Plot to Pantry: Propelling Farmer-Driven Value-Added Production

Commodities

Practices

• Education and Training: mentoring, technical assistance
• Farm Business Management: marketing management, value added
• Production Systems: aquaponics
• Sustainable Communities: local and regional food systems, partnerships

"Plot to Pantry" enhances farm
viability and profitability by providing necessary technical
assistance for partners to create a value and supply chain for
value-added products that farmers are either producing themselves
OR gaining process authority and co-packed products. "Plot to
Pantry” will: 

1: Provide tailored technical
assistance to three farmer value-added producers to enhance their
marketing strategies, assist in developing labels, and/or ensure
compliance with food safety and regulatory requirements.

2: Provide an expert technical
assistance coach to Blue Acre Appalachian Aquaponics,
to support the facility with
technical assistance in developing and implementing a efficiency
plan that has been outlined through previous consultation.
 

3: Partners with Mountain State
Co-Hops, a co-opertive of farmers and farmer value-added makers
to create and implement logics for aggregating and distribute
farmer-made value-added products.

By bridging the gap between farm
and consumer, Plot to Pantry fosters economic resilience within
rural communities across West Virginia. Through facilitating the
scaling/development, aggregation, and distribution of farm-grown
value-added products, the project enhances food systems and
reduces food waste.

This project seeks to provide
technical assistance to farmer value-added producers, Blue Acre
Appalachian Aquaponics, and the Mountain State Co-Hops
Cooperative. The ultimate project goal incorporates the knowledge
derived from this project into a presentation at the West
Virginia Small Farms Conference designed to assist farmers in
producing or scaling value-added products from their
harvests.

This project seeks to provide
technical assistance to farmer value-added producers, Blue Acre
Appalachian Aquaponics, and the Mountain State Co-Hops
Cooperative. The ultimate project goal incorporates the knowledge
derived from this project into a presentation at the West
Virginia Small Farms Conference designed to assist farmers in
producing or scaling value-added products from their
harvests. 

Objective 1: Provide tailored
technical assistance and training to three farmer value-added
producers to enhance their marketing strategies, assist in
developing labels, and ensure compliance with food safety and
regulatory requirements.

Objective 2: Provide an expert
technical assistance coach to Blue Acre Appalachian
Aquaponics, to support the
facility in operations management and provide technical
assistance in aquaculture, horticulture, and aquaponics in order
to ensure long term farm viability.  

Objective 3: Provide training
support to members of Mountain State Co-Hops Co-operative to
undergo training and develop the aggregation and distribution of
farm-grown value-added products in partnership with PCAP who will
provide a technical service provider.