Assets

• Organizations who care, are interested, recognize importance of issues: CPC, BRWIA, FLOC
• Economic and social justice oriented groups
• Agritourism in area
• Local culture of Appalachia
• Christmas tree tourism
• Diversity of income culturally
• Beautiful landscape
• University – labor studies, Sustainable development

Barriers

• Insurance for agritourism
• Racism towards outsiders
• Resistance to change
• Lack of non-seasonal jobs
• Wealthy second home residents drive up taxes, housing competition
• Mountainous land for farming
• Policy

Questions
1.How can our barriers be turned into assets? Tourism, mountain landscape, diversity of organizations
2.What role is there for ASU groups within the assessment?
3.Do people make a living wage? Do they know what a living wage is?
4.Where do people get their income? How many sources?
5.Where do people shop? Why? Location, hours, price
6.How do you save money? Informal economy usage
7.What are priorities? Cash, living off land, health, connection to work?
8.What are policy barriers? Legal protections (lack of)
9.Do you feel safe on the job?
10.What do you already do?
11.How are you part of the food system? Gardens, food sharing w/neighbors, farmers’ market.

For the taskforce
1.Focus groups: who are the people represented?
2.What is their involvement in the food system?
3.Can they afford to reap benefits of products producing/selling?
4.Do participants work around pesticides/ chemicals? Have they ever been exposed?
5.Did they receive educational info about pesticide/chemicals? Was it understandable? What language?
6.What keeps people in their job, on a small farm, etc?
7.Do you like your job?
8.How can communities create changes? In market prices, wages, labor standards
9.Can we create a “just” & local food label? What will that encompass? Can we ensure labor practices are included?
10.What does “fair labor practices” mean?
11.How do we educate the public about labor, wage, living condition issues?
12.Would you pay more money if food had just and local label on it?
13.Reality Tour – day in the fields part of agritourism campaign
14.food label – Appalachian Grown & Fair and Just Labor Conditions
15.Solidarity around Pricing
16.Education – where your food money goes – emphasis on labor standards
17.Community kitchen, processing facilities – creation of local jobs, better wages, closer connection to food processing