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Learning to “Live Lightly” on The Farm in Summertown
Story by Julie Johnson Home building can be one of the most challenging aspects of a carbon-neutral lifestyle. At the The Farm Ecovillage Training Center in Summertown, Tenn., participants learn how to build and maintain their dwellings in an environmentally friendly way. Traditional stick-frame construction is a cheap and fast way to build, but it…
Read MoreHome Grown: Farming in the Shadow of Coal
Story by Julie Johnson Many farmers in the coalfields are finding environmental pollution has ruined their irrigation. “In the coal fields,” said Martin Richards, Economic Development Organizer for Kentuckians for the Commonwealth, “you can have a nice piece of bottom land with great soil, but if there is a mine site, active or inactive, in…
Read MoreHome Grown: Saving Appalachian History – One Seed at a Time
By Julie Johnson Appalachia’s growers are encouraging crop diversity and saving heirloom vegetable varieties from extinction by creating a network of seed saving and swapping. Heirloom fruits and vegetables are often far tastier than their supermarket cousins and express characteristics that have been developed by generations of natural growth in backyard gardens and small farms.…
Read MoreHome Grown: Appalachia’s Farmers Build Community
Story by Julie Johnson As locally produced foods gain popularity, Appalachia’s family farmers help create a supportive system of community services to reclaim the marketplace. Sprouting a Small Farm “In this region, where people have always relied on self-sufficiency, agriculture is about making a job,” said Martin Richards, a former farmer and current Economic Development Organizer for…
Read MoreSeverance Tax Leaves Kentucky in the Red
By Julie Johnson The money that coal, timber, oil and natural gas companies pay in severance taxes is less than the subsidies provided by the state to the same companies, according to a recent study by the Mountain Association for Community Economic Development (MACED). MACED examined Kentucky’s 2006 revenue from the coal industry—including severance taxes—and…
Read MoreNC Legislators Introduce Bill to Strip State Funds from Massey
Reps Cite Mining Company’s Lax Safety and Environmental Standards Monday, June 7, 2010 – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – Contacts: Rep. Pricey Harrison … North Carolina Legislature (D-57) 919-733-5771 … Pricey.Harrison@ncleg.net Austin Hall … Appalachian…
Read MoreSustainability and Conscious Sound: Music on the Mountaintop
By Megan Naylor Moving into its third year, Music on the Mountaintop festival, an event that unites music and environmental consciousness, has swiftly evolved into one of the largest-scale music festivals ever to be held in Boone, N.C. The two-day event will take place August 27 to 28, and will feature headliners Sam Bush, Keller…
Read MoreWhat’s the Buzz About Honey Bees?
By Maureen Halsema Empty hives around the globe have alerted beekeepers and scientists to a crisis: honey bees are disappearing, and no one knows exactly why. According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), honey bees are essential for production of over 90 food crops and $15 billion in added crop value. Honey bees…
Read MoreOperation Medicine Cabinet: A Huge Success
By Derek Speranza River conservationists and law enforcement officials collected approximately 188,563 pills and 20.2 gallons of liquid medication during High Country’s second prescription drug take back event on May 22. More than 38 volunteers and 16 law enforcement officials from Watauga and Avery counties participated in Operation Medicine Cabinet, and the amount of drugs…
Read MoreStrong Support at Wind Stakeholders Meeting
Appalachian Voices recently partnered with the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy and Catawba College Center for the Environment to host a successful North Carolina Wind Energy Development Stakeholders meeting. Participants came to the meeting to address concerns about developing wind energy in North Carolina. They represented groups from a variety of interests, including, landowners, county…
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