Linking the Agricultural History of Western N.C. to an Innovative Effort to Fight Hunger (2013)

Undergraduate: Jessica Kennedy

Faculty Advisor: Patricia Sawin
Department: Journalism & Mass Communication

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Watauga County, a formerly agricultural area in Northwestern North Carolina, has transitioned in recent decades to a town defined by second homes, tourism and Appalachian State University. This transition occurred largely because of the end of the federal tobacco program in the early 2000s that began during the New Deal. This program allowed small tobacco farmers to compete with larger producers with the help of fixed prices. Remnants of an agricultural past cover the county while ¿locals¿ and ¿newcomers¿ mix daily. This research project sought to connect the present and past agricultural narratives of Watauga County to current community efforts to fight hunger and poverty issues in the small mountain town. Members of a progressive church in Watauga decided to open a pay-what-you-can restaurant in downtown Boone in May, adding to an already existing array of services for impoverished people. This research found that the FARM Caf¿ and other anti-hunger organizations in the area seek to foster and improve community while striving to create a neighbor-caring-for-neighbor atmosphere, characteristics that were more prevalent in Watauga at the height of its agricultural past. The collaboration among members of the local economy ¿ FARM Caf¿, its patrons, small farmers, etc. ¿ strives to make the county a better place, especially for those with low incomes that need help with food access.