Grow Appalachia has received funding for its third year though a program established with Berea College. This year the program is planning to serve 55 families. Grow Appalachia is an outreach education and service project of Berea College. It is funded by the generosity of John Paul Dejoria, co-founder and CEO of John Paul Mitchell Systems, Inc. Red Bird Mission is one of the partner organizations that participate in the Appalachia region to improve healthy food options for families, create potential income opportunities, and education of basic gardening, cooking and food preservation skills.
As we look to the goals of the coming year, the goals of the program will include:
- Educate about sustainable organic gardening techniques that are environmentally friendly
- Educate about four season growing techniques to feed families year round
- Educate on the most current and cost effective information about cooking and food preservation techniques to maximize nutrition
- Develop garden plans that utilize the most efficient use of space with an emphasis on raised bed, vertical gardening, and succession planting techniques to maximize crop yield
- Distribute needed seeds, plants, small hand equipment and soil testing information to participants
- Teach participants through home visits and teaching garden at the Mission how to implement their knowledge
- Implement a mentoring program where previous participants will teach members that are new to the program
- Increase long term food sustainability by introducing perennial vegetables, fruits and nuts
- Continue with the Farmers Market to enhance income potential for participants
- Partnership with a local church for a community garden
Participating families will benefit from use of the project tiller and soil testing and will be provided with the following:
- Hand tools
- Fertilizer
- Seed/starter plants
- Dehydrator
- Pressure cooker and canning equipment
Your in-kind donations to the program and/or willingness to volunteer to assist with the program are always appreciated.
By doing this you can partner with us in continuing the work to transform lives together and build an agricultural
infrastructure that will assist in alleviating hunger and provide income opportunities for families in the Appalachian area.
For more information or to find out what in-kind donations are needed, please contact us at
outreach@rbmission.org.