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Center for food systems and community transformation

We work at the nexus of food, agriculture, and society to explore and catalyze the conditions for a more just and sustainable food system so that all may thrive.

Image credit: Upper left, Kim Niewolny. Upper right and lower, Melissa Ripepi.

photo compilation of field, squash, and people shelling corn

                       

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

  • Article Item
    Urban Farming and the Law , article

    Urban Farming is tough enough without having to have a law degree! Gray Montrose, a local Richmond land use attorney and urban farmer, will give a guided tour of basic legal concepts for urban farmers. Topics will include a primer on local ordinances, the Virginia Right to Farm Act (RTFA) and important RTFA case law, cottage food and farm stand laws, and resources for folks with legal needs.

  • Article Item
    Virginia Urban Agriculture Information Session, Richmond VA , article

    Are you interested in Urban Agriculture in Virginia? By attending this on-farm information session, discover how you can contribute to advancing urban agriculture in your community, and learn how to start your journey as an urban producer with USDA Farm Service Agency as a resource.

  • Article Item
    CFSCT February Fellows Series: The Grassfed Beef Partnership: Linking Principles of Regenerative Agriculture and Adaptive Grazing with Local Economic Resilience , article

    The Virginia Tech Catawba Sustainability Center’s (CSC) Grassfed Beef Partnership works to explore an alternative to commodity beef production by purchasing calves from local farmers to then be adaptively grazed in an effort to produce quality grass finished beef that is then distributed back into the local food economy. During their life at the CSC, the beef are utilized to restore, rebuild, and enhance ecosystem function and diversity for life in the soil, on the soil, and above.

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