Food and Farm

Five tips for reframing failures as opportunities for future successes

02.15.21

Nearly 50 community changemakers joined us for January’s virtual Community Conversation!

BY JENNY TOTTEN, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR, THE HUB

Often, the successes we see from communities are the results of months, or even years, of hard work. While we are always proud to report our accomplishments, behind the scenes, there are often many twists, turns, and challenges along the way. Each failure represents a major milestone–an opportunity to pivot and tackle our work anew.

Last month, The Hub staff was joined by community leaders with Create Buckhannon and the McDowell County Local Food System Project for a lively chat about their teams’ failures that spring-boarded into other opportunities as part of our ongoing Community Conversation series.

Katie Loudin, representing Create Buckhannon, spoke on the transition of a strong leader taking an unexpected step back. Meredith Miller, a Senior at Mount View High School in McDowell County and Student Coordinator for the Go Growcery Market, discussed the importance of getting the community on board and ignoring negative comments when implementing a new project. James Russell, a foodshed coordinator in the Southern Coalfields, reiterated the importance of taking risks and trying new ideas more than once before you declare them a failure.

Here are five helpful takeaways from our guests for handling some of the less than graceful moments of community building:

Good work and a steady effort will always result in a positive outcome.
This piece of advice, delivered by Katie, illustrates the importance of maintaining steady efforts towards community change. By applying sustained energy, community teams can avoid burnout and keep the needle gradually moving.
Celebrate every win.
Announcing and showcasing the processes of a project can allow others to view them as a series of more attainable goals. You never know who you might inspire.
Just keep going and let the community spread the good news.
Meredith shared that her work of developing a mobile farmers market in McDowell County would involve a massive culture change among residents, and she recognized that this change would not happen overnight. The market’s customer base started out small, but by consistently showing up, the organizers were able to attract repeat and new customers each week.
Good things will happen when you lift each other up.
All three guests talked about the importance of being cheerleaders for their fellow volunteers. Create Buckhannon is always working to help its community get to a “yes” moment, where the energy is positive and residents feel like they can take ownership without being overly managed.
Engage young people to help solve your community’s problems.
Be inclusive. Making space for young voices that are not often amplified can result in some great problem-solving action! Meredith highlighted that young people who are engaged in community projects become adults who are excited to continue working in their communities. To learn more about youth engagement, check out the Youth Engagement Best Practices Guide.

If you’d like to learn more about the work showcased in this Community Conversation, check out Create Buckhannon and the Go Growcery Market.

Jenny Totten is the Community Development Coordinator at The Hub. You can reach her at j.totten@wvhub.org.

WV Explorer: Southern WV farmers take their market online

02.24.20

*Image via Turnrow Appalachian Farm Collective Facebook page*

BY DAVID SIBRAY FOR WV EXPLORER

Technology is providing a boost for farming and agritourism in the northern New River Gorge Region, thanks to a partnership between a central-Appalachian agricultural collective and a community farm initiative near Fayetteville, West Virginia.

Turnrow Appalachian Farm Collective will host a community dinner and launch party at Arrowhead Bike Farm near Fayetteville on March 6 to celebrate the launch of the new Fayetteville Online Farmers Market, which will be based at New Roots Community Farm.

According to Kelsey Abad, a spokesman for Turnrow, the online market will serve local farmers as well as local consumers…

Read the full story on the WV Explorer site »

New tools for farmers seeking land from National Young Farmers Coalition

02.18.20

FROM THE NATIONAL YOUNG FARMERS COALITION

In 2017, the National Young Farmers Coalition (Young Farmers) surveyed more than 3,500 young farmers and ranchers across the country and found that land access was their number one challenge, regardless of geography or whether they had grown up on a farm.

Those surveyed reported that they struggled to identify land to buy or rent that was affordable on a farming income, that had the appropriate resources for their operations, and that had housing opportunities. Of the respondents who cited land access as a challenge, 28 percent felt insecure, worrying that they could soon lose their land.

Most farmers require access to credit when buying farmland, or even when starting a business on leased land. However, credit is hard to secure with a nascent business. This “chicken-and-egg conundrum” is especially challenging for the 75 percent of young farmers who are also first-generation farmers working to construct their businesses from the ground up.

In order to address the challenge, the Young Farmers partnered with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to create the Finding Farmland Course and Calculator, which are available in both English and Spanish.

Head to the Young Farmers website to read more about + access the tools »

Grow Ohio Valley to open community-minded market this month

10.01.19

Dean Sparks will serve as the store’s manager. Image from Grow Ohio Valley.

Congratulations to the team at Grow Ohio Valley in Wheeling, WV on this major achievement!

