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What We Do
We strive to offer and support opportunities for learning that help us to support our food system and build better communities.
Our learning circles are designed to be a participatory structure for group reflection, dialogue, and planning based on selected scholarship and emergent topics.
Our Center is home to a number of state and regional programs supporting food systems-based community development at the nexus of food, agriculure, and society.
The Center supports a number of projects related to and in support of regional food systems and community transformation.
Center fellows bring the aims of the Center to their communities as leaders, educators, and advocates for equity, justice, and health in our food and farming systems.
Resource Pages
Upcoming Events
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Agroforestry Trainings for Natural Resource Professionals "Agroforestry Fundamentals" , articleJoin us and learn about the principles, practices, design tools, and historical context of agroforestry in Virginia. Hear from farmers and natural resource professionals about their experience establishing and managing agroforestry systems in Virginia. Get to participate in hands on activities in a forest farmed mushroom demonstration. You'll leave with a greater understanding of agroforestry and ways you can support your clients with these practices. Date: September 17, 2024 Time: 9:00-4:30 pm Location: Virginia State University's Randolph Farm, 4415 River Rd, Petersburg, VA
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Seeds for Preservation & Perseverance: Native American Foodways , articleIn this session, Amyrose Foll of Virginia Free Farm and Flagship Food Rescue US Richmond Hub will discuss the preservation of culturally significant seeds and their connections to perseverance and to Native American Foodways. Amyrose will share about how planting a seed is a sacred way for a hungry soul to walk the path back to our ancestors, and reconnect with the Earth. Each seed is a gift in our hands because of the generations of farmers before us who held the ancestors of that seed.
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5-Year Celebration , articleWe are excited to celebrate our 5-year anniversary with you. Please join us to honor our partners and projects and look to the next five years of food systems programming, research, and collaborations. Light refreshments will be served to enjoy as you take in the Food Moments exhibit. Thursday, September 26, 2024 4:00 - 6:00 pm Virginia Tech Creativity and Innovation District Building, Main Floor 185 Kent St. Blacksburg, Virginia
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Food Moments: Musings from the Shenandoah Exhibit , articleThe Food Moments exhibit is hosted by the VT Center for Food Systems and Community Transformation and features the work of artist Pat Augsburger and Food Anthropologist Phyllis Ressler. We hope you find a time to enjoy the exhibit while it is up! Running September 26 - October 9, 2024 Location: Virginia Tech Creativity and Innovation District Building, Main Floor (185 Kent St. Blacksburg, Virginia)
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Agroforestry Trainings for Natural Resource Professionals "Silvopasture 201: Design Intensive" , articleJoin us for a deep dive where we go beyond the basics to share the latest research, technical resources, and real life silvopasture examples. Learn from experienced farmers and natural resource professionals. You‘ll be guided through hands on design activities to put learning into practice, and leave with a greater ability to support landowners with silvopasture technical assistance. An online silvopasture course is available for free to all registrants. This introductory online course OR participation in the Silvopasture Fundamentals training held last year is a required prerequisite to help prepare you for this more advanced training. Date: October 24-25, 2024 Time: Day 1 is 10:00 am - 5:00 pm; Day 2 is 9:00 am - 4:00 pm Location: Virginia Tech Catawba Sustainability Center, 4965 Catawba Creek Rd, Catawba, VA
Press
- Top global rankings highlight Virginia Tech’s commitment to sustainability
- Virginia Cooperative Extension fights food insecurity in the commonwealth
- $1 million grant aims to identify and implement ecologically sound grazing practices
- Center for Food Systems and Community Transformation Works to Address Food Systems Inequities
- Virginia Tech Workshop Addresses Racial Inequities in Food System Head-on
- October 2, 2020 Food Justice: What is it and how can we fix it?