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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

New Story: Explore the History of Appalachian Food at Farm-to-table Dinner

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Anthony Bourdain eats at Lost Creek Farm, photo CNN

BY JENNY TOTTEN, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PROJECT COORDINATOR, THE HUB

The Hub is in the final planning of what feels like a marathon for New Story 2018 and we are incredibly excited!  New space, new town, fresh ideas, and hopefully new people to share and learn with all abound and we can’t wait!

This year – among the dozens of other themes – we’re featuring local food and the intersection of community + economic development, include a host of ways to mull on this topic that is such a crucial part of West Virginia’s diversification strategy in a more experiential way.  

We are fortunate to have snagged chefs Mike Costello and Amy Dawson of Lost Creek Farm to serve a farm-to-table dinner outdoors on the historic Alderson Memorial Pedestrian Bridge on Thursday, May 31, 6pm. 

Mike and Amy were recently featured on Anthony Bourdain’s Parts Unknown West Virginia episode because of their outstanding and unique approach to Appalachian cuisine. Mike is known for his interest in preserving traditional Appalachian dishes, and as a resident of West Virginia, for his particular interest in our state. Each of his recipes has a story behind it, and the folks who join us will hear them while eating a delicious meal.

 

The meal will be served outdoors on the historic Alderson Pedestrian Bridge featuring gorgeous views of the Greenbrier River, and the menu will be defined by seasonally available fresh ingredients and a strong sense of place-based pride.

This dinner is part of the Hub’s way to give back to a town that’s been a part of our programming, and a portion of the proceeds from the meal will go to Alderson’s community development efforts.

Registration is separate from New Story – you do not have to attend the conference to take part in the dinner, but we hope you will want to come to both!

Learn more about the Heritage Foods Dinner, or go ahead and reserve your place.

More Food + More Fun at New Story

We will also have two sessions on Friday, June 1 focused on utilizing local food in your community. The first, which concentrates on utilizing local food for economic development, will share stories from the field of farmers, market growers, and towns who have placed food at the forefront of building a new economy in West Virginia. The second, which focuses on placemaking, will include presenters from farmers markets, community gardens, and others who have utilized local food as a strategy to build place in their communities.

Check out our New Story site for more on all of the happenings and to register to join us for the conference.

 

Hello, Jenny

Register Herald: WV farmers urged to participate in census by Feb. 5

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BY MATT COMBS FOR THE REGISTER HERALD

The West Virginia Department of Agriculture is urging all Mountain State farmers to participate in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s 2017 Census of Agriculture.

According to a press release, the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service began mailing out surveys at the end of November.

That survey is open to any agricultural operation that produced, sold, or normally would have sold $1,000 or more of agricultural product in 2017.

“The census allows the USDA and WVDA to get a clear picture on the status of agriculture in our state. Several funding streams are also dependent upon this data,” said WVDA Commissioner of Agriculture Kent Leonhardt in that release. “Producers should participate. It matters to West Virginia.”

According to the release, the census is the only source of uniform agriculture data for every state and county in the United States…

Read the full article on the Register Herald site »

Washington Post: Young Americans leaving desk jobs to start farming

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BY CAITLIN DEWEY FOR THE WASHINGTON POST

Liz Whitehurst dabbled in several careers before she ended up here, crating fistfuls of fresh-cut arugula in the early-November chill.

The hours were better at her nonprofit jobs. So were the benefits. But two years ago, the 32-year-old Whitehurst — who graduated from a liberal arts college and grew up in the Chicago suburbs — abandoned Washington for this three-acre farm in Upper Marlboro, Md.

She joined a growing movement of highly educated, ex-urban, first-time farmers who are capitalizing on booming consumer demand for local and sustainable foods and who, experts say, could have a broad impact on the food system.

