Food and Farm

“Helping youth preserve Appalachia while looking toward the future” – Robert Diaz of McDowell County

03.22.19

BY JENNY TOTTEN, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR, THE HUB

Some of you may remember Robert “Taco Man” Diaz from the New Story event at the state fairgrounds last year. He spent two days slinging delicious tacos with some young help and provided entertainment for all! Since then, this McDowell County resident has made some big strides toward helping youth reimagine and reinvent the foodways of the southern coalfields.

Robert finished up his AmeriCorps VISTA year with WVU Extension last summer. During this AmeriCorps experience, he kept insisting that he never wanted to teach full time. Still, he always gravitated toward working with the teenagers in 4H and school programming.

Next up on Robert’s list was to help with planning and executing the McDowell County local foods dinner sponsored by the McDowell County Convention and Visitor’s Bureau and the West Virginia Food and Farm Coalition. Robert and his daughter Abby knocked it out of the park as 30 dinner attendees climbed Miracle Mountain and enjoyed a delicious evening with a gorgeous view of the county. Attendees came from near and as far away as Putnam County for this experience, and it was decided that these dinners would become a regular occurrence to be held around the county.

During this same time, the cooking instructor position at the McDowell County Career and Technical Center was vacated and the school board was looking for a fresh new perspective on this class.

(Remember the part where Robert said he never wanted to teach?)

Well, Robert applied for the position, and walked in with a plan to teach teenagers how to truly cater and prepare meals using fresh ingredients. He was offered the position!

Robert has been instructing at the center since late last fall and is now starting to incorporate both entrepreneurship and farm to table concepts in his lessons.

The two classes have set up their own business – the Wild Thyme Café – and are busy preparing salads and other offerings. He’s in the middle of refurbishing a small greenhouse on site, and his classroom resembles a mix between and school garden and a jungle as he teaches his students to both grow their food and utilize it in recipes.

Robert is helping to rewrite the narrative of coal country and West Virginia as a whole by inspiring our next generation workforce to explore the creative economy and to push the limits of what’s possible in our communities.

He’s helping youth preserve the food and agriculture ways of Appalachia while looking toward the future.

WVPB: Out-of-work Appalachian coal miners train as beekeepers to earn extra cash

03.05.19

BY EDITOR FOR WEST VIRGINIA PUBLIC BROADCASTING

Just like his grandfather and father before him, James Scyphers spent almost two decades mining coal in West Virginia.

“These were the best jobs in the area; we depended on ’em,” he recalls.

But mining jobs started disappearing, declining from 132,000 in 1990 to 53,000 in 2018, devastating the area’s economy. In a state that now has the lowest labor-force participation rate in the nation, the long-term decline of coal mining has left West Virginia residents without new options to make a living.

Scyphers was fortunate to find a construction job, but it paid two-thirds less than what he earned underground. He often took odd jobs to make ends meet. One of those odd jobs included building hives and tending bees for the Appalachian Beekeeping Collective…

Read the full story on the West Virginia Public Broadcasting site »

Food and farm finance training coming up in Fairmont

02.05.19

BY EMMA PEPPER, DIRECTOR OF STRATEGIC NETWORK COMMUNICATIONS, THE HUB

The team at the Natural Capital Investment Fund is hosting a Food and Farm Finance Training for business coaches, lenders and other service providers this February 20, 9am – 3pm, at the Robert H Mollohan Research Center in Fairmont (1000 Galliher Drive, Fairmont, WV 26554).

From the organizers:

Consumers today are seeking locally made food and beverages and many WV producers are ready to take advantage of this consumer trend. However, these businesses also have difficulty acquiring loans and capital needed to grow due to unique aspects of farm finances. This training will specifically cover farm finance intricacies and how to help food and farm businesses prepare to acquire capital.

Please join us February 20th from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm, at the Robert H. Mollohan Research Center in Fairmont to learn how the local food industry can be an economic driver for West Virginia and how you can contribute to food and farm businesses’ success.

