**FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE**
Date: April 21, 2026
Contacts: Jones Valley Teaching Farm: Wil Cushman wilc@jvtf.org, 706-217-8056
JONES VALLEY TEACHING FARM ANNOUNCES COMMUNITY FUNDRAISER — SATURDAY, MAY 30, 4–7 pm
Gather with JVTF to support community gardening, food access, gardening education, and culinary instruction.
BIRMINGHAM, AL – Jones Valley Teaching Farm (JVTF) is excited to announce Gather, a fundraiser supporting its Good Community Food programs. The event will take place on Saturday, May 30th at Jones Valley Teaching Farm’s Center for Food Education in downtown Birmingham. Gather will feature delicious food from local chefs, locally donated beer and wine, family-friendly activities and games, line dancing instruction from Desi Keith, a silent auction, and tomato plant sale.
Created by JVTF’s Community Advisory Board in 2025, Gather aims to increase community awareness and involvement in JVTF’s Good Community Food programs while providing funding for the program’s annual operating costs.
Good Community Food (GCF) strengthens Alabama’s food system by expanding food access, providing agricultural skills-based training, and sharing resources with urban growers and community gardens. Programs include the GCF Fellowship, free and reduced-cost workshops, $5 cooking classes, annual community garden grants, free seedling distribution, and free produce via two farm stands.
“What began as an extension of a gardening hobby has grown into a meaningful commitment to supporting programs that nourish families and communities.” says Elizabeth Reid, former Fellow and current Community Advisory Board member, “It is an impact we now see at home, where my thirteen-year-old is a self-proclaimed foodie, experimenting with recipes from locally grown produce, fermenting foods, and learning what it means to be part of a passionate community working to ensure good food is accessible to all.”
Gather tickets are on sale now at bit.ly/GATHER-2026: $75 for adults, $15 for youth between 5-15 years old, and children 4 and under get in free. Sponsorship inquiries are welcome and may be sent to wilc@jvtf.org.
JVTF is grateful for the support of our Event Sponsors: SteelCrest Wealth Management at Morgan Stanley, Compost Only, Rotaract Club of Birmingham, Grassroots Wine, and Cahaba Brewing Company.
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About Jones Valley Teaching Farm
Founded in 2002, Jones Valley Teaching Farm (JVTF) is a Birmingham, AL-based non-profit organization that operates vibrant, student-centered Teaching Farms and the Good School Food Education and Pathways Framework. Using food as a foundation for education and environmental stewardship, pre-K-12 youth discover the joy of learning through immersive lessons at JVTF Teaching Farms and the Center for Food Education. JVTF’s Youth Pathways and Experiences initiative offers Birmingham youth paid work-based learning and enrichment opportunities to explore and identify pathways to employment and higher education. The Center for Food Education connects these resources to the larger Birmingham community and state, serving as an educational resource and destination and increasing JVTF’s reach and impact.