PACA putting $50K Community Partnership Grant from Valley Health to use
By Randy Arrington
LURAY — Calling all local agricultural producers, and everyone looking for fresh, local food and products…the “Picked in Page” program is getting involved in harvest season and taking orders from growers and consumers alike to distribute boxes of fresh vegetables and other local products throughout the Page Valley community.
Back in May, the Page Alliance for Community Action (PACA) received a $50,000 Community Partnership Grant from Valley Health to “address critical health needs.” In addition, a local group called “CAT” — the Community Action Team — has identified food assistance as a key goal in Page County. That goal has now become the short-term focus for several local non-profits, including PACA. The Community Partnership Grants program is anchored in a broad understanding of community health and the varied influences which contribute to a healthy community.
“In addition to access to quality health care, many other factors such as economic stability, safe housing, education and job opportunities, and access to nutritious foods impact the health of our communities,” explains Jason Craig, MS, EdD, Valley Health, Director of Community Health.
Among a dozen recipients for 2025 totaling $190,000 in awards, PACA received the top grant from Valley Health, and they have one year to use those funds. With the grant funding, PACA proposes to establish a pilot program to strengthen the local and fresh food network in Page County and southern Shenandoah County. The program will connect community gardens and local producers to market opportunities, and also offer Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) options to ensure that residents in this rural region have access to fresh, healthy food.
“Food insecurity is an issue in rural areas like Page and Shenandoah counties that is exacerbated by a lack of grocery stores and the availability and affordability of fresh food, forcing residents to rely on processed or low-nutrient foods,” said Megan Gordon, PACA Program Director. “The proposed pilot program will be an important step to improve access to healthy food choices.”
With harvest season already upon us, PACA is pushing for both growers and residents to sign up for the program. However, they can also sign up to volunteer to help with the distribution portion of the program.
“We’re trying to get locally grown foods out to the community as the growing season is coming to a close,” said CAT team member Taylor Alger. “But there are three ways to help. We’re looking for local growers and producers; we’re looking for volunteers to pack boxes or help with distribution; and we’re looking for people to sign up to receive boxes.”
The “boxes” will contain such items as fresh vegetables, coffee, local herbs, eggs, mushrooms, jams, jellies, other seasonally available foods, and even recipes for healthy dishes. The cost of each box will be about $45 to $50, which Alger says is a good deal when compared to today’s grocery prices.
“Have you been to the grocery store lately? This isn’t a bad deal,” noted Alger. “The product will be worth the cost.”
Residents may sign up to receive boxes on a weekly basis by reaching out to PACA through their:
- Email — pageallianceforcommunityaction@gmail.com
- Email – pickedinpage@gmail.com
- Website — pagecoalition.org
- Website — PickedinPage.com
The program creates an additional market for local growers and producers, who are paid by PACA with the “start-up” grant funds from Valley Health. PACA charges a fee for the service in order to help make the program sustainable after the grant funds run out. A similar CSA program launched by David Sours about a decade ago called Page County Grown later dissolved because of the amount of work involved with limited staffing. PACA hopes to sustain the Picked in Page program through the efforts of volunteers and multiple organizations in the community.
Some products may be pulled from one of three community gardens launched by PACA throughout Page County, and some meals may be delivered for free to families in need through the Porch Visits program administered by PACA.
PACA is partnering with the Luray VFW Post 621 just east of Luray along Route 211 to store products, fill boxes and serve as a distribution center. No distribution dates have been set at this point. In the future, the organization hopes to expand to home deliveries, but for now, boxes will be picked up at a central location. The CAT team is currently working on setting up the ordering system on PickedinPage.com
PACA even hopes to merge the county’s two biggest industries of agriculture and tourism, by offering these boxes of local products to tourists who sign up in advance for the Picked in Page program. They hope local cabin owners will help promote the program as another local service available to visitors, as well as residents.
For more information about the Page Alliance for Community Action, CLICK HERE.
•••
RELATED ARTICLES
PACA receives Valley Health’s top Community Partnership Grant
Valley Health now accepting applications for 2025 Community Partnership Grant program
Free Market Fridays offers free, fresh produce at county’s three community gardens
Page County Free Clinic partners with PACA and Steel Valley Fitness to offer wellness programs
PACA teams up with Valley Health to plant community garden
Springfield Elementary garden brings agriculture into the classroom through hands-on learning
Be the first to comment