FARMINGTON – By visioning together, a community expresses the belief that “we can do it,” Healthy Community Coalition Executive Director Leah Binder told the Community Health Visioning Conference on Wednesday.

The visioning conferences, held every other year, work to identify the community’s strengths and resources and to prioritize what’s important to this community.

This year, a panel of leaders shared what their organizations have done and their plans for the future in the areas of four community health priorities: economic stability, nutrition, physical activity and access to health care. The conference was held at Franklin Memorial Hospital.

New businesses in the area such as Poland Spring Water Co. and NotifyMD have created employment and income for the area, Alison Hagerstrom of the Greater Franklin Development Corp. said. Other projects being worked on include wind farms, summer youth camp, Saddleback’s 10-year plan and a new business in Wilton. While developing new opportunities takes time, she said, she also receives calls from businesses in the coastal area that are looking to relocate to the mountains.

Forty-five percent of people working on an undergraduate degree are enrolled in a community college, said the Rev. Douglas Dunlap, speaking for the Franklin County Community College Network. Two years ago, there was no community college opportunity in the county. This spring, there are nine community college courses being offered at different sites around the county with more than 250 students enrolled. A local community college overcomes the barriers of access, cost and the cultural experience for young people and those in their 30s and 40s, he said.

Eat Smart, Eat Local, a nutrition program that encourages people to buy local products, can be challenging with the number of farms and farmlands scaling down, said Tanya Swain of the Western Mountains Alliance. But banners, contests, cook-offs and creation of a workshop and DVD explaining the setup of a greenhouse such as the one located at the Marble residence on Holley Road are some of the tasks accomplished. A virtual farmers market and a cost analysis to bring local foods into the schools are some of the future goals.

Nutrition goals of reducing sugar consumption and eating more fruits and vegetables has been the focus of Eileen Liddy’s work for the Healthy Community Coalition. Classes on vegetable preparation, recipe development, and the Hope Harvest Community Garden where food grown is donated to area food closets was described by Liddy.

Jim Toner, director of the newly named UMF Fitness and Recreation Center, spoke of the work being done to make the center more accessible to more people and the center’s youth programs, that while being fun, incorporate exercise that the student may not realize. A youth fitness program and restructuring the center’s membership rates were some of his goals.

A binder describing schools and community centers open for winter walking was one major accomplishment described by Sandy Richard of the Healthy Community Coalition.

Since its inception a few years ago, the Franklin Health Access provides health care opportunities for those who are not insured or who are underinsured, said Charlie Woodcock, director. Each of the 800 members, she said, has a personal health advocate who helps them get the care they need.

Other presenters included Connie Coggins from HealthReach Community Health Centers and Marc Edwards, tourism economic development educator for the University of Maine Cooperative Extension.

After the panel, participants were involved in small groups to discuss ideas and ways to move those ideas forward.