Beginning as a revitalization project of the old Prices Fork Elementary School in Blacksburg, Live, Work, Eat, Grow is a nonprofit organization dedicated to bringing sustainable, community food systems, farms and gardens to the New River Valley.
Its mission focuses on cultivating vibrant communities through agricultural programs, job creation, affordable housing and addressing food insecurity, putting the words “live,” “work,” “eat” and “grow” into practice.
Since 2018, Live, Work, Eat, Grow has grown into a wider community project through three main programs: Millstone Kitchen; Community Gardens; and The Old School.
We had the chance to talk with Executive Director Laina Schneider about Live, Work, Eat, Grow and its past, present and future in serving the New River Valley.
How is Live, Work, Eat, Grow relevant to the Blacksburg community?
Our work is extremely locally relevant because the whole organization wouldn’t exist if it weren’t for the grassroots initiative that was working on the Prices Fork School. There was a demand to put the school to use instead of just bulldozing it, so it took a core team, and basically an entire entity, to make that happen.
That came as a starting place, and then finding out that the community gardens, which are very much a cornerstone of our community, needed a place to exist. It resonates with a lot of people, the work that we’re doing, the connection to this place and our programs.
Can you tell us more about the programs of Live, Work, Eat, Grow?
[The Old School] now offers housing for seniors to age in place and affordable housing. Millstone Kitchen is a shared-use commercial kitchen that acts as an incubator for small businesses. So, we have the live and work component, then the eat and grow is the community garden program that was inherited with the organization. It aligns with our mission; people growing their own food and wanting to share, eat and gather.What is the connection between the organization and the regional culture?
The New River Valley, in particular, has an elevated rate of food insecurity compared to the national average, so being part of those efforts to help address that is really important right now. What we’ve really enjoyed, especially in our gardening community, is seeing how diverse it is across Blacksburg and the New River Valley. We have this mix of Southwest Virginia and Appalachian culture as well as this unique influx of people from a bunch of different backgrounds. It’s beautiful to see this connection to the land and the cultural values people share, which is special to the work we do, especially when highlighting local businesses and farmers.
What goals do you have for Live, Work, Eat, Grow?
Our primary, upcoming goal is to establish two new garden sites in the town of Blacksburg. We’re looking to establish a site that meets several requirements. It must be in a place where folks can maybe walk there, where people can go if they don’t have yard space. One of our longer-term goals, however, is finding more ways to tie the kitchen and the garden together through having an additional service to the community that some people might not have at home.
How can the community get involved with the organization?
Financial support is always wonderful. But we rely heavily on volunteers to do a lot of the stuff that we do. We’re happy to tailor volunteer experiences to what people are good at or what they’re interested in. A lot of people who are really passionate about these issues work in the space, and we want to be able to tap into that energy.
To learn more about Live, Work, Eat, Grow and find volunteer opportunities, visit its website here.
