Members of the Greenbrier Valley Local Foods Initiative and community partners gather in front of a mobile market in Alderson, West Virginia
The Greenbrier Valley of Southern West Virginia includes some of the most beautiful mountains and valleys in Appalachia. It is also home to a number of small farms and a gradually emerging local food movement. Building on this, SCALE developed a five year strategic plan at the request of the Greenbrier Valley Local Foods Initiative. The plan includes an assessment of the current state of the local food system in the Greenbrier Valley, an analysis of different approaches to building both market demand and production capacity of farmers, along with specific organizational recommendations for the Local Foods Initiative over the next five years. The inquiry began in October, 2015 and the plan was completed in late January, 2016.