Refresh Appalachia is a program of Coalfield Development focused on developing, shaping, and supporting agriculture and Central Appalachia's food system.

This program has 4 main objectives:

Expand agricultural knowledge, understanding, and opportunity through paid on-the-job training experiences.
Strengthen and develop the agricultural sector through creative and collaborative partnerships and projects.
Promote and facilitate aggregation and distribution for agricultural producers.
Explore, experiment, and implement innovative and regenerative agriculture practices on degraded lands.

Significant 2024 Milestones

Farm to School

After joining the team in late 2023, our Farm to Institution Coordinator, Lydia Cyrus, established the foundation for our Farm to School initiative, with over 6,000 students engaged just in 2024.

Collaborative Growth

In 2024, we joined forces with eight partners to strengthen the agriculture workforce in Appalachia and expanded our efforts to advance Farm to School development across the region, fostering greater collaboration and long-term community impact.

Regional Impact

In 2024, we engaged 6,000 students, trained over 200 individuals, and brought in more than $5 million in agricultural investment to Appalachia.

Appalachia Regional Food Business Center (ARFBC)

The ARFBC received notice on Tuesday July 15, 2025, that USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins announced the termination of the Regional Food Business Center programs.

The USDA has communicated that termination of this program was NOT due to ARFBC’s noncompliance.

Coalfield Development’s Refresh Appalachia team was notified that the program, led by fellow nonprofit Rural Action and a large network of partners, is entering a 60-day wind-down period, concluding on September, 15, 2025.

During its operation, ARFBC worked to strengthen Appalachia’s food system by helping small and mid-sized producers—especially underserved farmers—access supply chains and new markets through free, local technical assistance and grants, known as Business Builder Subawards (BBS).

The ARFBC is actively in conversation with USDA to determine the status of BBS, which are valuable investments in both our region’s food and farm businesses and our economies. Updates on the ARFBC will be shared here as they are available.

After September 15, 2025, Refresh Appalachia will still provide technical assistance to food and farm businesses independently of the ARFBC.

With a long-standing commitment to the farms and food businesses in the region, the ARFBC worked to foster a food economy that benefits business owners, stakeholders, and consumers throughout the entire region.

For more information about the ARFBC and Business Builder Subaward grants, click below.

For technical assistance support, reach out to Kelsey Mills, Refresh Appalachia Program Manager.

Supporting Appalachia:

How to Get Involved:

Donate

Consider making a tax-deductible donation to Coalfield Development with the subject "Refresh Appalachia" to support our ongoing work.

Sign up for our email list to receive general updates on trainings and opportunities by emailing us at Refresh(at)coalfield-development.org

Some of our Partners:

Visit us on Facebook:

Keep up with Refresh Appalachia on social media! See the latest news, updates, and what our crew is up to over on our Facebook page.

The total cost of the Growing Renewed Opportunities for Workers in Appalachia (G.R.O.W Appalachia) program is $5M, and includes Workforce Readiness and Professional Success (WRAPS), Mountain Mindful, Refresh Appalachia, and Revitalize Appalachia programming. $1.5M (30%) is funded through the U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration Grant, and the remaining $3.5M (70%) of the program is funded by allowable federal and non-federal funding.