About Us
Our families have worked, nurtured, and cultivated the land for generations. Appalachia’s hills and hollers may not make it easy, but we’ve always found a way. We’re used to relying on ourselves and doing the hard work. Our traditions of independence and innovation are our strength—and they’re also our future.
Our History
Appalachian Sustainable Development, Coalfield Development, and the Appalachian Center for Economic Networks had been connected by working together for 30+ years as part of the Central Appalachian Network (CAN). In 2016, we came together to launch the Central Appalachian Food Corridor to help underserved agricultural producers and food processors access markets at a regional level.
We were empowered to do this by combining the groundwork laid by CAN with the expertise of multiple partners and we were supported by grants from the Appalachian Regional Commission, the USDA, and regional philanthropic investors. Over the years, we have welcomed new partners and rebranded our effort as Supporting Appalachia.
Our Purpose
Our strategy is to build a fair regional food system to increase locally produced food in Central Appalachia and strengthen market partnerships in the mid-Atlantic and metropolitan markets. We do this by figuring out the aggregation and distribution necessary to connect the two and by supporting our producers and processors to be ready for wholesale market opportunities.
The Supporting Appalachia brand effectively communicates with all the stakeholders in a value chain network: producers, processors, market partners, consumers, and investors. We recognize the need to work together to serve our rural people and places, rather than compete in unhealthy ways that are bad for producers and buyers. Our network encourages collaboration by leveraging our Appalachian food hubs and processing center's production, processing, and distribution capacity.
Pictured Above: Coalfield Development truck picking up products from ACEnet in athens, ohOur Vision
We believe that when we work together to support the food economy of Central Appalachia, we are stronger. Our vision is to empower producers and processors to build a healthy food system to feed underserved parts of Appalachia and strengthen larger markets' purchasing commitments. With its abundant land, water, and hard-working people, Appalachia has the opportunity to be the next bread basket for our rural region.
We are laying the collaborative foundation to create a fair food system for all. We share cooperative values and are designing systems to build new joint distribution structures. In the future, we envision innovative ownership opportunities for the non-profit facilities, producers, food processors, and market partners to build prosperity in the Central Appalachia food economy.
Pictured above: Snowville Creamery products for sale at the New Roots Community Farm store