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

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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 is powerful to participate in systems to sustain enduring change” – Eleanor Marshall on being a VISTA

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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. This is the opposite of extractive industry: a theory of economic growth based on regeneration. 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.

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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

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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

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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

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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.

Remembering Zeke Wood, Lincoln County community leader and WV agriculture champion

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Nona Conley and Zeke Wood

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

In my two years working in Lincoln County with the Hub, first through The Hub’s Innovation Acceleration Strategy program and now the Energizing Entrepreneurial Communities program, Zeke Wood was always a shining light of person who cared for and stepped up for his community.

I knew Zeke primarily from his work with the Lincoln County Farmer’s Market, a platform that we at The Hub have worked to assist. However, not having known Zeke as well as many of those in his community, I want to share this fantastic write up about him from his daughter-in-law, Ashley Lilly Wood. It shows all of the hats he wore and what he meant to everyone.

I was honored to attend a celebration of Zeke’s life on Saturday, July 28 at Wood Family Farm, outside of Hamlin, a beautiful place that Zeke referred to as his church.

We will miss him – his family, friends, and community will miss him – but we are all lucky for the work that he put in to make Lincoln County a better place.

Words from Ashley Lilly Wood:

“Zeke Wood, 77 of Hamlin, made his final journey on July 23rd, 2018, from the hills of West Virginia. He often spoke reverently, while walking amongst the nature and greenhouses of The Wood Family Farm, saying, “This is my church.” The many who loved him rest assured his transition was an easy one. A short illness may have temporarily taken his strength, but never his spirit. He was comforted and supported in his final moments by family.

Zeke’s love of farming permeated every aspect of his life. Born in Coolridge, West Virginia, he served in the US Army and attended WVU, earning his Masters degree in Horticulture.

He was committed to inspiring young farmers in 4H. As the leader of Middle Creek 4H Club, he taught them to farm tobacco, while he worked as the manager of Adkins Hardware in Hamlin.

Zeke was a lifetime member of FFA Alumni and vice president of the Lincoln County Chapter. He was Market Manager of Lincoln County Farmer’s Market for more than ten years, and a WVU Extension Agent for Agriculture for the counties of Boone, Lincoln, and Logan, where he was manager of a demonstration farm for 5 years.

He was a member and participating farmer with Lincoln County Farm Trails, which operated a demonstration farm for 4 years, and as vice president of Lincoln County Farm Bureau, from its formation in 1995 to the present, Zeke was personally responsible for bringing more than 20 high tunnels to Lincoln County.

He shared his knowledge freely, nurturing a close knit community of fellow farmers. His passion for life was unsurpassed. He was humble and kind, a hard working and light hearted man that will be missed immeasurably.

He is preceded in death by his father Dailey Wood, his mother Frances Eads-Wood, his stepfather Walter Crews, his stepson Shannon Keeling, and his ex-wife Wanda Gaye Wood.

He is survived by his loving companion of 35 years, Nona Conley of Hamlin, his sons Chris, Greg, and Joe as well as Joe’s wife Ashley, and their two daughters Allison and Hailey, Zeke’s beloved granddaughters, all of Hamlin.

He is also survived by his stepchildren Angie, Clifford, Darrien and Shawna Keeling. He is survived by his companion’s children, who also considered him a step father, Joanna Hutchinson, Baena Carter of Charlestown, and Cheryl Hardy along with her children Shannon, Natasha and Nikki.”

WCHS: Volunteers help this locally-sourced community cafe run smoothly

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BY ALLISON SCOTT FOR WCHS

A new place to enjoy farm fresh and locally grown food is opening in South Charleston.

It’s called Café Appalachia, and it’s located inside an old church.

The non-profit is part of One World Everybody Eats.

The cafe and coffee house will have a different menu every day.

“The concept is to show people that someone who doesn’t have a lot of money can get a really good meal, but the other thing is food waste, so everything that is left turns into another meal the next day,” said Cheryl Laws with Café Appalachia.

All items are a suggested donation price, which means someone can bus tables, take out the trash or work in the garden to pay for their meal.

“You don’t know if you paid 20 dollars for yours [meal] and someone beside you is going to bus tables after they eat,” Laws said. “It’s an opportunity of people of all walks of life to come together and have conversations that will hopefully start healing the community…”

Read the full article on WCHS’s site »

Support your farmers by signing up for a CSA – Wild Ramp now accepting signups

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

It’s CSA time! 2018’s growing season is now under way, and that means the door is open to take part in Community Supported Agriculture (CSA). A CSA model connects the farmer directly to the consumer through a subscription. Start by signing up for a subscription, and then collect your fruits, veggies, herbs and more on a regular basis, fresh-picked from the farm.

The Wild Ramp’s CSA is accepting new signups through this Friday, May 11. Along with its partners, Refresh Appalachia and Greenbrier Valley Grown, The Wild Ramp supports over 100 farmers across southern West Virginia. This farm share provides a consistent market for farmers and allows you to access fresh products at a discount.

Weekly shares will contain a variety of products including produce, eggs, and meat. A non-meat subscription is also offered. Subscribers may sign up for a 4-week renewable subscription or a 12-week subscription at a discount.

Sign up by May 11th to begin receiving your share on May 18th.

Farm shares will be available for pickup at The Wild Ramp in Huntington from 12pm-6pm on Fridays and 9am-5pm on Saturdays. The cost is $100 for a 4-week share or $280 for a 12-week share. For questions, call The Wild Ramp at (304) 523-7267 or email marketmanager@wildramp.org.

Do you have a CSA in your community? Give a shout out to the CSA in the comments here so more people can learn and join in! If you’re currently accepting new signups for a CSA that you run, please include that information!

Farm Tours and More at Lincoln County Farm Field Day

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Lincoln County Farm Field Day

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

A Lincoln County tradition continues again this year, as Zeke Wood hosts the Lincoln County Farm Field Day for 2018 on Saturday May 12th.

Zeke, who helped created the Lincoln County Farmers Market, hosts the event yearly on his farm at 297 Middle Creek Road, just three miles east of Hamlin off Route 3, with sponsorship from the Guyan Conservation District.

This year’s event begins at 9:30am with tours of the farm, which include three high tunnels on site through USDA NRCS, who will be on hand to discuss their high tunnel program during a roundtable discussion, also discussing state and federal conservation programs and irrigation and moisture management systems.

There will be a presentation on crop production by John Johnson from WVU Extension, as well.

Lunch is provided at noon, and at 12:30 the first Lincoln County Farmers Market of the season kicks off.

From then on out, the Farmers Market will be each Saturday at First Sentry Bank in Hamlin from 9am to 1pm till the fall.  Other farmers markets will kick off in the county following this, with West Hamlin on Mondays from 3-6pm, Lincoln Primary Care on Wednesdays from 3-6pm and Alum Creek on Fridays from 3-6pm.

The Hub, first via the IAS program and its mini grant component, and now through the Energizing Entrepreneurial Communities program, has been working with the Farmers Market to support their work since 2016, as it is an important entrepreneurial vehicle for local farmers and an important amenity to the community, as they look to boost their local economy and invite visitors in to enjoy what they have.

To RSVP for the Lincoln County Farm Field Day or for more information call the Guyan Conservation District Office 304-528-5718 or Zeke Wood 304-824-7959

View the Lincoln County Farm Field Day 2018 Flier Here