LOCAL FOOD AS MEDICINE
​
(LocalFAM)

“I like how LocalFAM expands food access to people who need it… it’s also helpful that we don’t have to discount prices to help the community.” - High Country Farmer

Local Love for the Holidays

In December 2024, BRWIA, the High Country Food Hub and the Local Food as Medicine (LocalFAM) program partnered with Blue Cross Blue Shield NC, Piedmont Custom Meats, Blowing Rock Cares, Casting Bread, Feeding Avery Families, and Food Lion of Blowing Rock to purchase and distribute local veggies and sausage plus delicious hams to our neighbors in need this holiday season. Distribution to our partners took place on Dec. 11 and 12, 2024. 

Food Hub ​Customer donations totaled $2000 for the Local Love for the Holidays program and was matched dollar-for-dollar! Thank you so much for your support! ​

What is LocalFAM?

Local Food As Medicine (LocalFAM) is BRWIA's food access program, which enables community organizations to provide their neighbors with fresh, nutritious food, supplied by local producers. The food is free to our recipients, but producers are paid full retail price for their products. Funding is provided by grants. 

On average, 1 in 6 people in the High Country are food insecure, despite the deep agricultural roots in the region and abundance of locally produced food. LocalFAM helps to bridge this gap by redistributing these products to those most in need, while also providing a new market channel for local farmers and producers. 
“LocalFAM is built on the philosophy that everyone has a right to access healthy food and that nutritious food can serve as medicine, particularly for treating and preventing many of the chronic illnesses that people experiencing food insecurity are at a high risk for. This idea of using food as a form of preventative care has gained traction within the medical community in recent years, and we are excited to see this kind of holistic thinking continue to gain support,” 
-Sam Springs, BRWIA’s LocalFAM Coordinator

BRWIA also participates in the Healthy Opportunities Pilot (HOP) Program in Avery, Yancey and Mitchel counties. Are you enrolled in Medicaid? You could qualify for a Healthy Food Box. More info here!

A Typical Week of LocalFAM

From delivery to packing to distribution, play the slideshow!

Partner Organizations

Do you represent an organization that could benefit from receiving free local food? Please fill out this form and we will be in touch with more details. We are specifically looking to partner with organizations that support women, racial and ethnic minorities, and other historically disadvantaged populations, but ALL organizations are encouraged to reach out. ​

Partner Organizations 

(Current and past organizations)

LocalFAM Summit Presentation
​March 7, 2024

BRWIA convened an Annual LocalFAM Summit in February 2023 and March 2024. We brought together food access organizations, farmers, and community stakeholders to learn from other professionals who are passionate about healthy food access and to collaborate to form strategic partnerships and to find solutions to community food access issues. 

On average, 1 in 8 people experience food insecurity in the High Country (Source: feedingamerica.org)

If you want to know more about food insecurity in the High Country, check out this slideshow!

Looking Towards The Future

Our goals for 2024 and beyond include:
  • Expand the LocalFAM program to include a wider variety of communities, both in Watauga and in our neighboring counties.
  • Empower our participating producers by offering a reliable market channel throughout the year and support their future in agriculture.
  • Establish long-term to year-round food box programs to provide consistent support to our community.
P.O. Box 67 | 969 W King Street
 Boone, NC 28607 | 828.386.1537
Email: [email protected]
© 2023 Blue Ridge Women in Agriculture | Most Rights Reserved

Blue Ridge Women in Agriculture is a non-profit tax-exempt organization under section 501(c)3 of the IRS code (Federal ID # 34-2011588). 

Financial information about this organization and a copy of its license are available from the State Solicitation Licensing Branch at 919-814-5400. The license is not an endorsement by the state.