June 2023

June 2023

There is an amazing side benefit to my Engaged Extension visits, I have had a chance to also see some of the amazing partners that are working to invest in their communities. There are many ways I have seen this, but I would like to highlight a few examples where I found myself even more excited about our partnerships! 

Carver Center Here we have a community investment leveraging a strong Agriculture tradition to transform land and a former historical school into a community development tool focused on four major themes: George Washington Carver Food Enterprise Center (GWCARC), Stone Soup Job Skills Training Program, the Carver Center Food Security and Agriculture Working Group (the Working Group), and our research, conducted in conjunction with Culpeper County Extension office, Virginia State University Small Farms Program, Minority and Veteran Farmers of the Piedmont, and the Rappahannock-Rapidan Regional Commission. VCE is a proud partner in this effort, and I love how a community saw a historical building and saw the potential it still had. What a story! https://www.gwcarc.org/about

Louisa County Resource Council Building on a kind man’s generosity decades ago, this council provides food, dental services, wheels for work, and so much more. This community partner makes sure to provide basic needs while many other programs like VCE can help provide education and the skills families need to get by. https://louisaresource.org/

Programs like these are amazing examples of how communities can manage and even repurpose their resources for the greater good. Old schools and other facilities may be great locations for things such as family resource centers, indoor agriculture, workforce training programs and more. All it takes is a vision and a community to come together. If you need help with these conversations, I hope you will contact your local Virginia Cooperative Extension as a resource to help with some of these ideas!