What does a regional food system network look like? Maureen McNamara Best is the executive director of LEAP (Local Environmental Agriculture Project) and Maureen "Mo" McGonagle is the director of the Roanoke Foodshed Network. Maureen and Mo provide a perspective lens into food system relationships and community collaborations emerging and developing in the Roanoke region of Virginia. Maureen shares that stories and relationships are critical in coming together; community and farm connections must be visible and more tangible. Mo offered that food system networks also require good soil health to cultivate change, where choice, dignity, equity, and values are encouraged and practiced individually and collectively. 

Tune in wherever you get your podcasts. 

To learn more about LEAP and their community collaboration with the Roanoke Foodshed Network, please visit https://www.leapforlocalfood.org/ and https://www.roanokefoodshednetwork.org/

To learn about the Virginia Soil Health Coalition and join the Coalition's quarterly meetings, please visit https://www.virginiasoilhealth.org/. Recent 4 The Soil blog posts resources can be accessed at https://www.4thesoil.org/. For questions about soil and water conservation practices, call or visit a USDA Service Center, or a Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District office. 

As always, we encourage you to join the 4 The Soil movement and do your part to build soil health on your farm, in your garden, or community. Yes, we can all be 4 The Soil.