FOOD Pilot
Valley Health announced the recipients of its 2025 Community Partnership Grant program. This year’s top grant award of $50,000 has been granted to one outstanding organization demonstrating exceptional impact and alignment with Valley Health’s strategic priorities - PACA. Selected through a competitive application process, these recipients exemplify innovative approaches to improving health through education, care navigation, mobile and telehealth services, transportation access, behavioral health support, and strong community collaboration. Valley Health is honored to partner with these changemakers as we work together to advance health and well-being throughout our communities.
Page Alliance for Community Action (PACA), in collaboration with Page County's Community Action Team (CAT) and Shenandoah County's "A Place for Us" rural network, proposes Picked In Page, a pilot program designed to strengthen the local and fresh food system in Page and southern Shenandoah County. This program will address food insecurity and associated health issues by connecting community gardens and local producers to market opportunities, offering Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) options, and ensuring that underserved residents, including Valley Health patients, have access to fresh food.
Picked In Page is a rural social enterprise designed to increase access to fresh, local food through a hybrid CSA model that serves both residents and visitors in the most underserved communities of the Valley Health region. The initiative leverages the area’s rich agricultural heritage and robust tourism economy to create a sustainable system that benefits local families, farmers, and businesses alike. Fresh food boxes, sourced from regional producers, will be distributed through innovative channels such as pop-up markets at healthcare facilities, workplace wellness programs, and a mobile market at high-traffic community hubs. These diverse distribution methods help meet people where they are and reduce barriers to access.
Proceeds from food box sales will be reinvested into the program to fund need-based CSA shares, expand community distribution, and strengthen the local food system. By connecting with tourism businesses, Picked In Page also offers visitors curated local food experiences—allowing them to sample regional products during their stay or take home a taste of the Valley. This dual-market strategy supports healthy food choices, boosts the regional economy, and ensures long-term program sustainability.
