Heart and Hand House Community Garden Market has been working diligently to establish a sustainable food chain in Barbour and surrounding counties. Starting Saturday, Laurel Mountain Inn and Hometown Pizzeria in Belington will partner with the market to integrate locally grown food into their menus throughout the rest of October.
The event will kick off Saturday morning with a homegrown breakfast at Laurel Mountain Inn. The meal will consist of locally raised eggs, home fries and grits. Later, Hometown Pizzeria will be serving pizzas using locally grown onions as toppings. Both restaurants will also be using other local products throughout October until the supply runs out.
The Rev. Robert "Bob" Wilkins, executive director of Heart and Hand House Inc. in Philippi, said the Community Garden Market has expanded into a year-round operation. According to Wilkins, part of the expansion plan includes selling locally grown produce to area retailers including restaurants, schools, nursing homes and cafeterias, aside from operating the market storefront in Philippi.
By purchasing and serving locally grown potatoes, onions, carrots and eggs, among other products, the restaurants are providing a more healthful meal to customers and helping local farmers financially, Wilkins said.
"For a long time, we have heard about eating healthy and locally grown food," he said. "The problem has been location. We couldn't get enough locally grown food into the supply chain for area food establishments. This event in Belington combines local foods with local restaurants. It is a great opportunity to showcase our area growers along with the resourceful menus of our local eateries."
Wilkins said this could be the beginning of many new opportunities for local farmers to sell their produce. He said a project like this has not been done before because of limited quantities of food. Now through the joint efforts of the WesMonTy RC&D and Heart and Hand Garden Market and a grant from the West Virginia Department of Agriculture, locally grown produce is being marketed to area food businesses.
"This could impact the local economy by generating income for small farms, cutting down transportation costs by utilizing food grown in this area and having healthier and more nutritious food consumed before the nutritious value deteriorates," Wilkins said. "This is something that is so simple in concept but has been difficult to put into practical application. This project has the potential of helping to revitalize our downtown area and keeping local dollars closer to home."
Wilkins said one of the goals of Heart and Hand House is to provide healthful nutrition to the community. He said the garden market helps the organization achieve that objective. He said most folks who participate in the garden market are local farmers who typically grow a crop for their family and sell their excess. He said more than 95 growers typically participate each summer and the market serves more than 1,600 customers each month during the growing season.
USDA representative Jim Cooper said moving the market to a year-round operation is a "huge step forward in establishing a sustainable local food system that can truly have an economic and social impact." He said the project is very innovative.
"This event shows the potential of local food production for economic development," Cooper said. "West Virginians eat more than $6 billion worth of food every year. The more we grow and sell locally, the more dollars we keep locally. Regional produce like potatoes, peppers and onions are becoming cost competitive as energy costs increase the price of food usually shipped hundreds of miles. It is also great to see what happens when groups like Heart and Hand House and WesMonTy RC&D work together to help businesses meet emerging opportunities."
The Community Garden Market is located at the by-pass intersection in Philippi. The market is currently open on Mondays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. During the summer months, the market is open Mondays through Fridays. The market can accept West Virginia Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program coupons, along with Women, Infant and Children vouchers and SNAP (food stamp) debit cards. For more information call 304-457-1295.
