New Community Project is a 501(c)3 with a national footprint and a mission focused on international economic and environmental sustainability. Through its Harrisonburg, VA sustainability center, NCP administers the Educational Outreach Program and its primary initiative, Vine & Fig, collaborating with five small-scale farms in Virginia’s Central Shenandoah Valley to address food insecurity in Rockingham and Augusta Counties and the cities of Harrisonburg, Waynesboro, and Staunton. By working with a network of 35 community partners—including schools, health clinics, youth programs, churches, and public housing—Vine & Fig connects food-insecure households with fresh, nutrient-dense, locally grown produce.

Through this initiative, Vine & Fig hopes to mitigate health risks often associated with food insecurity, such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and hypertension, while providing approximately 2,450 pounds of food weekly to around 450 unique households, benefiting an estimated 1,800 individuals each week.

Since its initial partnership with Radical Roots Farm during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, Vine & Fig has expanded its farmer network to include St. Isidore Homestead & Permaculture, NCP operated Jubilee Climate Farm, Friendly Neighbor Gardens, and two-time FoodCap borrower Jones Gardens. The program has steadily increased its reach over the past five years—serving 220 households weekly in 2022, 350 households in 2024, and continuing to grow its distribution network.

Vine & Fig will fund this work in the later half of 2025 through a reimbursable VA Agriculture Food Assistance Program grant administered by VA Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. A low-interest loan from Foodshed Capital will provide the working capital needed to execute the program prior to reimbursement.