Good Ground

About Good Ground

Good Ground is a statewide collaborative effort convened by Nourish West Virginia, an initiative based at the West Virginia University Institute for Community and Rural Health. 

This multi-stakeholder collaboration between West Virginia anchor institutions and community partners is driven by a shared vision to improve the health and economic prosperity of West Virginia and Central Appalachia through sustainable, equitable food system innovation. 

Guided by the principles of values-based procurement and reinforced through evidence-based strategies that center the integration of agriculture and health, our work leverages the purchasing and investment power of anchor institutions (such as hospitals, schools, and universities) with one common goal: To create healthier, more equitable and resilient communities while uplifting and celebrating West Virginia farmers and producers.

Governance

Good Ground’s decision-making and core activities are implemented through a structure that includes a steering committee and project-specific workgroups. Nourish West Virginia staff convenes these groups to ensure equity is embodied in all aspects of our work.

Using this approach, Good Ground engages in four main activities:

  • Facilitating partnerships among community partners, anchor institutions and key stakeholders;

  • Creating co-learning opportunities for all its members and partners;

  • Mobilizing projects through predevelopment, administrative and financial support; and

  • Scaling the model by documenting evidence and expanding regional participation.

Community wealth; health and resilience; and market and institutional transformation are the outcomes we envision as we put our approach to work. 

Collaborative Vision

We believe in integrating agriculture and health in West Virginia.

This graphic recording is a compass for Good Ground’s work. Created during the Institutional Investment Accelerator, facilitated by the Food Systems Leadership Network with support from the Kresge Foundation, the image reflects the vision and values of integrating agriculture and health in West Virginia. It is intended to reflect the following: breaking down silos and creating pathways for communication between spaces—resulting in collective impact; collaborative planning to integrate agriculture and health for community health and wellness; and cultivating shared values. The illustration also emphasizes the urgency of the opportunities, saying “timing is everything.” The imagery reflects a Central Appalachian community with anchor institutions, farms and natural resources alongside the residents. A waterway runs through rolling hills, representing the interconnectedness of communities, agriculture and anchor institutions.