Food Security Story Archives - West Virginia Public Broadcasting

WVU Extension Offering Free Seeds, Statewide Competition

West Virginia University Extension is again sending free seeds to West Virginians who fill out a short online survey, but the program has a new focus in 2024.

The “Grow This: West Virginia Garden Challenge” is a project of the WVU Extension Family Nutrition Program that aims to teach West Virginians how to grow their own food.

Zack Harold, the program’s multimedia specialist, said in 2023 the program provided seeds to more than 60,000 state residents. This year, the program is launching the “Grow This Throwdown,” a statewide competition that aims to get West Virginians to move more and build community around food.

“There was already a community around ‘Grow This,’ it was just an online community,” Harold said. “It’s trying to take that community and turn it into a real world thing so that people know their neighbors and can be part of a real-world initiative and help people.”

The “Throwdown” will be a county competition with challenges set throughout the year, ranging from sharing vegetables with your neighbor, or setting up a seed exchange, to more involved challenges like creating a seed or tool library.

“But if you complete those challenges, you earn points,” Harold said. “At the end of the season, we’ll compile all those points, and the counties with the most points will win grant money for community improvement projects.”

The only two requirements to qualify for “Grow This” are to live in West Virginia and to fill out the program survey. Harold said replies to prior years’ surveys, particularly responses around wanting more access to affordable produce, inspired this year’s Throwdown and its community centered challenges.

“We wanted to find a way to take the energy surrounding this and the passion that people have for this and use that to try to tackle the food insecurity issue in some small way,” he said. “It’s not going to solve food insecurity in West Virginia, but it’ll help in some small way. And it might open people’s eyes to the needs around them that they might not have seen before.”

This year’s “Grow This” crops of carrots, peppers and kale will be familiar to participants from last year. Harold said although the seeds will be new varieties of the same vegetables, participants should be more familiar with their requirements now.

“The idea was that people kind of had a practice round last year, they learned about the unique challenges that are involved in growing those particular vegetables, so they can do it better this year and have a more successful garden in addition to competing in these challenges,” Harold said.

Harold says signups fill up fast, but even those who don’t get the free seeds from the survey can participate in Throwdown challenges.

Editor’s note: Zack Harold also reports for the Inside Appalachia Folkways Project.

Combating Hunger in Mercer County

In Mercer County, nearly 175 food-insecure families get free, nutritious meal deliveries via DoorDash to combat rural child hunger in the Mountain State.

Families in one of West Virginia’s most food-insecure counties will receive free groceries delivered to their door this summer. Food Insecurity is defined as a lack of consistent access to enough food for every person in a household to live an active, healthy life.

In Mercer County, nearly 175 food-insecure families get free, nutritious meal deliveries via DoorDash – working in partnership with Mountaineer Food Bank, Save the Children and Mercer County Schools. The mission is to combat rural child hunger in the Mountain State.

The Mountaineer Food Bank received $100,000 in Innovation Lab funding earlier this year.

Gabriela Schoolcraft, the communications coordinator for Mountaineer Food Bank, said that money helped start their Extra Mile Program

“This program allows us to increase access to food for families who are facing transportation barriers within Mercer County,” Schoolcraft said. “Mercer County was selected to pilot the program because they have one of the highest food insecurity rates in the state of West Virginia.”

The summer meals project was started by Save the Children’s Rural Child Hunger Research and Innovation Lab. Cathryn Miller is Save the Children’s West Virginia State Director.

“With the Rural Child Hunger Research and Innovation Lab, we launched open invitations for partners here in West Virginia and across many other states as well to apply their innovative ideas for how they can help target food insecurity,” Miller said.

Project Dash is DoorDash’s initiative to empower food banks, food pantries, and other social impact organizations to leverage DoorDash logistics to increase access in their communities. Daniel Riff is a senior manager with DoorDash Drive.

“What that looks like is a partner like Mountaineer Food Bank, leveraging our platform in a similar way to a restaurant, a grocer, a retailer,” Riff said. “But instead of having those types of deliveries, our network of Dashers will come to pick up from the food bank or a food bank truck and distribute directly to clients of the food bank.”

