolina Cooperative Extension and NC Growing Together's "Adding Value to Local Food" resource gives producers a how-to guide on adding value to products. Click here to access the "Ready-To-Sell: Steps Toward a  Successful Value-Added Product." 

Tune in to KOPN's Food Sleuth radio show broadcasted nationally from KOPN studios in Columbia, Missouri every Thursday at 5PM (CST) to hear from hundreds of professionals on the issue of food and farm. Listen to the archived interviews here and "like" their Facebook page here

SARE, CTIC, and American Seed Trade Association are asking farmers to take the 2016 Cover Crop Survey. Survey is open until May 1, 2016 and every participant enters into a drawing for a $100 gift card. Chad Watts from CTIC stresses that, "results from the survey help guide policy, research and education on cover crops. In recent years, data from cover crop surveys has been used in testimony on Capitol Hill, featured in the New York Times, and cited in academic journals. People are very eager to hear how farmers view cover crops." Take the survey here.
FOOD AND FARM POLICY CORNER
State and National Policy Page: http://wvfoodandfarm.org/initiatives/policy/
Feature Headline

SAVE THE DATE for the West Virginia Food & Farm Coalition's Annual Advocacy Training on June 14th from 10AM to 3PM in Summersville, West Virginia. Register here.


Not sure if your food or farm business is affected by FSMA? The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) provides a breakdown of the recent Food & Drug Administration's (FDA) Food Safety Modernization Act and how it may impact producers here.  

A Civil Eats article discusses the increased concern for our declining bee population. Beekeepers are realizing the need to take action and make policy change on the state and national level to protect the bee population.
Are you a farmer in West Virginia? Are you selling value-added products with ingredients sourced from local, sustainable producers? Want to list your farm or food business in the Directory? Click the image below. 
If you have any questions or want to learn more about the Directory, 
contact Evelyn Hartman at [email protected] OR (304) 877-7920. 
Support the WV Food & Farm Coalition!
Your support will further our work to make local food more viable in West Virginia.