Last updated on December 18th, 2017 at 03:38 pm
Food Well Alliance, an organization committed to uniting communities in Atlanta to build a robust, local food system, is investing $300,000 in 13 organizations that are creating a “vibrant and more resilient city through locally grown food.”
According to Food Well, the investment—part of its annual Local Food Grant—supports a group of farmers, nonprofit leaders, entrepreneurs and educators who have demonstrated through collaborative projects why locally grown food is the most sustainable and equitable choice for ensuring healthy food access in Metro Atlanta.
All 13 of these organizations are implementing innovative approaches to increase the production and consumption of sustainably grown, local food in Metro Atlanta.
The 2018 recipients include: Aluma Farm; The Come Up Project; Concrete Jungle; East Point Farmers Market; Ecosystem Farm; Grayson High School; High Hog Farm; Hungry Heart Farm; Little Ones Learning Center; Miller City Farm; Open Hand Atlanta; Organix Matters For All; and The Paideia School.
“The response this year was overwhelming and demonstrates that leaders see the value in working collaboratively with their nearby farmer or garden, to help educate, feed and improve the health, economy and the social fabric of communities in Atlanta,” said Kim Karris, Food Well Alliance grant and community capital manager.
“At Food Well Alliance, we see grant recipients as partners in creating lasting change on improving how Atlantans eat, share and grow food together. To that end, we are committed to providing flexible and equitable funding by offering opportunities for peer learning and capacity-building that accelerate early-stage businesses and programs in the local food movement.”
The 2018 Local Food Grant cohort includes a diverse group of leaders across Metro Atlanta’s five most populous counties: 46 percent are local farmers; 69 percent are led by people of color or women; 54 percent are based in Fulton County, and the remaining are distributed equally across Clayton, DeKalb and Gwinnett counties; 54 percent are working on farmer viability and economic development; and 46 percent are working on improved health through local food access and education.
Since 2015, Food Well Alliance has invested more than $2 million in 100 organizations that are making systemic impacts across economic development, health and nutrition, community vitality and environmental stewardship.
Keep reading:
Food Well Alliance Releases ‘Atlanta’s Local Food Baseline Report’
Kroger Hiring For The Holidays, Launches ‘Can Hunger’ Drive In Atlanta