Mercer County Schools’ Integrative Collaborative Assistance Resources Education (ICARE) team has worked to identify and enroll the student families in need who are now participating in the project.

“In many rural communities, such as Mercer County, there’s limited access to stores with fresh food,” Miller said. “And it makes it very difficult for these rural families to give their children the nutritious meals that they need to grow and develop.”

The deliveries have been underway for over a month and are planned to double to families this summer. The effort is meant to ensure kids and families can continue to have consistent, nourishing meals after area schools close.

“It’s critical for brain development in children to have the proper nutritious food so that they can fully reach their potential,” Miller said. “And it’s especially important in the summer because schools are often the lifeline for children. Families rely on the school to provide breakfast and lunch, and if the children are lucky, some schools offer snacks and even dinner at the end of the day. And it’s just critical. And so when school’s out for summer, I know it’s often a worrying concern for not just families, but the children themselves.”

Riff said one of the great things about the program is its convenience.

“So Food Bank trucks go around to a few different spots in Mercer County. And from there DoorDash drivers, -, go to those spots, pick up several orders of groceries at a time, and deliver those in a string of deliveries to the residences of people that are participating in the program,” Riff said. “It is convenient for anyone to receive food this way. And it also is a great opportunity for local Dashers in the area, to have earning opportunities by delivering for this program as well.”

Schoolcraft said the COVID-19 pandemic brought the issue of food insecurity to the light nationally, but especially in West Virginia.

“With the emergency allotments ending, that really hurts families who are struggling with food insecurity,” Schoolcraft said. “We hear in lines at our distributions and through our partner food pantries how much families are struggling to afford groceries right now and other basic living expenses because of inflation. So, families are really struggling, especially with those allotments ending.”

According to Schoolcraft one in five children are facing food insecurity currently in West Virginia.

“With the Extra Mile program, we’re really grateful that we could reach more children and reach more families because we know the need is so high right now,” she said.

In each bi-monthly delivery, families receive protein, produce, and dairy with a mix of shelf-stable items.

“One of the cool things about this program is that they’re neighbors centered,” Schoolcraft said. “So if a family doesn’t have access to an oven or stove, they’re provided with meals that they can cook at home based on their needs.”

Appalachia Health News is a project of West Virginia Public Broadcasting with support from Charleston Area Medical Center and Marshall Health.

WVU Extension Program Sending Free Seeds To State Residents

West Virginia University (WVU) Extension is again sending free seeds to any West Virginian who fills out a short online survey.

The “Grow This: West Virginia Garden Challenge” is a project of the WVU Extension Family Nutrition Program that aims to teach West Virginians how to grow their own food.

Zack Harold is the program’s multimedia specialist. He said even though spring feels very far away, gardening season is just around the corner and now is the time to start planning.

“This is actually the time of year when you’ve got to start thinking about those things,” Harold said. “We’re kind of right on track. Come March, it’ll be time to start your carrots and your kale and get your pepper started indoors.”

Harold said the only two requirements to qualify for “Grow This” are to live in West Virginia and to fill out the program survey. He does caution participants to make sure they provide their full address to ensure the seeds are sent to the right places.

“The program is for everyone, but we’re hoping to create a whole new generation of gardeners who can grow their own food and serve their own community, serve their own household and fight food insecurity,” Harold said.

This year’s “Grow This” crops of purple carrots, miniature multi-colored bell peppers and red kale will bring extra color to home gardens.

“The more colors on your plate, the healthier it is,” Harold said. “And the crops that were grown this year are going to make for a really colorful plate for sure.”

Participants are also encouraged to take advantage of the Extension’s social media pages on Facebook and Instagram to share pictures of their crops and ask questions of experts.

WVU Extension Family Nutrition Program’s work is supported by the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program from the USDA Food and Nutrition Service.

Editor’s note: Zack Harold also works as a Folkways reporter for the Inside Appalachia Folkways Project.

