Eight Appalachian Communities Create “Livable Communities” Action Plans to Develop Local Food Systems January 2015

Eight towns in the Appalachian Region have created action plans for developing and promoting local food systems through their participation in the Appalachian Livable Communities technical assistance program provided by ARC, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The towns were selected inDecember 2013andApril 2014for the technical assistance program, which focused on the development of local food systems as a means of promoting economic diversification and the revitalization of traditional downtowns. Representatives from each town worked with small-town-development experts through the program to create achievable plans for the local production, distribution, and promotion of healthy foods.

The Appalachian Livable Communities partnership, launched in 2012, helps Appalachian small towns and rural communities improve their livability by promoting economic development while safeguarding the local landscape. The partnership is the model for therecently announcedfederal Local Foods, Local Places initiative, which aims to help communities create more livable places by promoting local foods. In December, eight Appalachian communities were selected through a Local Foods, Local Placesgrant competitionto receive technical assistance and implementation support to help them integrate local food systems into their economic development action plans.

The new Livable Communities action plans are available below. For more information, contact Ed Fendley in the EPA Office of Sustainable Communities atThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.or Wilson Paine in the ARC Office of the Federal Co-Chair atThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

• Aberdeen, Mississippi (PDF: 7.2 MB)
• Anniston, Alabama (PDF: 4.2 MB)
• Corbin, Kentucky (PDF: 3.8 MB)
• Forest City, North Carolina (PDF: 4.6 MB)
• Huntington, West Virginia (PDF: 10.1 MB)
• New Albany, Mississippi (PDF: 6.8 MB)
• North Wilkesboro, North Carolina (PDF: 13.8 MB)
• Pikeville, Tennessee (PDF: 3.6 MB)