The "Story Behind the Curve" helps us understand why the data on the percent of adults who ran out of food at least once and or worried about running out of food is the way that it is in our community. When we understand the root causes of our community problems, we have a better chance of finding the right solutions, together.

What's Helping? These are the positive forces at work in our community and beyond that influence this issue in our community.

• Communication and collaboration between organizations resulting in many community-powered food relief programs that target a variety of populations
• Providing increased access to high quality community grown foods
• Expansion of SNAP/EBT access for purchasing local foods (Farmers market, TRACTOR, etc.)
• Robust farming community that focuses on selling and sharing food within our community rather than regional markets
• Increased interest in home gardening
• Federal and State level increases in funding for food relief programs
• Community Gardens
• Addressing transportation and other barriers to available programs

What's Hurting? These are the negative forces at work in our community and beyond that influence this issue in our community

• Inflation and cost of living
• Access to food markets & grocery stores are generally limited to downtown Burnsville
• Aging farming community
• Price of land for new farmers is extremely high
• Lack of knowledge around food preservation & preparation
• Poverty
• Time consuming paperwork and process to access SNAP & EBT benefits
• Lack of knowledge about healthy eating
• Lack of transportation to food access
• Construction of fast food restaurants
• Lack of nutritional counseling
• Decreased funding for food relief programs after COVID-19

Partners With a Role in Helping Our Community Do Better on This Issue:

• TRACTOR Food & Farms
• MY Neighbors
• Senior Center (Meals on Wheels)
• Yancey County Health Department - WIC program
• Reconciliation House
• NC Cooperative Extension
• Dig In! Yancey Community Garden
• Learning Shack
• Older generations who know how to can and preserve foods
• Mountain Community Health Partnership (MCHP)
• Town of Burnsville
• Yancey County Government
• Blue Ridge Partnership for Children
• Grocery stores
• Produce Stands
• Local Farmers
• Family Life Center
• Churches
• Yancey Feed-A-Child
• Local food pantries
• Partners Aligned Toward Health (PATH)
• Farmer's Market
• Public Schools
• AMY Wellness Foundation

The following actions have been identified by the Healthy Yancey coalition and community members as ideas for what can work for our community to make a difference on Food Insecurity and Access to Food.

Actions and Approaches Identified by Our Partners These are actions and approaches that our partners think can make a difference on Food Insecurity and Access to Food.

• Further development of produce procurement funds for programs distributing locally grown food
• More decentralized distribution and other times for food programs to address transportation and work barriers (and continue delivery based programs)
• Ongoing attention to fidelity, equity, and dignity centered services in the community
• Trauma-informed food access programs
• Increased education and resources around how to grow, prepare, and preserve food
• More support and access to resources for emerging farmers and addressing transferring land/businesses from aging farmers to emerging farmers
• Double up food bucks at Farmer's Market
• Reinvigoration of Yancey Food Council to deepen and widen organizational collaboration
• Expansion of nutritious food production, support, and access out of the mountain growing season
• Commitment from Town and County governing bodies to agriculture as economic development
• Draw health restaurants to the area
• Support local farm to table restaurant efforts rather than chains and franchises

What is Currently Working in Our Community These are actions and approaches that are currently in place in our community to make a difference on Food Insecurity and Access to Food.

• Food Hub exists
• Some federal, state, local funding to subsidize access - SNAP/EBT at Farmer's Market and TRACTOR
• Organizations collaborate to tackle the issue as a team and reach a variety of populations
• Farmer's Market
• Community gardens
• Meals on Wheels
• Harvest Share
• Rec House food distribution
• Cosecha
• Summer Food Program
• Student choice markets
• Garden Share to increase access to fresh produce

Evidence-Based Strategies These are actions and approaches that have been shown to make a difference on Food Insecurity and Access to Food.