Funding For Summer Food Program Approved

Tens of millions of dollars in federal funds have been approved to help feed West Virginia students over the summer.

The West Virginia Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT) program has received close to $100 million from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS).

The money will provide a payment of close to $400 per child to access healthy food and meals through the summer months. Those who receive free or reduced-price meals, along with younger children in households participating in SNAP and attending certain child care institutions, qualify for the payment.

In their announcement, the West Virginia Department of Education (WVDE) advised that students who have experienced a change in status should contact their school before July 31 to complete a free/reduced-price meal application.

At the end of 2021, the WVDE found that nearly 78 percent of students enrolled in public schools qualified as “needy.”

The funds were made available in part by the American Rescue Plan, and are up from a 2021 approval of more than $97 million.

The WVDE said households can expect to receive the one-time benefit in August. An exact date will be announced at a later time.

Visit wvpebt.org for general updates and information.

Food Divide In W.Va. Widens With Rising Costs, Supply Chain Issues

Supply chain issues and rising gas prices are worsening food access in the Mountain State. West Virginian entrepreneurs are looking to meet the demand for food.

The American food retail landscape is structured around hypermarkets, such as Walmart, which carry out large scale food distribution for population centers. Smaller grocery stores have provided services for rural communities. But that may be in jeopardy.

Bridget Lambert is the president of the West Virginia Retailer Association. She says smaller grocery stores are disappearing partly due to an unstable supply chain.

“They rely on food distribution networks that deliver to rural areas,” Lambert said. “About several years ago we had a large distribution center close in the Cabell County area.”

And that has filtered down to smaller locations. On April 1st, 2022, the Poca Foodfair permanently closed its doors, meaning residents have to travel to neighboring towns for the bulk of their groceries.

Jackie Dolan lives in Poca. She travels to Dunbar, Nitro, and Eleanor for her grocery shopping.

“You can’t make 2, 3, or 4 trips, you know I have to plan one whole day,” Dolan said.

The rising price of gas, and the rising costs of products are changing the shopping habits of the state’s rural residents.

“So instead of going to the store weekly, they may go bi-weekly, or once a month,” Lambert said. “Of course, the increased cost of gasoline, that money will come out of a family’s budget somewhere, and it may well come out of the food budget.”

For a long time, residents of Clay County have lived without ready access to a full service grocery store. Clay County is often considered one of the worst food deserts in the state.

In November 2021, a Par Mar store fitted with grocery products opened in Maysel to help meet the demand for a grocer.

“Usually you have to go either to Elkview or Sutton; at Kroger or the Save-a-lot, but since we got this place here, it’s helped out a whole lot,” Par Mar cashier Ethan Smith said.

*Grocery aisle at the Par Mar in Maysel. Credit: David Adkins/West Virginia Public Broadcasting*

Aside from the Par Mar, local businesses in Clay County have helped expand food access.

Stores like House’s Supermarket in Brickmore meet the community’s grocery needs, minus certain types of fresh meat.

There’s also Legacy Foods: Market and Bakery in Indore, and the Clay County Farmers Market in Clay.

“Food desert situations have created some very unique opportunities for small business owners in West Virginia to open niche markets, ” Lambert said. “Communities are stepping up and addressing this situation in a multitude of ways.”

According to Lambert, those investing in a local food market need to know the local food landscape, such as demand, population size, store location, and distribution networks. She noted that consumers appreciate shopping close to home, meaning there is a steady demand.

The Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program is part of the American Rescue Plan. The program aims to strengthen local supply chains and support local producers.

SNAP Cuts Would Hurt Rural Disproportionally, Advocacy Group Says

The House Agriculture Committee’s version of the farm bill would strip billions in nutrition benefits from American families, according to an anti-hunger group. Rural residents are more likely than metropolitan ones to be participating in the program.

Conventional Beltway wisdom is that farm bills pass Congress with relative ease from a rare bipartisan coalition of rural legislators delivering farm programs for their constituencies while urban legislators gain nutrition assistance and food aid in the cities. But House Republican moves to slash nutrition assistance for low-income people might hit rural communities the hardest while derailing passage of the legislation that expires Sept. 30.

