Progress 09/15/24 to 09/14/25

Outputs
Target Audience:During this reporting period, our efforts were intentionally focused on serving low-income Black immigrant and refugee families and commutities communities that are often underserved in food systems programming and underrepresented in conversations around health, land, and sustainability. Many of the individuals and families we engaged face not only economic barriers but also linguistic, cultural, and systemic ones, making access to healthy, affordable, and culturally relevant food a persistent challenge. Through our programming, we were able to reach these families with a combination of virtual and in-person educational opportunities. This included webinar-style classes, small group trainings, and one-on-one support sessions. The content of these sessions focused on regenerative farming practices, health and nutrition, and how to grow and prepare culturally appropriate foods that support long-term wellness. Importantly, the foods and practices we discussed were not only rooted in sustainability and health but were also familiar to the communities we servedh onoring their culinary traditions, lived experiences, and ancestral knowledge. We understand that knowledge transfer is most effective when it's practical, interactive, and community-driven. That's why in addition to virtual sessions, we also hosted in-person community farm days. These days were more than just educational they were a celebration of community resilience and shared learning. Participants walked the land, got their hands in the soil, and saw firsthand how regenerative practices can be simple, affordable, and replicable in their own homes and communities. These hands-on experiences were particularly meaningful for individuals who come from agricultural backgrounds but may have been disconnected from land due to migration, resettlement, or urban living. The impact went beyond just farming or food. By creating a space where families felt seen, respected, and supported, we were able to nurture a sense of belonging and empowerment. Many participants shared that this was the first time they had been part of a program that not only acknowledged their cultural foodways but actively uplifted them. Others expressed renewed excitement about growing their own food and improving their family's nutrition using accessible and traditional methods. In all, our work during this period served not only to educate but also to restore dignity and agency to communities that have long been marginalized in the mainstream food system. By centering Black immigrant and refugee families in our outreach and programming, we are planting the seeds for long-term community health, sustainability, and self-determination. Changes/Problems:During the course of our project we encountrered a few significant changes in approach due to external factors, primarily related to funding delays and reallocations. One of the major shifts was the decision to utelize a shared community kitchen space instead of lauching a dedicated AfriThrive Community kitchen as originally planned. This adjustments became necesary when expected county-level funding, which was intended to support the establishment of our kitchen and broasder programming infrastructure, was cancelled folowing changes in federal funding allocations to the county. Additionally, the creation of our central food hub; another key component of the original plan experienced dalays for the same reason. The loss of this anticipated funding impacted our timeline and required us to rethink how to move forward with core elements of the program. Despite these setbacks, our team adapted quickly and effectively. We leveraged partnerships with existing community spaces and local organizations to continue delivering our food-related programming.These alternative arrangements not only allowed us to mantain momentum but also fostered deeper community collaboration and expanded our reach What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?This year our project provided a key proffessional development opportunity by supporting attendnace at the National Community Food Systems Conference, Held in Portland Oregon in June. This was an incredebly valuable experince for out team , both in terms of learning and conncetion building.Attending this national gathering offered us a chance to step outside of our day-to-day work and engage with the broader landscape of community food systems. The conference brough together a wide range of individuals and organizations from grassroots food justice advocates to accademic reserchers and policy leaders all working towards a more equatable and sustainable food future. Over the course of several days, we partcipated in workshops, panal discussions and networking events that touched on critical topics such as Equitable land access Indegenous food sovereignity and stewardship sustainable and regeneartive farming practices policy advocacy for food justice Economic models that support small-scal producers and entreprenuers Building local food systems that truly reflect the communities they serve. One of the mnost impactful aspectys of the experience was being able to hear firsthand strories from other practitioners around the country. We had the opportunity to learn from their successes, their challenges and their creative approaches to building community-driven food systems. These insights were not just informative they were deeply inspiring and affirming of the work we are doing locally. The conference also offered workshops designed specifically for capacity building and leadership development which helped us strengthen our approach to community engagement, program planning, and partnership building. Sessions focused on racial equity in food systems work helped us deepen our understanding of how to embed equity more intentionally into every level of our programming from who we partner with to how we design services. Beyond the workshops, one of the most valuable outcomes was the opportunity to connect with peers and potential collaborators from across the country.We made connections with other communtiy organizations, educators and food system advocates, many of whom are working on similar issues and have experessed interest in continued collaboration. We returned from the conference, energized, informed and equipped with our new tools and ideas to bring back to our local work. Since, then we've already begun intergrating some of the lessons we learned into our programiong particulary in how we frame our food education efforts and in how we plan to grow partnerships to acquire more land. This professional development opportunity gave us mora than just knowledge it gave us perspective, communtiy and a renewed sense of purpose. It affirmed that while our work is rooted in a local context we are part of a much larger movement and that the collective effort to transform food systems is full of promise. We are greatful to USDA_NIFA for misking this experience possible and see it as a meaningful investiment not only for our team, but in the overall impact and sustainability of our work How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Nothing Reported What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?As we enter the next reporting period, AfriThrive is excited to builld on the momentum we've gained. Our work continues to be shaped by the voices , needs and aspirations of the communities we serve, and our focus remains on creating systems thats are equatable, culturally rooted and community-led. We will be prioritizing four interconnected area of development 1. Expanding land access and launching an incubator farm. 2. Advancing plans for a community-owned kitchen space 3. Developing a Central Cultural food hub 4. Expanding education and engagement efforts, both virtually and in-person 1. Expanding land access and launching an incubator farm. One of our major priorities in the next phase is to expand our land access in order to deepen our agricultural impact and create more opportunities for community members who are interested in farming. We are currently in active conversation with community partners and have initiated eary-stage discussion with our county government about the potential development of an incubator farm on a 5-acre percel of public land. These discussions have been promising and we are hopeful about reaching an agreement in the near future. 