Opening Spaces through Stories of Community Food Work in Central Appalachia

Drawing from Slocum (2007), the term “community food work” is recognized for its politicized and inclusive meaning that embraces several closely connected domains and processes that are associated with the discourses and practices of alternative food networks and sustainable food systems. The concept of community food work focuses on the integration of such areas as farm sustainability, nutrition education, environmental sustainability, and social justice. In this paper, the role of creating and sharing narratives of community food work in West Virginia and the Appalachian regions of Virginia and North Carolina is explored as a possible space for political praxis and social change in the region. First, the notion of praxis is used to give meaning and context to the way we create spaces of possibility in/from/with our community food work, as a generative interplay between critical thought and social action. Next, drawing upon narrative inquiry, the Stories of Community Food Work, a story-telling initiative of the Appalachian Foodshed Project, highlights the personal and reflexive experiences of activists, educators, farmers, and university and extension professionals who navigate the complex systems and politics of food and farming in the region. It also emphasizes the crafting of knowledge and realities of community food work from across our Appalachian communities through the creation and sharing of the stories. This paper outlines the framework, process, and digital products of this narrative-building work. The paper concludes with praxis considerations and new possibilities for the regional work that lies ahead