Please direct questions to Marti Neustadt (martineustadt@vc2.org) or Todd Crump (todd.d.crump@wv.gov).

Find more information and register for the event »

What’s the buzz? Beekeeping classes are starting again

01.15.19

BY EMMA PEPPER, DIRECTOR OF STRATEGIC NETWORK COMMUNICATIONS, THE HUB

The Appalachian Beekeeping Collective is kicking off a new series of beekeeping classes across the state!

From the organizers:

Join the Appalachian Beekeeping Collective (ABC) for our free, five-week introductory beekeeping course, Beekeeping 101! Learn from ABC beekeeping staff about the basics of getting started with beekeeping in our area. No experience is necessary. Beekeeping 101 is also a prerequisite for becoming a partner with ABC in 2019. This could be you!

Interested attendees in one of the sessions below can RSVP through ABC’s Facebook events (@appalbeecollective), or by emailing pkietzman@appheadwaters.org.

Lewisburg session: Tuesday nights beginning on January 22nd. 7-9 PM at the WV State Fairgrounds.
Pineville session: Tuesday nights beginning on January 22nd. 6:30-8:30 PM at the Pineville Public Library.
Beaver session: Wednesday nights beginning on January 23rd. 6-8 PM at the New River Community and Technical College.
Oak Hill session: Wednesday nights beginning January 23rd. 6:30-8:30 PM at Oak Hill City Hall.
Bluefield session: Thursday nights beginning on January 24th. 5:30-7:30 PM at Crossroads Church, 740 Panorama Rd., Bluefield.
Concord University session: Thursday nights beginning on January 24th. 6:00-8:00 PM in Conference Room A/B of the Beasley Student Center, Concord University. You do not need to be a Concord student or staff member to attend this session.
Hinton session: Monday nights beginning on January 28^th. 7 – 9 PM at the Summers County Memorial Building in Hinton.

The Appalachian Beekeeping Collective (ABC) is a group of beekeepers, scientists, and educators committed to training West Virginians in beekeeping, breeding a mite-resistant strain of bee that is successful in our region, and developing improved natural beekeeping best practices. ABC mentors new beekeepers in the art, science and opportunities of sustainable beekeeping.
For more information, visit ABC’s website or Facebook page (@appalbeecollective).

Is beekeeping right for you? Check out this class to see.

12.04.18

BY EMMA PEPPER, DIRECTOR OF STRATEGIC NETWORK COMMUNICATIONS, THE HUB

The Appalachian Beekeeping Collective, part of Appalachian Headwaters, is hosting workshops around the state to get encouraging bourgeoning beekeepers to hop on the beekeeping train.

From the organizers:

Are you interested in learning more about keeping bees? Come to this free, beginner-friendly class for an overview of beekeeping and to learn how to get involved with the Appalachian Beekeeping Collective! Class is free and open to the general public.

Classes will be held:

Tuesday, December 11, 5:30pm – Crossroads Church of Bluefield, WV
Monday, December 17, 6:30pm – Wyoming County Extension Office in Pineville, WV
Friday, January 4, 5:30pm – Sprouting Farms in Talcott, WV

There will also be a bee yard tour at 4:30pm on January 4, before the class begins at Sprouting Farms.

For more information, contact Kevin Johnson at kjohnson@appheadwaters.org.

Follow the Beekeeping Collective on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/appalbeecollective/.

“It’s powerful to participate” – Eleanor Marshall on being a VISTA

12.04.18

Eleanor on a Grow Ohio Valley farm in Wheeling

BY ELEANOR MARSHALL, DIRECTOR OF SPECIAL PROJECTS, GROW OHIO VALLEY

One year ago, I was living on a rural farm outside of Atlanta, Georgia, finishing up an organic farm apprenticeship. I loved farming – caring for plants and selling beautiful, fresh-picked produce – but our impact was limited. Every week, we sold to the same farmer’s market regulars and charged high prices to support our farm. I wanted to know how sustainable farming and the local food movement could be more connected to community health and economic development.

