Community Farm Alliance is a grassroots membership organization which works throughout the commonwealth of Kentucky to protect and promote family farms and rural communities. The organization focuses on leadership development, food and farm policy, and a variety of programming in which they pilot innovative, member-derived solutions to larger agricultural challenges. Their 2017 successes include:

1) Farmers Market Support Program (FMSP) which has expanded with the hire of 3 technical assistants scattered across the state that will assist farmers markets. Additionally, CFA partnered with others, has launched Kentucky Double Dollars, which doubles SNAP, WIC, and Senior Vouchers that are spent at farmers markets across the state. In 2016 FMSP Markets, represented 638 farmers, and had over $2.5 million in sales. Federal nutrition program related sales, coupled with Double Dollars incentives, averaged $1.24 and then leveraged 8% of market sales. Each state or local dollar invested was matched by another another $2.24 in federal food and nutrition benefits. With a local economic multiplier of 1.73 this $4.48 became $7.75 in the local economy. 2016 was also a pivotal year as CFA’s Double Dollar Program collaborated with the Bluegrass Double Dollar Program to secure $78,188 in Kentucky Agriculture Development Funds and submit a USDA Food Insecurity and Nutrition Incentive (FINI) proposal that would set the stage for a statewide Kentucky Double Dollars Program for farmers markets, Fresh Stops and select retailers. To assist this development, 30 representatives from NGOs, State agencies and private funders created the Kentucky Double Dollars Advisory Council.

2)Breaking Beans: The Appalachian Food Story Project is an initiative of Community Farm Alliance to tell the story of how local food and farming in Eastern Kentucky can contribute to a bright future in the mountains. Breaking Beans builds leadership in both the storytellers and story collectors. By connecting both are able to grow their network and recognition in the Appalachian food and farm sector.

3)Appal-TREE: The National Institute of Health community based participatory research project with the University of Kentucky was refunded in 2016 for an additional five years. The project has moved to Knott County with the installation of re-fillable water bottle stations and distribution of water fountains to all students. Student surveys were completed this year in Letcher, Jenkins, Knott and Harlan county School Systems. Appal-TREE will continue to offer a series of cooking classes for families providing meals to youth under the age of 18. Classes will be held at various locations in each county with the intent to increase fruit/vegetable content in meals while adhering to a budget. Farmacy: The Farmacy veggie prescription program is a partnership with Mountain Comprehensive Health Corporation and the Whitesburg/Letcher County Farmers Market. Patients receive $1 per day per family member each week to shop at the market. The 2016 Farmacy program included Letcher, Bell, and Owsley Counties. WellCARE Health plan is a partner in supporting and collecting patient data.

4) Farmer Education: Farmer Education is an important form of outreach built in to many of CFA’s programs. Education opportunities help increase the capacity and availability of local foods, which bolsters small-farm income and increases food access. In both February and December, CFA brought over 60 Appalachian growers to Ohio to learn about season extension techniques and tour a commercial processing facility. The need for valuable, interactive training and educational opportunities is great in the region. We spent November and December planning for our 2017 Eastern Kentucky Farmers Conference in order to bring state-wide resources to the mountains.

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Community Farm Alliance

Community Farm Alliance

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