Here are the official details on this exciting new venture directly from the team at Grow Ohio Valley:

The Public Market will host a Grand Opening Celebration on Oct. 19. The market, a project of Wheeling-based non-profit Grow Ohio Valley, will offer local food from over 40 area vendors, along with natural and health food items. Additionally, the Public Market will feature a deli offering seasonal and healthy options for breakfast, lunch, and grab & go items.

The Grand Opening Celebration will combine with Grow OV’s popular Harvest Festival. The event will feature a full lineup of live music and unique local food offerings, in addition to the mainstays of Harvest Festival – pumpkin decorating, face painting, scavenger hunts, and more (further details are forthcoming). The Grand Opening Harvest Festival, taking place 12 – 7 pm will span 14^th Street at the corner of Main St. across from the Public Market.

Oct. 19 coincides with the first home game for the Wheeling Nailers at the WesBanco arena. The Nailers will host additional festivities in conjunction with the Public Market. In addition, the Wheeling Symphony Auxiliary is sponsoring a 5K race on Oct. 19 at Heritage Port, featuring volunteers dressed as zombies and encouraging runners to wear costumes. There will be a mini-monster dash at 8:30 a.m., and the race begins at 9 a.m.

Grow OV hired Dean Sparks to lead the Public Market initiative as the Store Manger. Sparks, who relocated to Wheeling from rural Vermont, has made a career launching food co-ops and local and natural food retail stores. The Public Market will be his fourth store start-up.

The Public Market, opening in the Robert C. Byrd Intermodal Center on Main Street, has a dual mission of growing opportunities for local farmers while creating a space for community health, for all.

“We’re thrilled to open our doors to the downtown community to share the local harvest bounty. We’re expecting the Public Market to grow into a community meeting place where the public can learn, share and experience the health and economic benefits of supporting our local farm shed,” said Sparks.

Prior to launch, Grow OV is offering Early Bird Memberships for $5 off, costing $30 until the market opens on Oct. 19.

Members’ support will provide crucial contributions to bring the market to life by funding final construction costs, including electrical upgrades and basic plumbing to support the refrigerator display equipment and kitchen. GrowOV has already raised almost 90% of project costs, and the membership campaign will help to fund the remainder.

“Community support for the Public Market helps us to keep our costs low, so we can give back as much as possible to the local farmers we support,” said GrowOV Co-founder Danny Swan. “Your contributions will help us to create a space for community health that is accessible to all people in the Ohio Valley.”

In addition to Annual Memberships, the Public Market is offering Lifetime and Founding Memberships to those interested in making larger contributions. Lifetime members receive annual member benefits for life, as well as an invitation to a sneak-peak store preview event, a limited edition art print designed by local artist Logan Schmitt, and free hot coffee for one year – in exchange for a one-time contribution of $250. Founding Members who contribute $1,000 or more will be acknowledged with their names featured in the market space, will receive a Founding Member limited edition art print and an invitation to a Founding Members sneak-peak market preview event. Founding Members will also receive free hot coffee for one year after the market opens.

All are welcome at the Public Market. Memberships will not be required to shop.

For more information about Public Market memberships, or other questions, contact publicmarket@growov.org or call 304.233.4769.

Herald Dispatch: Young entrepreneur turns helping grandpa around farm into business

08.06.19

Photo from Moonlight Acres Farm Facebook page

BY TRAVIS CRUM FOR HERALD DISPATCH

Logan Nelson began selling chicken eggs collected from his family’s farm to people calling on the phone or messaging through Facebook. Word of mouth spread, and that evolved into selling eggs on the side of the roadway.

Today, egg production has further increased into supplying a local bakery and holding a table at the Pullman Square Farmers Market in Huntington, called Logan’s Coopacabana.

However, Nelson’s success wouldn’t be remarkable for just anyone…

Read the full story on the Herald Dispatch site »

Bridgeport Farmers Market: 16-year-old Grover shares why he’s known as “The Plant Kid”

07.09.19

BY GROVER GRAFTON FOR THE BRIDGEPORT FARMERS MARKET BLOG

Hello, my name is Grover Grafton and I’m, “The Plant Kid”; or so my neighbors say. I’m 16 years old and love everything pertaining to plants; whether it be growing them, eating them, and even teaching about them. You might be asking yourself how does a 16 year old develop such a passion for the art of growing plants? It all started at the ripe age of 9 with my grandmother’s amazing porch garden…

Read Grover’s story on the Bridgeport Farmers Market blog »

WFPL: Food service and farming jobs provide a path out of addiction

06.18.19

Cafe Appalachia’s dining room (from the Cafe Appalachia Facebook page)

BY BRITTANY PATTERSON & LIAM NIEMEYER FOR OHIO VALLEY RESOURCE

It’s lunch hour, and Cafe Appalachia is bustling.

