One Valley was created from discussions within the Northwest Neighborhood Environmental Organization (NNEO), in part to implement projects consistent with NNEO's mission to convert vacant lots, given to them by the City of Roanoke, into beneficial uses for the community.

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VISION STATEMENT

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1. “To lift and unite our entire Valley community through the following educational and environmental actions: Creation of sustainable community-centered institutions such as the George Washington Carver Environmental Education Center (Carver Center), including

•  Support for urban farming community gardens and other activities that promote healthy living and food accessibility,

• Demonstration and implementation of local storm water management stewardship options and opportunities,

• Continuation of community conversations that address underlying racism in our valley,

• Provision of job-training opportunities to raise Northwest Roanoke economically, and

• Promotion of alternative energy, green infrastructure, and technologies that link communities.

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2. The forging of partnerships with businesses, local governments, educational institutions, faith based entities, and other non-profits in the creation of a valley-wide corridor of lifelong learning.”

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An ongoing One Valley project is a collaborative effort to effectively address health and economic disparities facing neighborhood families and to develop a sustainable local food system within the food desert of Northwest Roanoke. This initiative aims to create a network of urban farms on vacant lots owned by the Northwest Neighborhood Environmental Organization in, and surrounding, the neighborhood. The sites will act as working food production and vocational training facilities in cooperation with the Carver Center. This initiative will provide workforce development and community work experience. The first of such sites is the currently functioning G.W. Carver Community Garden located at 525 Loudon Ave, NW.

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These urban farms will feature hoop houses, outdoor demonstration gardens, farm stands, drip irrigation systems, trails and environmental spaces, and outdoor education areas. Community members involved in this initiative will be taught to run independent commercial agriculture operations on the farm lots, which will transform the network into community-led commercial urban agricultural enterprises and serve as a model for other neighborhoods throughout the Roanoke Valley.  

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The Carver Center is envisioned as containing a science lab and classrooms to deliver environmental and healthy living education for students K-12 as well as for adults. It will include a working and teaching kitchen to provide education, training and career opportunities as well as locally grown food for a restaurant and market on the grounds of the Center. It will also include a community room and a library, and house two “anchor” tenants, offering additional employment in the community. And it will host programs, speakers and seminars designed to inspire African-American and other students to follow career paths into “green collar” and environmental work, fields that are growing rapidly in our country but are very under-represented by people of color. It is our intent that the Carver Center will develop and offer educational programs that encourage human health, job creation, and social interchange within the community. We also plan for the Carver Center to serve as a community resource and to promote dialogue that addresses lingering issues of social injustice.