Petersburg Food Program Works to Strengthen Local Food System
To help improve nutrition and alleviate hunger, the city of Petersburg has turned to local farmer and food makers to provide fresh, local produce for older residents. (Photo provided by River Street Market) Clara Haizlett reported this story
In January, the city of Petersburg launched a four-month initiative to provide healthy food to older people, while also supporting local farmers and food makers. Residents say the program has helped, but it’s also faced challenges.
“Feed the Need (Support the Farmers) Seniors Program” is supported by local partners like the River Street Market and Petersburg Healthy Options Partnership, a group working to improve community food systems. Every week until April, they’re distributing 100 bags of food to older people throughout the city, about 1600 bags total. The bags include things like eggs, produce, meats, dairy and prepared foods: all sourced locally.
A family fishing. (Photo courtesy Department of Wildlife Resources) This story was reported by VPM News intern Clara Haizlett
Although many state agencies have struggled financially throughout the pandemic, officials say the Department of Wildlife Resources hasn’t skipped a beat. But with more people getting outdoors, there are more concerns about safety, especially on the water.
The DWR is responsible for the management of inland fisheries, wildlife, and recreational boating in Virginia. Unlike other state agencies, the department isn’t primarily funded by tax dollars. Instead, it’s funded through the sale of licenses and a federal excise tax on guns and ammunition, among other sources.
Although many state agencies have struggled financially throughout the pandemic, officials say the Department of Wildlife Resources hasn’t skipped a beat. But with more people getting outdoors, there are more concerns about safety, especially on the water.
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Colton Wolf, kayaker, filmmaker, and - now award winner - in a still from his latest short, Hidden Dangers of Z Dam. Colton says he wanted to warn people about the dangers of a spot on the James River where over 20 people have died. (Screenshot: Hidden Dangers of Z Dam)
VPM News intern Clara Haizlett reported this story.
A drowning last summer on the James River inspired a short film from Stephen and Colton Wolf, a father and son duo who kayak, swim and make movies together.
They’ve won an award in the 2021 RVA Environmental Film Festival for their short, which they produced to warn others about a river dam that’s been called a “drowning machine,” and has claimed over 20 lives.
West Virginia Public Broadcasting
Dalton Hass stands in front of church sign at Our Lady of Lebanon, the only Maronite church in West Virginia.
Throughout Appalachia, many communities share a common concern: As the young people leave and the older generations pass on, who will carry on the traditions?
But in Wheeling, West Virginia, one young man, Dalton Haas, is determined to reverse this trend. He’s committed to bringing his community home, to the sound of church bells and the smells of homemade cooking.
It was the annual church fundraiser and volunteers gathered in the basement kitchen, serving food and sharing fellowship. The volunteers were mostly women, but alongside them was Haas, dressed in a black t-shirt with a tree printed on it: a cedar of Lebanon.