Healthy local food options. Enhanced sense of community through discovery of Appalachian heritage and knowledge. Potential sources of new income. These are some of the goals of Grow Appalachia, a collaborative effort to provide families the resources and support they need to produce more of their own food. Grow Appalachia was initiated by Paul Mitchell CEO and Co-Founder, John Paul DeJoria. Partner organizations include Berea College’s Loyal Jones Appalachian Center, the Pine Mountain Settlement School, Red Bird Mission, the Laurel County African American Heritage Center and the Henderson Settlement.
The partners will help families create and maintain productive and economical home gardens by providing educational programs about gardening, cooking for maximum nutrition, and food preservation techniques. Families will have access to grant-funded soil working equipment to till and prepare gardens for initial spring planting and maintain garden plots through the garden season. They will also receive seeds, plants, fertilizers, soil conditioners and soil testing materials. Partners will work with families to help establish local farmers’ markets for vegetables produced in excess of families’ needs.
Paul Mitchell will donate $1 to Grow Appalachia for each haircut their schools complete on Earth Day. Consumers can visit any of the 104 Paul Mitchell school locations on April 22nd for a haircut to benefit Grow Appalachia .
