Build relationships with local farmers, community gardens, and cooperatives

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Suggested Practices and Examples for Implementation:

  • Take a trip with your faith community to a local farm, meet the farmers, listen to their stories, and begin to build meaningful relationships
  • Support local farmers and shop at farmer’s markets, food retailers, and food hubs (or source produce from your own or a neighboring community garden)
  • Get to know the garden managers at your local community garden and invite them to share their mission with your congregation. Publicize community workdays via congregational newsletters and organize times to help out.
    • If your congregation has a garden, see how you can partner with other community gardens in the area to help each other during harvest times, share tools, etc. 
  • Look into local food cooperatives in your community. Where are they located? How might you get involved? 
  • Think of ways your church/congregation can involve local food in its programming.
    • Does your church run a summer camp that feeds children? Do you have a food pantry? Could the congregation help harvest at a local farm as a service experience? Host a canning event in the church kitchen? A “seed swap” event or a seed-saving workshop? The sky is the limit!
  • Continue weaving conversations about food/table/agriculture into your religious education work, prayers, and worship experience.

General Information Related to this Strategy:

Available Resources in Western North Carolina: