ROANOKE, Va. – Finding fresh, locally grown food in the Roanoke Region just got a whole lot easier. The Roanoke Region Food and Farm Trail launched a new website designed to quickly connect residents with nearby farms, fresh produce, eggs, meat and more — all in just a few clicks. The initiative connects people across seven counties and two cities, including Roanoke and Salem cities, along with Bedford, Botetourt, Craig, Floyd, Franklin, Montgomery, and Roanoke counties.
For many people, shopping local can feel like a challenge. Even when the desire is there, knowing where to go and what’s available isn’t always straightforward. The new platform aims to change that.
“A new way to eat, a new way to enjoy, a new way to nourish themselves locally,” said Erica Cundiff, website developer for the Roanoke Region Food and Farm Trail.
Farms, food businesses connected through one platform
The initiative links residents to farms and food businesses across the region through a searchable website, events and storytelling. A simple search — like “eggs” — pulls up a list of nearby farms where shoppers can add items to a cart and schedule a pickup.
“Farmers need to be able to focus on farming, getting their hands dirty, doing the work, and allowing people like us to build a website that helps them be found,” Cundiff said.
Maureen McGonagle, director of the Roanoke Food Shed Network, said the trail is about more than convenience — it’s about building a stronger regional food system.
“Within our region, it’s all gonna be small diversified farms, but how do those farms start working together to scale out and meet broader demands for food within our community,” McGonagle said.
Keeping food dollars local
Organizers say the economic impact of shopping local is significant. Research from Capital One Shopping shows 97% of people look online when they shop local — and when they do, roughly $68 of every $100 spent tends to stay in the community.
“Agriculture is economic development. When we spend money with farmers in our region, we spend money with our neighbors,” said one team member of Food and Farm Trail.
The trail highlights farms like Lick Run Farm, a local stop that organizers say represents exactly the kind of operation the platform was built to showcase — making it easier for growers to be found and for residents to support them.
“It’s gonna be an ever richer place to grow and eat food because of this project, and I’m here for it,” said a local grower.
Since launching, 56 farms and food vendors have already signed up, and organizers say they hope that number continues to grow.
For more information or to find local farms and food businesses in the Roanoke Region, visit the Roanoke Region Food and Farm Trail website.