Project GROWS first took root in 2010 when nine local human service agencies came together to look at the health challenges our community was facing. A recent Community Health Needs Assessment had found that our community was experiencing both high rates of hunger and food insecurity, as well as high rates of diet-related chronic disease, particularly among our youth.

After two years of planning and research on community-based prevention models, our nonprofit was founded with a focus on food education and food access as solutions to improving long-term health and food security. Our educational farm broke ground in 2012 with a land lease from Augusta County and with funding support from the Virginia Foundation for Healthy Youth and the Augusta Health Foundation.