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 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 communities while uplifting and celebrating all 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. The graphic shown below is a compass for our work.