“The bottom line for nutrition in the House Republican draft is that people are going to get hurt by moving a lot of money out of food benefits either by kicking people out of the program or by lowering monthly food benefits,” said Ellen Vollinger of the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC). “This is going to hit hardest in rural communities and small towns that tend to have particularly higher nutrition participation rates than urban areas.”

Vollinger was referring to the House Republican draft of the 2018 farm bill, passed through the Agriculture Committee on a straight party-line vote last week. The Democrats on the committee voted against the bill primarily because of proposed changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly called the “food stamp” program.

“The cuts should be a concern for people that live in rural communities, and for people interested in the viability of rural grocers and whether or not they can continue to make it,” Vollinger said. “Many rural grocers have a very high percentage of their sales coming through SNAP.”

From 2012–2016, about 15 percent of rural households (defined as nonmetropolitan couties) participated in SNAP. That’s at least 2 percentage points higher than the rate for metropolitan residents. Nearly 90% of counties with a SNAP usage rate of 30% or greater are rural. The counties with the highest rural SNAP-participation rates are clustered in the places with the highest rates of persistent poverty: the Black Belt in the Deep South, Appalachia, the Mississippi Delta and Native American tribal communities in the Great Plains and West.

The Republican draft seeks to erode the ability of SNAP to help families at risk of going hungry to put food on the table, according to FRAC. The anti-hunger group said that the House proposal would:

Cut $5 billion in nutrition benefits from working families with children who have incomes between 130% and 200% of the poverty rate but were currently eligible because of high rent and child care costs. These families will lose their SNAP benefits, as well as free and reduced lunch benefits in schools.
Cut automatic benefits from low-income families that participate in the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). Currently, LIHEAP participants are automatically enrolled in SNAP and receive modest benefits. This saves significant administrative costs, while also assuring that low-income families don’t have to choose between food and home heating expenses.
Cut $9 billion in nutrition benefits by expanding the number of people subject to SNAP eligibility cutoffs by adding unemployed and underemployed parents with older children and adults up to age 60. Currently, time limits apply to able-bodied adults age 18–50 without dependents, many of whom are between jobs or do not have steady enough work to meet the 20-hour-per-week minimum, often for reasons outside of their control. Others face significant barriers to work, such as lack of local job opportunities and lack of transportation to get to jobs or training programs.

“This doesn’t seem to fit with the narrative we’ve heard from some Congressional Republicans about the need to connect benefits with work requirements or participation in job training,” Vollinger said. “Most SNAP recipients already work.”
Rachel West, a poverty researcher at the Center for American Progress (CAP), said that in its current form, SNAP supports both low-wage workers and those unable to find jobs.

“Many rural communities have higher unemployment rates and greater health challenges due to physical and mental disabilities,” West said. “Rural areas are struggling disproportionately with the opioid epidemic and substance abuse. It doesn’t make sense to yank away support from people trying to get back on their feet.”

“Most people need SNAP in rural communities because their wages are so low, and because available jobs are often seasonal or part-time,” West said. “If the Republicans were serious about helping low-income workers, they would raise the minimum wage instead of trying to cut SNAP benefits.”

CAP research says that SNAP could save $5.3 billion if the minimum wage was increased to $12 per hour.

The farm bill includes billions of dollars in funding for farmers, crop insurance, conservation programs, rural economic development, infrastructure, food inspections, research and more. The legislation is administered by U.S. Department of Agriculture. The “Nutrition Title” makes up approximately 80% of the annual $100 billion pricetag (though that figure goes up and down annually due to changes in appropriations).

The next step in the process is a House floor vote. The Senate Agriculture Committee has not yet released their draft of the bill, though members have committed to working on a bipartisan bill in response to the party-line process happening in the House due to SNAP changes. The current farm bill, passed in 2014, expires on Sept. 30.

This story was originally published by The Daily Yonder and distributed through 100 Days in Appalachia, which is a project of The WVU Media Innovation Center, The Daily Yonder and West Virginia Public Broadcasting.