I found the position at Grow Ohio Valley through Good Food Jobs and became a VISTA (Volunteer in Service to America) sponsored by The Hub as a result, somewhat on accident.

Through a year of service, I’ve come to believe VISTA provides an opportunity to do some of the most committed and impactful service work in the country. It’s not glamorous and not always fun or gratifying to do capacity-building, but it is powerful to participate in building infrastructure and systems to sustain enduring change.

Resource-constrained nonprofits in West Virginia and across the country have a great need for skilled and dedicated coordinators, fundraisers, marketing professionals, and program developers. In many cases, this need is as great or even greater than for volunteers that do the most visible and direct service, like serving meals at a soup kitchen or harvesting and delivering produce.

Grow Ohio Valley’s vision is to achieve regional food security: access to safe, nutritious and affordable food for all people.

I find power and elegance in a theory of change that connects economic opportunities for local farmers to food access programs that help fresh and nutritious food reach the populations of greatest need. When a patchwork of local farms flourishes, abundance is generated through care for the health of people and the planet – and shared among many owners.

Each seed planted, fresh vegetable sold at market, or dollar re-circulated in the local economy is an investment in this place and in its future.

My VISTA service was centered on the creation of the Public Market: a local and natural foods store set to open in downtown Wheeling in May 2019. The market works at the intersection of three community needs: to eliminate a USDA-classified food desert that spans all of downtown Wheeling, to create a profitable year-round outlet for local farmers where none exists, and to fill an empty storefront in a revitalizing downtown.

I would never have gotten the opportunity to gain diverse experience in so many aspects of a project start-up if my position had been a regular salaried job. I wasn’t traditionally qualified! Through VISTA, I got to jump a few rungs on the career ladder, and more importantly, develop skills that will serve me professionally and personally in ways I can’t even foresee.

I didn’t know what I was getting into with this Public Market project, or what a fruitful challenge it would be. Over the past year, I’ve met farmers from Amish growers to Pittsburgh urban gardeners, learning about their businesses and seeking out the most nutritious & delicious local food for the market. I’ve learned to write a business plan, make demand forecasts and sales projections, and (almost) understand basic architecture plans. And I’ve been welcomed by a beautiful East Wheeling community and the Grow Ohio Valley family of eccentrics and visionaries, some of the most committed people I’ve had the privilege of learning from.

I’ve been lucky to have the opportunity to join Grow Ohio Valley’s staff following my VISTA term.

The Public Market is set to open its doors this coming May, and I will continue to coordinate the project and see it through to its launch as my highest priority. My new title is “Director of Special Projects” and my role has expanded from a singular focus on the Public Market to involvement in Grow Ohio Valley’s new development and continued growth on an organizational level.

Want better options for food in McDowell County? Head to one of these community meetings.

10.30.18

BY LAKEISHA PERKINS, BILL EMERSON NATIONAL HUNGER FELLOW

Have you ever looked around your neighborhood at the food options available and wondered if something else would work in the area? Or considered growing a backyard garden to have access to fresh produce regularly?

Topics like these, and many more, will be explored in a series of community meetings throughout McDowell County during the month of November. In addition to thinking about the food choices available in the county, meeting attendees will talk about ways to use food-related ventures, like farmers markets, CSA’s, local restaurants and more to improve the economic conditions in the area. For example, with the Hatfield-McCoy trails bringing in a new wave of tourists, these meetings can foster conversation about the best ways to ensure that profits from tourism stay and benefit the entire county.

Furthermore, during meetings we will be exploring values in McDowell, some of the assets, and how people want to see the county moving forward. While the focus of these conversations will center on food choices, agriculture, and economic development, we hope to connect other ideas to these three main issues.

