Livable Communities Assistance in KY, AL, TN, and MS

The Appalachian communities of Corbin, Kentucky; Anniston, Alabama; Pikeville, Tennessee; and Aberdeen, Mississippi have been selected by EPA, the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC), and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to receive technical assistance and implementation support through the $250,000 Livable Communities program.

• Corbin, Kentucky will expand its seasonal outdoor market in downtown into a year-round local food network hub.
  
• Anniston, Alabama will develop a system of community and neighborhood gardens tied to neighborhood and downtown revitalization efforts.
  
• Pikeville, Tennessee will build a farmers’ market on vacant land in the heart of downtown and establish a community kitchen to help feed the needy.
  
• Aberdeen, Mississippi will establish a farmers’ market and neighborhood nutrition education center in a revitalized and refurbished former railroad building.

Support from the three agencies will help these communities promote economic development, preserve rural lands, and increase access to locally grown food. The 2013 Livable Communities program focuses on developing local food systems as a means of revitalizing traditional downtowns and promoting economic diversification.

These types of programs may be good "leveraged" resources for a Brownfield Grant for these communities.