We are so excited to be celebrating 15 years of our foundation. Throughout the year, we will be throwing it back to stories and projects that are a part of our hearts — past and present. In 2014, we introduced our friends and partners Turk and Christy Pipkin of The Nobelity Project to our backyard gardening partner Grow Appalachia.
John Paul created Grow Appalachia in 2010 with some funding and an idea — how can we help folks to grow their own food in a particularly food insecure place? He partnered with Berea College to set up the backyard gardens project — which has helped 13,628 families across 6 states to grow 7,872,445 pounds of food. Grow Appalachia has grown to include social enterprises, a beginning farmers assistance program and afterschool nutrition programs. We are thrilled to still be partnered with Grow Appalachia in their important work. In the last 15 years, so much good, hard work has been done in gardens, so many meals shared, so many lives touched. Thanks to all the staff, volunteers and community that have made Grow Appalachia what it is today!