About

Who We Are

The Nourish West Virginia Initiative integrates agriculture and health to cultivate food system innovation in the Mountain State, guided by our shared vision to cultivate resilient, healthy food systems. Based at the West Virginia University Institute for Community and Rural Health, Nourish runs a portfolio of programs and research, provides education and training opportunities, and convenes collaborative work supported by strong local, regional and national expertise.

Mission

To improve the health and economic prosperity of Central Appalachia through food system innovation. We do this by engaging anchor institutions, improving farmland access, and increasing agricultural workforce development using the tools of research, education, outreach, and convening.

Staff

Dr. Govindan, director of the Nourish West Virginia Initiative, is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist who is dedicated to using evidence-based research to cultivate healthier communities in West Virginia. A native of West Virginia, improving the lives of her fellow West Virginians is a personal passion.

McConnell is committed to creating meaningful connections between people and food, she has worked as a community coach, farmers' market manager, and a farm apprentice teacher.

Walker approaches his work with a distinctly practical and innovative mindset. With an extensive interdisciplinary research background, he drives research across agriculture, natural resources and public health using statistics, econometrics, machine learning, spatial analysis, remote sensing and image processing. Matt is originally from West Virginia.

Funders

United States Department of Agriculture

  • Farm Service Agency
  • National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Agriculture and Food Research Initiative – Education & Workforce Development
  • Farmers Market Promotion Program
  • Regional Food System Partnership

Partners

University

State 

Regional

National