Welcome!

This is the inaugural post on the Appalachia Regional Food Business Center’s (ARFBC) blog! This blog will be a space to celebrate the Appalachian region’s rich agricultural heritage and dynamic food economy. We will share meaningful stories and resources with the goal of bolstering our local and regional foodshed.

About the Appalachia Regional Food Business Center

The ARFBC formed in 2023 to support a more resilient, diverse, and competitive food system throughout all of Appalachia. Our Center supports producers by providing the technical assistance needed to access new markets, coordination to bridge gaps in knowledge and financial support through business builder subawards intended to help businesses grow and achieve their goals.

With a long-standing commitment to the farms and food businesses in the region, the Appalachia Regional Food Business Center works to foster a more robust, equitable, and sustainable food economy that benefits business owners, stakeholders, and consumers throughout the entire region.

Our Partners

The ARFBC was founded on principles of horizontal leadership. In keeping with this theme, the Center is comprised of eighteen partners from across the region.

We serve Ohio, West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, and parts of Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Maryland. To learn more about the people the make up the ARFBC, visit our Partners page.

What’s to come

This blog will be full of stories and resources from across our region. We will highlight local entrepreneurs, farmers, and food business workers and owners. We will provide insights from regional partners on industry trends and opportunities, offer updates on funding opportunities, resources, and success stories. We will amplify the diversity of our region’s food economies, and celebrate Appalachian food systems.

We look forward to sharing our work with you.