Like many communities across the country, a group of Farmville community members noticed the increased need for nutritious and fresh food and how to access it. Jackie Sugg, a member of the Farmville Food Hub and an employee of the N.C. Cooperative Extension notes that it was due to a “groundswell of interest” of those in the food assistance landscape that resulted in the Farmville Food Task Force. This task force, comprised of individuals and organizations, discerned a greater need for connection and collaboration between the various food assistance providers. Like many communities, Farmville realized that many diverse organizations and individuals were doing this work but weren’t doing it together.
The Farmville Food Task Force thus created the Farmville Food Hub to build “sustainable infrastructure for Farmville’s most nutritionally vulnerable residents.” The Food Hub coordinates food security resources in the Farmville community to ensure that the needs of the local residents are being met. How do they complete this work? Partnerships.
The Food Hub is built on partnerships and connections to a variety of food assistant providers to “support a resilient food system for the Farmville community with sustainable and abundant food resources, which honor inclusivity and foster a culture of belonging.” These partnerships include the Farmville Community Garden, the Community Outreach Kitchen, Farmville Public Library, First Christian Church, Ripe for Revival Pay-What-You-Can Mobile Market, the Council for Aging Center, and many more. With these partnerships, the Farmville Food Hub can better connect the needs of community members to resources.
The Food Hub is also able to support organizations in doing the work. Sugg says, “In our small community, we have found that supporting the providers of food assistance is critical.” This support comes in various ways: educational programs, community appreciation events to celebrate and recognize the organizations, and more. For Sugg, it is about “building social connections among organizations involved in food assistance [which will] strengthen their bonds and assist with cultivating long-term resilience.”
One of the hopes of the Food Hub is to cultivate community among the various organizations in food assistance, with community members who utilize these resources and those who grow the food. Through partnerships, the Food Hub strives to create a web of community centers around food. Sugg says, “Food is a connector, and it brings us together.” The core belief that “everyone deserves food that is plentiful and desirable” has brought together a community of meaningful relationships that strives to hear the voices of all community members and their needs. Through connection and partnerships, the Food Hub is able to reflect and evaluate the means and functions of their work to better serve the community.
The leadership of the Farmville Food Hub strives to build community, to cultivate infrastructure that is sustainable, and to increase the accessibility and inclusivity of food resources in their town. You can learn more about the Food Hub and the power of partnerships at the RAFI Come To The Table – Food & Partnership in-person event. This event will take place at First Christian Church, Farmville (3776 S Main Street, Farmville, NC 27828) on February 25th from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Lunch is provided, and mileage reimbursement is available. To learn more, visit https://rafi.gameflow.design/blog/events/food-partnerships/.
- John Murphy, CTTT Intern