Located in South Charleston, West Virginia, the former church turned restaurant has a funky, yet calming vibe. Twinkle lights and mismatched dining room sets dot the space. For $8 to $10 a plate, diners can enjoy a locally-sourced meal. The menu today is apple sage pork tips, spiralized zucchini (or “zoodles”), roasted broccoli, and a salad of spinach grown just a few miles away.

Autumn McCraw helped prepare today’s meal. The 35-year-old Charleston resident sports a maroon apron and greets every customer with a smile. Her days here typically start around 8 a.m…

Read + listen to the full story on the WFPL site »

After hardship, Lincoln County Farmers Market returns with renewed spirit

06.04.19

Thanks to the hard work of local growers such as Nancy Robert, Danise Smith and others, the Lincoln County Farmers Market is back!

After a tough year losing their founding member Zeke Wood, it took a lot of effort and spirit for the Lincoln County Market to rebound.

Members of the community and supporters held a series of stakeholder meetings for local farmers over the winter, to see who was interested in continuing to participate, what they could offer, and what markets they were interested in keeping and shedding. They previously operated four markets per week. The group decided to shift to 3 markets instead as a result of the collaborative process.

The Hub has been supporting their efforts since 2016, via the Innovation Acceleration Strategies program, and now into 2019 with the Energizing Entrepreneurial Communities program in Lincoln County.

Their 2019 schedule, running from April thru October, includes the three weekly markets:

Wednesdays in Hamlin, 11am – 1pm, at the Lincoln Primary Care Gazebo
Fridays in Alum Creek, 3pm – 6pm, on Rt. 214, next to the car wash and one mile from Corridor G
Saturdays in Hamlin, 9am – 12pm, at the Lincoln Primary Care Gazebo

If you are in the area, come out and support this community driven market and eat local!

Forbes: WV just made it easier to expand a homemade food business

04.23.19

BY NICK SIBILLA FOR FORBES

When it comes to starting a homemade food business, West Virginia is almost heaven.

Under a new law signed on Monday by Gov. Jim Justice, West Virginia will significantly ease restrictions on “cottage food” producers, who can sell cookies, jams, dried herbs, and other shelf-stable, homemade food, without a permit or the need to rent commercial kitchen space. Currently on the books in 49 states (with New Jersey the lone holdout), cottage food laws are designed to promote entrepreneurship and transform home kitchens into low-cost business incubators; one recent survey found that the median startup capital for a cottage food business was a mere $500.

But in West Virginia, red tape prevented home bakers from earning serious dough…

Read the full story on the Forbes site »

Lincoln County homesteaders use online marketing to support farming business

04.23.19

BY CYNTHIA MCCOMAS, ENERGIZING ENTREPRENEURIAL COMMUNITIES VISTA, THE HUB

Red Tool House is a 100 acre Lincoln County farm which specializes in pastured pork and poultry. The farm is managed by Troy and Kelly McClung, though they do much more than tend to the land to keep their business going.

Though West Virginia natives, the couple moved to Florida for work after college. When they returned to WV, they wanted to relocate to a rural setting, but close to Charleston. The couple chose to settle in Lincoln County in 2000, where they bought a piece of land that had been vacant for 20 years.

During those years, locals used the land as an illegal dumping grounds. Before moving onto the property, the couple removed 220 tires from the land, in addition to countless appliances and other types of garbage. In the 19 years that the McClungs have owned the land, they have cleaned up all 100 acres and improved the water and soil quality.

Their plan in owning the land wasn’t always to run a business, but about seven years ago, McClung leaned into the potential of his farm as a source of revenue. “We got more and more interested in farming practices and where our food came from,” he said. McClung has a background in marketing, which has helped him grow the business. In addition to raising pastured pigs and chickens, McClung started a YouTube channel documenting the work he does at Red Tool House.

Today, his YouTube channel has over 25,000 subscribers and over 2.3 million views. McClung markets to an audience who wants to learn to do what he does at Red Tool House on their own land. Popular videos teach viewers how to raise pigs and chickens, how to fund a homestead, and how to judge the quality of land.

Find Red Tool House on YouTube »

McClung even recorded a series of homesteading marketing videos, in which he teaches viewers how to develop their homestead brand and online presence. Homesteading is a hobby growing in popularity among those trying to decrease their carbon footprint by raising food and necessities on their own land. It can become a profitable business for those who also sell what they raise and grow.

McClung said that his next big project is to start a podcast about pastured pigs, for which he will interview experts from around the world.

The internet is a main cause for McClung’s success, but building an online business does not come without its challenges. “One of the biggest obstacles I face is bandwidth,” McClung said. Broadband internet is not available in Lincoln County where his farm is located, and the complaint of lack of internet access in the county is not an uncommon one.

Still, McClung is optimistic for the future of Red Tool House. “There is a lot of value in starting your own businesses,” he said. “You should be scared, but the payoff can be so huge both financially and in terms of life satisfaction.”