Once all the meetings are held, supplemental survey data is aggregated, and other metrics are collected, a Foodshed Improvement Plan for McDowell County will be created. By holding these meetings and collecting information, we will be shaping the plan directly from the views of residents.

The goal is to create a holistic, adaptable, and accurate plan to improve the food system in the next five years that centers the experiences and suggestions of those actually living and working in McDowell County.

Please see our Facebook page for more information: Southern Coalfields Foodshed Improvement Plan – McDowell County, WV.

If you know of anyone who we should talk to individually, email maime@hungercenter.org or call (304)993-9441.

If you live in the county, please take this survey so that we can incorporate your voice into the plan: https://goo.gl/forms/fo32ipJaQ2APDfWR2.

Charleston Gazette-Mail: Voluntary Farmland Protection Act permanently preserves farm in Lincoln County

10.09.18

BY TRAVIS CRUM FOR THE HERALD DISPATCH/CHARLESTON GAZETTE-MAIL

Glenn Stickler’s eyes welled up with tears as he described the 200 acres of land in Lincoln County that has been part of his family since 1922.

His grandfather spent his life farming the land, as did his father “from daylight to dark,” he said. Now the land is being officially preserved as a farm forever, meaning it can never be used for development.

It’s thanks to the Voluntary Farmland Protection Act, passed by the West Virginia Legislature in 2000. The act permanently preserves agricultural and grazing lands to combat the shrinking number of farms within the state. So far, properties in more than 20 counties have been added to the efforts.

But the Sticklers’ farm, located off Lower Mud River Road in Hamlin, is the first farm within the southern counties to earn such a designation. A small celebration was held at the farm Friday with friends, family and the people who helped Stickler with the process…

Read the full article on the Charleston Gazette-Mail site »

If you want more information or are interested in the program, contact: ricmacdowell@gmail.com.

The Inter-Mountain: ‘Food For All’ invites WVians to challenge hunger

10.02.18

BY THE INTER-MOUNTAIN

A public summit is planned in Buckhannon to address the problem of hunger in West Virginia.

A coalition of individuals and organizations is coming together to host Food For All: 5 Bold Ideas to Challenge Hunger in West Virginia from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Nov. 13 at the Event Center at Brushy Fork near Buckhannon. The coalition of partners would like to invite the West Virginia community to attend the summit.

“This event is for those already fighting against hunger in West Virginia, but also for those who see the struggles in their community and want to join the efforts. Food for All is an opportunity to work toward five bold ideas that secures food access and equity for our communities. Food for all is an opportunity to join an action team and make a difference,” organizers said…

Read the full article on The Inter-Mountain website »

Big Ugly Community Center to celebrate 30 years with heritage foods dinner

09.24.18

Photo from Big Ugly Community Center Facebook page

BY DAN TAYLOR, ENERGIZING ENTREPRENEURIAL COMMUNITIES PROGRAM COORDINATOR, THE HUB

Do you like delicious food and good causes? Well, you are in luck, because Chic on the Creek is just around the corner on Saturday, October 6, 5-7pm in Lincoln County!

The event is a fundraiser for the Big Ugly Community Center (15 Rosewood Rd. Harts, WV), which is celebrating 30 years with Step by Step, and they want you to come celebrate and help them be able raise enough to keep going another 30 years. The community center provides much needed programming and skill building for local youth in a very rural and isolated part of the county.

The dinner will take place at the community center following the Fall Festival that day. This event is made possible by a partnership with the National Coal Heritage Area Authority.

This is the first event of this kind at the community center, and the menu features:

Local Greens Salad with Spiced Pumpkin Seeds
Gourmet French Onion Soup
Seared Flank Steak or Oven Fried Chicken
Sauteed Seasonal Vegetables
Roasted Root Vegetables and Potatoes
Homemade Apple Crisp Ala Mode

Click here to get your tickets.