2. Advancing plans for a community-owned kitchen space Another key priority is continued development of a permanet communal kitchen space, which will serve as both a culinary incubator space for aspiring food entreprenuers and a hub for food-centered education. While we've taken important steps by partnering with others to provide access to a shared commercial kitchen our long-term vision is to establish a kitchen owned and operated by AfriThrive-one that is fully aligned with our mission and the needs of our community 3. Developing a Central Cultural food hub In tandem with the kitchen, we are also working to create a central cultural food hub consistent, welcoming space where families can access, learn about, and celebrate culturally significant foods. We have already seen strong community engagement through our culturally relevant food distribution efforts and this hub will help us expand that impact by providing Increased access to culturally relevant produce, events that highlight cultural emotional and health values of traditional food and community celebrations and storytelling centered around food heritage. 4. Expanding education and engagement efforts, both virtually and in-person We will aslo continue to grow our food education programing through a mix of webinars, in-person workshops and community conversations.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? 1. Increase Community Gardens and Regenerative Farming Practices Securing Access to land has proven to be one of our more challenging goals, due to a combination of availability issues. After a prolonged search and several setbacks, we are pleased to report that we have successfully signed a lease for a 2-acre parcel of land. This space is now in active preparation for planting. We are currently working on soil conditioning, fancing and layout planning and we aim to introduce a rotation of fall crops, followed by the sowing of cover crops to improve soil health over the winter months. This step is critical for ensuring the long term sustainability of the land, and it represents a major milestone in our goal to create a space for community-based agriculture and cultirally relevant food production 2.Etablish a Communal Kitchen Space That Serves as a Culinary Incubator for Aspiring Good Entreprenuers and a Venue for community education. One of our initial goals was to establish a dedicated community kitchen to serve as a culinary incubator for aspiring food entrepreneurs and as a hub for food education. Unfortunately, due to unexpected federal fuding cuts, a supplimental grant through the county that was previously awarded to support this initiative was significantly reduced, impacting our ability to secure a permanent kitchen facility. Despite this, we have pivoted effectively. We have partnered with local stakeholders to utelize already established Community-run Commercial Kitchen. While it is not a permanent facility under our sole management, it has been a vibrant shared space where aspring food entrepreneurs can access the tools, training, and certifications they need to thrive. Participants in the program receive food safety training, support in acquiring necessary licemnces, and mentorship in culnary business develiopment. The kitchen is already helping to lay the foundation for new businesses while ensuring all activities align with public health and food safety regulations. We see this not as a setback but as an evolution of the original vision one that continue to empower our community members. 3. Expand Food Distribution Channels Through a Central Cultural Food Hub Where the Community Can ACcess, Learn About, and Celebrate Culturally Significant Foods Our food distribution program continues to grow in reach and impact. A key aspect of our mission is to provide Culturally relevant produce to communities that are often underserved by traditional food systems. This year we expanded our distribution channels and wre able to reach even more families with foods that reflect their cultural heritage and dietary preferences. Beyond food access, we've used our platform to educates the community about health benefits and cultural significance of these foods. This has occured both infromally through conversations at our distribution sites and formally, at various community events and educational workshops. We've been honored to participate in sevral large-scale community gatherings, where we show-cased culturally significant produce offering tastings, recipe cards and nutrition information. These events have sparked important conversations about food, identity and health and have increased community interest and awareness of our programmimg. 4. Offer Wrap-Aroud Serices That Adress the Social Determinants of Helath, From Health and Nutrition Education to Economic Development. Education is a connerstone of our mission, and we've continued to offer a variety of programming to promote nutrition and economic empoerment. One of our most impactful offerings has been our online webnar series focused on nutrition education and economic literacy. These webnars cover seencial topics such as Healthy eating on a budget, and the intersection of food and wellness. Additionally, we've introduced workshops on basic financial planning, budgeting and entreprenueurship foundational skills that support long term economic development. Attendnace has been encouraging, with constant engagemnet and posi from participantstive feedback. Many have expressed that these sessions have helped them make more informed choices about their health and finances. We are exploring options to expand this educational platform with in-person workshops, especially as access to physical spaces becomes more viable. WHile this year has presented its fair share of obstacles, from fuding Gaps to logistical challenges, our commitment to community-driven food justice and economic empowerment has not wavered. Through creativity, partnesrships and resilience, we have : Secured and begun cultivating a 2-acre piece of land for community farming Adapted our kitchen incubator model to createan accessibale shared-use commercial space Expanded the reach of our culturally releavnt food distribution program Launched a sustained educational initiatives that support nutrition and economic self-sufficiency. We remain deeply greatful for the support from USDA_NIFA , our partners and community members and we look forward to building on this momentum in the coming year.

Publications