Source: ELIADA HOMES INC submitted to NRP
BUNCOMBE COUNTY COMMUNITY FOOD SYSTEM PLANNING
Sponsoring Institution
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Project Status
ACTIVE
Funding Source
OTHER GRANTS
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
1032423
Grant No.
2024-33800-42749
Cumulative Award Amt.
$19,525.00
Proposal No.
2024-01958
Multistate No.
(N/A)
Project Start Date
Sep 1, 2024
Project End Date
Jul 29, 2025
Grant Year
2024
Program Code
[LN.B]- Community Foods Project Planning
Recipient Organization
ELIADA HOMES INC
2 COMPTON DR
ASHEVILLE,NC 28806
Performing Department
(N/A)
Non Technical Summary
Eliada Campus Farms propose to organize and execute the Buncombe County Community Food System Planning (BCCFSP). The BCCFSP will bring together members of the community to be served (low-income families) and members of the county's food supply and distribution chain. Monthly meetings of the Collaborative that will be formed will focus the attention on a needs assessment resulting in the Strategic Plan. The outcome of the BCCFSP is a strategic plan with a timeline of accomplishing key activities to improve the food and nutrition of low-income households in Buncombe County.
Animal Health Component
(N/A)
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
(N/A)
Developmental
(N/A)
Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)Subject of Investigation (SOI)Field of Science (FOS)Percent
70460990001100%
Knowledge Area
704 - Nutrition and Hunger in the Population;

Subject Of Investigation
6099 - People and communities, general/other;

Field Of Science
0001 - Administration;
Goals / Objectives
1. Assess food insecurity problems and evaluate existing services in the community to determine necessary strategies for responding to unmet needs.2. Establish a group of individuals, including low-income participants, to develop and implement policies and programs that combat food insecurity, to monitor responsiveness of existing services, and to address underlying causes and factors related to hunger.3. Participate in federally assisted nutrition programs that should be easily accessible to targeted populations, such as Federal programs that provide school breakfast, school lunch, summer food, childcare food, and food for homeless and older individuals.4. Effectively integrating public and private resources, including local businesses, to alleviate food insecurity.5. Have available information and referral services for accessing both public and private programs and services.6. Coordinate food services with park and recreation programs and other community-based outlets to which residents of the area would have easy access.7. Improve public transportation, human service agency resources, and food resources to comprehensively address barriers to food security.8. Offer an educational component dedicated to food needs of the community and the need for increased local citizen participation in activities to alleviate food insecurity.9. Have nutrition education programs for low-income citizens to enhance good food purchasing and food-preparation skills and to heighten awareness of the connection between diet and health.10. Formalize a program for collecting and distributing nutritious food, either agricultural commodities in farmers' fields or foods that have already been prepared and would otherwise be wasted.
Project Methods
Monthly meetings anddata collection from community members, farms, and distribution organizations for the needs assessment. Creating a strategic plan based on the needs assessment.

Progress 09/01/24 to 07/29/25

Outputs
Target Audience:The target audience for this project was low-income families in Buncombe County, NC. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?This project offered valuable opportunities for training and professional development. Collaborative members gained hands-on experience in designing and distributing digital surveys, writing a comprehensive needs assessment, and analyzing data to inform the development of a strategic plan. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The outcomes of our project were compiled into both print and digital versions of a strategic plan, which were shared at a public community event. Attendees received copies of the plan, heard presentations from project collaborators, participated in an interactive brainstorming session, and were invited to a follow-up virtual meeting. Digital versions of the strategic plan were also distributed to collaborative partners and organizations for publication on their websites and to support future grant funding opportunities with other local food banks. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Eliada's Campus Farm led the formation and coordination of the Buncombe County Community Food System Planning Group to address food access barriers affecting low-income families in Buncombe County, North Carolina. This collaborative included representatives from five organizations and state agencies working at the intersection of food systems, nonprofits, and public services that support low-income communities. The group met monthly to develop a digital survey, conduct a comprehensive needs assessment, and create a strategic plan focused on identifying and addressing barriers to food access within the target population. The project concluded with a public community event that featured a presentation of the strategic plan, an informational session about the collaborative's work, opportunities for community members to get involved, and space for additional feedback. Key findings from the survey and needs assessment included: The need for improvements at food distribution sites Better marketing and outreach for food assistance and nutrition education programs Increased collaboration among local organizations This project gained visibility not only among families in the community, but also with other organizations interested in supporting and advancing this work. Several groups have expressed interest in using the collected data to inform their own programming, support strategic changes, and pursue grant funding opportunities. Additionally, our data has been requested by multiple agencies for use in future research and funding initiatives.

Publications