Oak Foundation 59d ago

Resourceful Communities is a not-for-profit organisation based in North Carolina that supports hundreds of rural grassroots and community organisations to help improve economic outcomes for ordinary people. It does this by: helping everyone have access to real food, preserving rural landscapes, and lifting people out of poverty. For example, Mitchell Giving Gardens is working to improve local food systems in the Appalachian mountain region of North Carolina. In 2025, Mitchell Giving Gardens started teaching organic and regenerative techniques to local people to apply in their own gardens at home. By growing their own produce, families become more food secure and avoid depending on large-scale food systems. TRACTOR Food and Farms is a food distribution centre also based in the Appalachias, which seeks to increase access to community-grown food. TRACTOR supports farmers to sell their produce locally, and distributes the food through diverse markets designed to reach communities in the region. To ensure no-one is overlooked, the produce is shared in a range of ways, such as through health referral programmes and food relief organisations, as well as through local markets and weekly baskets. “Quality food shouldn’t just be available to those who can afford it,” says Dru Zucchino, TRACTOR's chief executive officer. “It should be available to those of lesser means, those with uncertain financial futures, limited mobility… anyone who might otherwise make a different choice.” “We believe that environmental stewardship, social justice, and sustainable economic development go hand in hand,” says Monica McCann, director of Resourceful Communities. “Our goal is a robust, equitable food system where everyone is able to access the food they need.” Annually, Resourceful Communities supports about 80 community-based food organisations and nine food hubs to help strengthen North Carolina’s local food system from the ground up. The organisation offers support through: capacity building, with free skills workshops on topics like fundraising and project planning; small grant-making to help build and sustain local food economies; and its network, which brings communities together to share learning, spark ideas, and strengthen impact. Resourceful Communities also works at a systems level, to ensure statewide market access and fair pay for farmers, with healthy local food for all. Oak Foundation supports Resourceful Communities through our Special Interest Programme, which connects with a diverse range of partners around the world. Find out more: https://oakfnd.org/programmes/special-interest/ https://legacyworksgroup.com/resourcefulcommunities https://tractorfoodandfarms.com/ https://mitchellgivinggardens.com/