Growing Appalachia: Local Foods & Community Development in Knox County, Kentucky

This poster highlights the work of the Lend-A-Hand Center Grow Appalachia Gardening Program, the Knox County Farmers’ Market, and the “Local Foods, Local Places” grant program. The Lend-A-Hand Center is a nondenominational community service organization in Walker, Kentucky, that was started in 1958 by Irma Gall and Peggy Kemner (ASA Helen M. Lewis Community Service Award Recipients). Grow Appalachia is a program begun in 2009 administered by Berea College to promote gardening and local food systems in Appalachia. The Lend-A-Hand Center Grow Appalachia Project was begun in 2014 to break down barriers to gardening and build community, addressing food security issues in Knox County through providing resources and technical assistance for home and community gardens. The Knox County Farmers’ Market was also begun in 2014 and was successfully established as an important community institution in Barbourville. Also in 2014 Barbourville was one of 26 communities nationwide selected to participate in the federally funded “Local Foods, Local Places” program. This poster details the development and success of these programs and looks to future local foods initiatives in the area