Supporting Our Transition to Sustainability

Building a food system that serves farmers and families for the long term

Since 2020, WNC From the Ground Up has grown from humble beginnings into essential infrastructure for our little corner of Western North Carolina's food system. In just 6 months last year, we paid over $600,000 directly to local & regional farmers while ensuring food access for over 1,000 families. Our work connects more than 30 small farms across the region's westernmost counties with households who need affordable, nutritious food.

But the work goes far beyond moving food.

Policy Leadership

We're shaping the future of agriculture and food systems at every level:

Nationally: We're one of only three organizations across the country being highlighted by the Wallace Center and National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition for positive Local Food Purchase Assistance (LFPA) program impact. We've been invited to participate in Lobby Day in Washington DC this February to advocate for permanent LFPA funding.

State Level: We have advocated for state policy supporting food access and local food systems. We're working to reform state agricultural tax policies to better support small farmers, both Appalachian and urban, who earn significant incomes on smaller tracts of land.

Regional: We were selected for the Appalachian Regional Commission's READY Non-Profits program in 2025, which builds capacity in organizations serving Appalachian communities. Selected for the Dogwood Health Trust Policy and Advocacy grant program, which includes a year long cohort (completing January 2026) strengthening Western North Carolina voices in state policy on health, wellness, economic opportunity, and food access. We have also been chosen for the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond's Rural Innovation Challenge 2026, supporting innovative approaches to rural economic development with our work in creating a stong agricultural system for Jackson and surrounding counties.

Local: We serve as fiscal agent for Jackson County's Cost of Community Services study. Through the Jackson County Agricultural Advisory Board, we're leading the development of a Farmland Protection Plan for the county. We successfully worked with Jackson County Planning Department to change a local ordinance in 2022 to allow small scale meat processing, opening potential new opportunities for livestock farmers. Lisa served on the steering committee for the Jackson County Headwaters Conservation Plan, which was approved by County Commissioners in October 2025.

This policy work matters because we can't have farmland preservation without farmers earning an income. There's no justifying farmland preservation if farmers can't make a living.

Where We Are Now

Like many food hubs and food access organizations across North Carolina, we lost three major funding streams simultaneously in 2025 due to state and federal policy changes and shifts in large grantor priorities. This wasn't unique to us. Food systems took a hard hit statewide in 2025.

But we're not stepping back. We're building forward.

What We're Building

We're creating a locally based food as medicine program using a proven model that the Blue Cross Blue Shield Foundation successfully operates in other counties across the state. We're partnering with local and regional partners to launch Nourished Jackson, a program that will provide sustainable revenue while continuing to serve families and support local farmers. We're also pursuing Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) certification this spring, which will allow our farmers to sell directly to schools and other institutional buyers, opening significant new market opportunities while getting local food to kids.

This model will withstand the pendulum of federal and state funding cycles. It's designed to last.

What's At Stake

Programs like the Healthy Opportunities Pilot have proven that addressing food insecurity isn't just compassionate, it's smart healthcare policy. Across Western North Carolina, HOP served 10,931 participants and generated an estimated $1,020 in healthcare savings per member per year, with the potential to save the state $11.9 million annually in this region alone.

WNC From the Ground Up was a significant part of that success. We served over 600 HOP clients overall, managing $718,000 in direct food funding and over $200,000 in capacity building funds. We connected vulnerable families with nutritious local food while paying farmers fairly for their products.

When HOP ended, those families didn't stop needing food. We've continued serving about 30 of them as long as we could manage with our limited remaining funding, but we've watched the others struggle. Families who had gained stability are regressing. The healthcare cost savings that HOP demonstrated don't disappear when people get food access. They disappear when that access is taken away.

Beyond those HOP families, we currently support 300+ additional families through food pantries, though our ability to provide food to them has been severely limited by the funding crisis. 

Overall, about 40% of those we serve and have served are children, another 35 to 40% are families with children. With the sustainable model we're building, we can easily scale back up to serving 1,000 families and beyond.

If we close:

• Over 300 families lose access to the food pantry network we support
• The 30 former HOP clients we're still serving lose the stability they'd regained
• The 30+ farms we support lose a reliable market that pays fair prices, not just for this season but for the long term viability of their operations
• The capacity to scale back to 1,000+ families is lost
• The policy voice we've built at local, state, and national levels disappears
• The model we've proven, one that other communities could replicate, is lost
• Years of relationship building with farmers, food access, and community partners unravels

We're not just keeping an organization afloat. We're maintaining critical infrastructure that serves the most vulnerable while supporting the farmers who feed them. And with the right bridge funding, we can grow that impact significantly. 

The question isn't whether this work matters. The evidence is clear that it does. 

The Bridge We Need

Right now, we need approximately $100,000 to bridge three months of operations while we fully launch this new program. This funding will:

• Keep farmers paid fairly for their products
• Maintain food access for the 300+ families we currently serve
• Allow us to complete the Nourished Jackson partnership agreements
• Continue our policy work at local, state, and national levels
• Ensure we don't lose the infrastructure we've built over five years

Why This Matters

Keeping farmers farming is land conservation. When small farms remain economically viable, agricultural land stays in production instead of being sold for development. When families have access to good food, children thrive. When local food systems work, whole communities benefit.

We've proven we can do this work well. We've managed nearly $1 million in previous programs in just 6 months. We've been selected for the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond's Rural Innovation Challenge and the Appalachian Regional Commission's READY program. We're recognized nationally for our LFPA implementation. The infrastructure funding is approved. The partnerships are in place.

We just need to get there.

Community Response

We're grateful for the support we've already received from individuals who believe in this work. Every contribution brings us closer to bridging this gap and building the sustainable model our community deserves. If you're able to join them in supporting this transition, we'd be honored.

How You Can Help

Donate

Every contribution helps us bridge to sustainability. Whether it's $50 or $5,000, your support keeps farmers farming and families fed during this critical transition.

Questions?

Contact Lisa at lisa@wncfromthegroundup.org or 828-305-3077

Thank you for believing in local food, local farms, and local families.