Since 2010, Dig In! Yancey Community Garden has been dedicated to growing and sharing “Food for All”, grounded in the belief that everyone has the right to fresh and nutritious food.
The garden builds on the long-standing traditions in these mountains of sharing the work and the abundance of living off the land with neighbors. This kind of generosity sustains our communities in more ways than one, and helps ensure that there is enough for everyone to eat well.
Dig In, Reconciliation House, and TRACTOR Food and Farms in Spruce Pine collaboratively operate a weekly no-cost market in Burnsville with fresh, locally grown and seasonal produce. Called Harvest Share, the market will be open on Wednesdays from 10 am – noon, starting May 29, in the parking lot of West Burnsville Baptist Church.
Some of the vegetables are from Dig In’s community garden on Blankenship Creek Rd. Vegetables are also purchased from local farmers through TRACTOR, supporting the livelihoods of local and regional farmers. Finally, produce is donated from other Yancey County community gardens, individual homesteaders, and local farms when they have extra to share.
Harvest Share will operate as a walk-up market as it has in previous years. Dig In’s farmers and volunteers will be available to answer questions about the produce, and share tips about how to grow and cook it. There will also be regular cooking demonstrations and opportunities to connect with resources from other community organizations.
Everyone is welcome – because everyone needs to eat. Participants are invited to continue the practice of giving and sharing by bringing home additional bags for friends, family and neighbors. “We will not ask for any explanation from our participants, just the number of people in each household.” explains Dig In Food for All Coordinator Sydney Lane.
Other Food for All programs supported by Dig In and their community partners include the Summer Food Program for families with school-aged children (a partnership with Partners Aligned Towards Health), Garden Share for homebound elders (a partnership with Meals on Wheels), and Cosecha Para El Pueblo pop-up markets for Latinx neighbors.
“Access to healthy food is a right,” says Sydney Lane. “We, at Dig In, are working toward healthy food access for all of Yancey County through these programs alongside our farmers, volunteers, partners and participants.”
For those wishing to support Harvest Share and other Food for All programs, Dig In offers weekly volunteer opportunities for growing and sharing food. Donations of fresh produce, eggs, and flowers from local farms and gardens are also accepted. Visit the website or contact farmer@diginyancey.org for more information on how to support these programs.