Grow Appalachia

Do you practice foodways work in your community? We are thrilled to announce that we are once again offering the Appalachian Foodways Practitioner Fellowship program to honor and celebrate people in Appalachian counties engaging in community-centered foodways work.

If you're wondering what foodways might include... it's a large basket of possibilities, and we welcome a diversity of backgrounds and areas of expertise. Examples might include chefs, seed savers, farmers, gardeners, foragers, hunters, storytellers, educators, food preservationists or community food organizers, and more!

If you see yourself as a foodways practitioner, visit https://growappalachia.berea.edu/appalachian-foodways-fellowship-program/ to learn more and visit https://bit.ly/foodfellows2027 to apply by August 17th, 2026 at 5pm EST. Applicants will need to create an account to apply through the portal.

Awarded fellows will receive a $5,000 stipend to support their work and will join other fellows to present at the 2027 Appalachian Studies Conference.

This program is made possible thanks to Mid Atlantic Arts and their Mid Atlantic Folk and Traditional Arts program in partnership with the Appalachian Studies Association (ASA).

We were honored to host LEX 18 this week to see our Berea Kids Eat summer meals in action! 🥬🍅 It's National Farm to Summer Celebration Week and we were thrilled to share how we source local fresh fruits, vegetables, meats, and hand baked goods in our summer meal program for youth ages 18 and under. Across Kentucky there are thousands of kids who struggle with food insecurity during the summer when school is not in session. Thanks to partners like Feeding Kentucky and Community Farm Alliance there's a state network of SUN Meal sponsors who work hard to not only feed their local communities but to nourish their communities through healthy meals. We are grateful for their encouragement and support as we work to serve more than 30,000 meals this summer to Berea youth.

Grow Appalachia, Berea Kids Eat providing healthy meals to Madison County kids Throughout the summer, Grow Appalachia and their Berea Kids Eat summer meal program gives out meals twice a week to try and help satisfy these food needs.

Here at Grow Appalachia, we have provided accessible educational opportunities on organic gardening for over 15 years. In our humid region with heavy pest and disease pressure, organic production is not easy. We believe in sharing the knowledge and practices that have helped us all succeed over the years, and offering hands-on experience is invaluable to new and beginning growers.

In that spirit, our founder David Cooke will be sharing lessons he has learned organically growing veggies in a high tunnel during an upcoming free workshop in Berea, KY.

On Thursday, June 25th from 10am to 1pm, David will lead a presentation on pruning & trellising techniques, specifically for tomatoes, beans, cucumbers, and squash. Participants will be able to observe different techniques in the high tunnels at Bobtown Arts and try it out themselves! Light refreshments and drinks will be provided.

If you plan to attend, please register at bit.ly/GrowAppRegistration

This week across the nation thousands of community and school sponsors are launching SUN Meal programs. These USDA funded free meals are an effort to meet the meal gap for youth while school is not in session. Since 2016, Grow Appalachia has served as a sponsor of this program, providing thousands of free meals to youth ages 18 and under during the summer through its Berea Kids Eat. This summer feels more important than ever as national indicators point to significant food needs for youth and their families with the rising costs of food and challenges accessing SNAP. Our early estimates anticipate that we will serve more than 30,000 meals in Berea this summer! One of our goals with this program is not just serve free meals, but to make them nourishing meals that feature local and regional meats, veggies, and hand baked breads and entrees from local food businesses.

This weekend we’re kicking off the 2026 season with a Kickoff Party. Please join us tomorrow 5/30 from 11am-1pm at Glades Garden (530 Glades Rd) for art activities, fun programming and free meals for youth from Alfalfa. There will also be music in the orchard by Jeri Catherine Howell, thanks to partnership with AMP Berea. We hope you can make it! If you’re interested to support this work from afar, we’re always looking for funding partnerships to help us sustain this work. Follow the link below to donate and learn more.

https://give.berea.edu/page/64658/donate/1?locale=en-US