For only the second time in the last century, the number of farmers under 35 years old is increasing, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s latest Census of Agriculture. Sixty-nine percent of the surveyed young farmers had college degrees — significantly higher than the general population…

Read the full article on The Washington Post site »

Strong Towns: Downtown ‘farm walls’ start conversation, grow food in Wyoming

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BY JESSICA BRAUER FOR STRONG TOWNS 

Laramie, Wyoming’s brutal winters and short growing season leave little opportunity for green space, but a collaborative effort launched in the spring between Laramie Main Street Alliance (LMSA) and vertical farming company, Plenty, took on this challenge, using blank downtown walls as a canvas for growing food, creating conversation and activating overlooked spaces.

Plenty approached LMSA in June with hopes to put Laramie on the map as the Farm Wall capital of the United States, and with the support of the community, the project was launched by July. Local property owners provided wall space, and Plenty installed and maintained the walls, while LMSA assisted by finding funding through local business support and grants…

Read the full article on the Strong Towns website »

PRI’s The World: Tea farm in rural South Carolina could spark economic revitalization

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BY JASON MORGOLIS FOR PRI’S THE WORLD

Steve Lorch is a surgical nurse by profession. His other job, is running a tea farm.

When you think of the world’s great tea-growing regions, you might think of parts of India, Sri Lanka, China or Kenya. Odds are, though, you don’t think of Lorch’s adopted hometown of Pickens, South Carolina — a small, economically-depressed place in Appalachia. But Lorch is on a mission to change that.

His company, Table Rock Tea, began with just one plant. He was running a clean water project in Kenya, where he fell in love with all things tea.

“I came home and bought a plant online and stuck it in our backyard in our subdivision where we were living. And it happened to grow,” says Lorch, pointing at that exact plant…

Read the full article + listen to the story on PRI’s website »

 

Business innovation events coming to Huntington and Moorefield in November

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

The Robert C. Byrd Institute in Huntington has two upcoming events that could be of interest to you and your community!

The first event is on the weekend of November 3rd through 5th, and is dubbed Start Up Weekend Huntington!  This cool, new event from RCBI and Marshall University will host one of the most “hands-on” innovative events this year. The 52-hour event will allow you to experience the highs, lows, fun, and pressure of making a startup. Attendees will form teams consisting of those who specialize in varying fields, from entrepreneurship to business to coding and more! By working together, your team will use those 52 hours to turn thoughts into actions. Participants will present their final products to a panel of experienced judges, and the top 3 groups will receive prizes. To register, go here.

Next up is:

The West Virginia Ag Innovation Showcase – offered in partnership with Eastern West Virginia Community & Technical College – features breakout sessions on a variety of topics as well as hands-on activities for students. The event will be held twice. Once at the National Guard Armory in Moorefield on November 2nd, and again at the Student Center at Marshall University on November 17th. Register here.

The Register Herald: Summers County teaching farm rents land to emerging farmers

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BY JORDAN NELSON FOR THE REGISTER HERALD

Sprouting Farms in Talcott is a place where those interested in growing things of all sorts can go and grow their own produce, while they also learn and grow within.

A farming resource and incubator program, Sprouting Farms is used as a destination to educate and train people on how to grow their own food and vegetation.

After its official grand opening back in June, Sprouting Farms began giving locals the opportunity to rent out the area’s high tunnels to not only begin their own projects, but learn while doing so.

With over 82 acres of farmland on the property and over 30 high tunnels to rent out, the farm has been a learning place for many, and locals hope it will continue to grow…

Read the full article on The Register Herald site »

Charleston Gazette-Mail: McDowell’s Joel McKinney Envisions the Future of Food

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By Jennifer Gardner, The Charleston Gazette-Mail

Where some residents see empty, abandoned buildings in McDowell County, Joel McKinney sees the future of food.

He sees rows upon rows of stacked beds of lettuce — floating on foam boards receiving light by LEDs.

He sees a way to feed his community’s schools and turn a profit at the same time.

He established Roadside Farms in 2014, using an untraditional farming technique to bring a localized food economy to McDowell and help provide more fresh food to his mother’s food bank.

Now, he plans to take it a step further.

McKinney grew up in McDowell, where his mother runs the Five Loaves and Two Fishes food bank in a former grocery store and where his father retired from the coalfields and gives tours of an abandoned mine on occasion…

Read the article on The Charleston Gazette-Mail website »