Community Farm Alliance

Real Change Comes From The Ground Up 2019CFA members organize to draft and pass HB 468 which expanded the allowable items for homebased processing, and research from the Appal-TREE project informed SB 162 which requires water bottle filling stations for all newly constructed schools. CFA conducts Community Food System Assessments in Magoffin, Powell, Boyd, and Clark counties. The Farmers Market Support Program develops a comprehensive Farmers Market Toolkit for starting and managing a thriving farmers market. 2018CFA partners with Bowling Green’s Community Farmers Market and Well Care Health Plans to launch “Fresh RX for Mothers on Medicaid (Fresh RX for MOMs)” that helps mothers-to-be who are enrolled in Medicaid eat more locally grown fruits and vegetables through a weekly produce prescription. CFA makes a Commitment to Equity to look closely at what we are doing, who is included in the work, and whose voices are left out of the conversation. CFA sends a letter to Sen. Mc Connell and Rep. Comer signed by 29 farmers markets requesting support for LAMP, FINI, and SNAP programs in the Farm Bill. CFA’s Farm to Table work expands to 16 counties in Northeastern Kentucky. 2017CFA works with Whitley County to conduct a Community Food System Assessment. CFA and partners hosts the first Eastern Kentucky Farmer Conference (EKFC). CFA helps launch Appalachians Together Restoring their Eating Environment (Appal-TREE), an EKY research project focused on educating youth about the importance of drinking water and educating their families on how to prepare healthy food. CFA commits to “getting back to its roots” to organize around farm policy. 2016CFA members testify in Frankfort on behalf of the Farms to Food Banks Tax Credit and advocated for KY farmers’ access to affordable healthcare. CFA helps start the Eastern Kentucky FARMacy veggie prescription program, in which patients receive $1/day per family member each week to shop at the farmers market. CFA’s Double Dollar Program merges with the Bluegrass Double Dollar Program to leverage significant state and federal funding to create a statewide Kentucky Double Dollars Program. CFA’s Farm to Table work is created to promote and support farm-to-institution within 21 counties in Southeast KY. 2015The Farmers Market Support Program launches to provide networking and technical assistance to farmers markets, to facilitate the Double Dollars program, and to provide market manager cost shares. Northfork Local Foods is founded to increase access to locally-grown foods within communities along the North Fork of the Kentucky River in EKY. 2014CFA launches the “Double Dollars” program. CFA developes the Kentucky Food Policy Network and provides legislative advice on farm, food, and rural development issues to almost a dozen legislators before specific bills were drafted or heard in committee. CFA leads Community Food System Assessments in Berea and Floyd County. CFA leaders develop the Pathway to Change to guide the organization’s future work. CFA launches “Breaking Beans: The Appalachian Food Story Project,” an initiative to tell the story of local food and farming in Eastern Kentucky. 2013Led efforts in Bowling Green, Floyd Co., and Berea for local food systems development by facilitating Community Food System Assessments. CFA organizes key stakeholders to get local food into the State Capitol Annex Cafeteria. In Louisville, CFA leaders organize grassroots leaders in the local food movement for a meeting with Mayor Greg Fischer of Louisville. CFA clarifies the process for obtaining free EBT machines for farmers markets. 2012CFA members meet 41 times with Kentucky Legislators and successfully lobby for HB 419 for a voluntary income tax check off to Kentucky food banks to use to purchase food directly from Kentucky farmers. CFA is named to the Farm to Food Banks Trust Fund Board and the Kentucky Hemp Commission.  CFA members testify about the needs of beginning farmers, EKY agriculture, the right