MISSION AND VISION

WNC Food Coalition’s mission is to build a strong local food system.

We envision united communities in a thriving local food economy that works for everyone.

Our strategies for accomplishing our mission include healthy food distribution, collaborative agriculture, and local food councils.

We invite you to learn more by reading our value and culture statements below:

1. We believe in collaboration, so we intentionally work to build relationships across the region.
2. We believe in staying grounded in our purpose while remaining open to emergent thinking, so we strive to embrace a mindset of adaptive management and a cooperative culture.
3. We believe in creating systems that reflect the needs of community members so we assess needs, support the work already going on, and develop programs that fill identified gaps.
4. We believe in decentralized power within the food system, so we create opportunities for power sharing and collective decision-making among stakeholders.
5. We believe in networked mutuality, so we create and uphold systems and practices to value and support partners’ work contributions.
1. Understanding the challenges of our food system, we operate within a CQI (continuous quality improvement) mindset, while being curious and open minded rather than striving for perfection. We understand that change is constant and conflicts are inevitable. In this work, we will not be conflict avoidant.
2. We value all voices. We seek to create alternatives to oppressive norms and create space for all marginalized people.
3. We create relationships that value a growth mindset. We choose to communicate when we need support and offer feedback to each other so we can continue to grow and improve as individuals and as an organization.
4. We invite each other to connect with our passion and express our creativity. We also honor the vulnerability it requires to do so, and acknowledge our blind spots and knowledge gaps.
5. We prioritize an emotionally safe environment where staff members have fun, are able to build meaningful relationships with each other, and feel valued financially by the place they work.

Supporting the Food System Lifecyle

Food goes through an impressive lifecycle on its way to nourishing our bodies, and WNC Food Coalition supports that journey from start to finish. From supporting the farmers, fishers and ranchers who raise and tend our food, to the buyers and distributors who make it accessible for us, to the chefs and family members who cook us a great meal, everything we eat depends on a strong food system.

We believe that a strong local food system is one where all people have access to eating the types of food they want, and that local farms are viable and thriving. Together, we can build a community where the food landscape benefits everyone.

Our History

WNC Food Coalition’s history began as an idea from a group of individuals invested in improving health and agricultural resources in Western North Carolina. Founded in 2020 as the Food Justice Planning Initiative, WNC Food Coalition has evolved to become an independent nonprofit focused on facilitating and supporting the programs and policies that improve access to food across the region.

Multicolored map of the Western North Carolina county regions

Today,

WNC Food Coalition gathers dozens of stakeholders from across our 19 county region and the Qualla Boundary to create tangible action steps towards improving our food system. The WNC Food Hubs Collaborative, established by WNC Food Coalition in 2025, represents the largest, most innovative partnership of independent food aggregators ever in Western North Carolina. This Collaborative creates a benchmark of excellence for aggregators across the state and beyond, establishes standards for local food procurement and distribution, and lays the foundation for a radically transformed local food economy that prioritizes health and wellness for all.

Meet Our Team

In partnership with our network of volunteers and organizations across the region, WNC Food Coalition programs are actualized by a small, but mighty team.

Executive Director & Eastern Coordinator
Dana spent the last decade in clinical social work, supporting kids & families, and people experiencing addiction. She has a B.S. and Masters Degree in Social Work and is conversationally fluent in Spanish. She has managed multiple programs including regional mental and physical health initiatives with the Autism Society, the Boys & Girls Clubs, and most recently, MAHEC.
She and her partner co-own and manage a regenerative farm in McDowell County focused on pastured chickens, hogs, sheep and cattle. She loves spending every possible moment outside, and sharing a delicious meal with pals.

husked ear of corn lying amongst corn husks

Community Impact Director
Over the last two decades, Jenn has worked in social research and food preparation, with 15 years in nonprofit research, design and program delivery.
She credits food for changing her life; influencing health, community and connection to the land, during a time when she needed it most. She realized food was a universal way to influence people’s lives and in 2016 she became dedicated to never stop learning more about preparation, production, ritual and sustainability related to food.
She is very excited to combine her passion for food and experience in research and service development to support community food sovereignty across WNC.

open container of a dozen eggs in various shades of brown and light blue

Community Programs Coordinator
Liz has a passion for food advocacy work and contributing to long-lasting change. They have spent the last several years immersed in food sovereignty, education, justice, and community resilience work through an intersectional lens. After going to language school in Central America, they earned a B.S. in Multidisciplinary Anthropology and Sustainable Development with a focus on Human-Animal relations and Community Resilience from Appalachian State University.
Post-graduation, Liz worked with diverse farms and food security movements with BRWIA and ASAP. They are deeply committed to advancing human and non-human animal justice through education, advocacy, and bold climate action.
Outside of work, they can be found biking, gardening, practicing yoga, or volunteering at local animal sanctuaries and with the Food Empowerment Project.

close-up of pink coneflowers flowers in a field

Development & Communications Director
After studying Creative Writing and Child Development at Pitzer College in Claremont, California and Literature and Language at UNC-Asheville, Megan (she/her) has worked as a writer, an educator, and a nonprofit leader with experience in operations and administration, advocacy, strategy, and development. Along with her love of learning, mountains, and stories, Megan is an urban gardener and a big fan of eating and sharing clean, slow, local food. She is honored to be a part of this collective work in strengthening systems to bring more healthy food to feed more people.

close-up of a group of fruits and vegetables

Finance Coordinator
Bio coming soon!

Meet Our Board

WNC Food Coalition is grateful to work with a collaborative group of professionals dedicated to guiding and supporting our mission and representing organizations across our region.