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VIRGINIA (WFXR<\/a>) \u2013 Erin Lunsford, an award-winning singer\/songwriter and\u00a0Fincastle native, is addressing food insecurity with her new Appalachian community care song, \u201cStrawberries.\u201d<\/p>\n According to the press release, Steeped in the bluegrass and folk traditions of her Southwest Virginia roots, Lunsford blends clawhammer banjo, front-porch storytelling, and pop-savvy hooks to create a sound that is uniquely her own.<\/p>\n Lunsford says she is coupling her release with direct community action through her \u201cStrawberries\u201d Food Pantry Fundraiser Tour. Rather than a traditional album promotion, she\u2019s channeling the celebration of her new single into addressing food insecurity across Central Virginia.<\/p>\n The stops of this tour include:<\/p>\n Sept 7: @fonticellofoodforest in Richmond, Virginia (5-7 p.m.)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n Sept 21: @leap4localfood Mountain View Community Garden, SW Roanoke (2-4 p.m.) \u2013 Sept 28: @harkvineyards Charlottesville, Va (2-4 p.m.) \u2013 benefiting the Charlottesville Food Roanoke nonprofits and schools get funds to boost food accessibility <\/a><\/p>\n \u201cThe tour reflects Lunsford\u2019s approach to using her platform for mutual aid. By connecting her Lunsford says \u201cStrawberries\u201d is about the proverbial garden in which we can all share if we work together and care for each other. Lunsford believes we can shift towards a community-centric model of care if we continue to learn and grow together. The song\u2019s lyrics showcase the plants and animals native to Virginia, including persimmons, white tail deer, Joe Pye weed, and, of course, strawberries.<\/p>\n Lunsford said she was inspired to write \u201cStrawberries\u201d after seeing a news story about immigration that implied immigrants are a threat to resources and should be feared.<\/p>\n In her own words, Lunsford said, \u201cI was struck by how indoctrinated Americans are in the scarcity mindset. We are so worried about getting what\u2019s mine and keeping what\u2019s mine. But if we shifted to an abundance mindset, a caring mindset, we would have enough resources to go around. Strawberries talks about the proverbial garden where EVERYONE is welcome, all the plants and animals are native to central Virginia and thriving, and we fight for each other\u2019s freedoms. I care deeply about body justice and autonomy, marriage equality, food insecurity, and I\u2019m learning more and more how deeply intertwined all these battles are. Our freedoms are truly dependent on each other\u2019s freedoms. If we work together, we can all be free! \u201c<\/p>\n Listen to \u201cStrawberries\u201d here<\/a>, and watch the stop animation music video here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.<\/i><\/p>\n\n
benefiting Salvation Army Roanoke food pantry<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
Pantry<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
music directly to fundraising efforts, she\u2019s demonstrating how artists can embed community care
into their work \u2013 turning release celebrations into opportunities for collective support. Each stop
partners with local food systems organizations, creating a network of care that extends beyond
a single performance. This model of artist-led community organizing shows how music can
serve as both creative expression and social infrastructure in our region,\u201d said the Richmond Grid<\/a>.<\/p>\n