2013 — Issue 3 (June/July)
Running on Reality: A Conversation with Anthony Flaccavento
An abridged version of this interview was published in the print edition of our June/July 2013 issue. Here’s the full transcript. For more than 20 years, Anthony Flaccavento has worked to build bridges between small-scale organic growers like himself and farmers markets, grocery stores and public schools. He founded Appalachian Sustainable Development in 1995, a…
Read MoreAddressing Food Insecurity
Finding New Ways To Feed Families Story by David Brewer The welcome arrival of spring and summer in Appalachia represents that magical time of year when, instead of bundling up for a trip to the grocery store, we toss on a pair of sandals and head to the farmers markets to peruse the colorful and…
Read MoreNew Rules Stoke Fear of Fracking on Public Lands
By Brian Sewell When the U.S. Department of the Interior released updated draft rules to regulate hydraulic fracturing on public and Indian lands, environmental advocates responded much as they did when the initial draft was released in 2012 — with disappointment. In the days following the Interior’s announcement, federal officials and Secretary Sally Jewell were…
Read MoreVirginia Teacher and Landowner Faces Energy Extraction
Landowner and teacher Gail Marney resides on an inter-generational family farm in the south. Her great-great grandfather moved here in the early 1800s and served in the Civil War. Now she finds her home threatened by natural gas extraction.
Read More6,000 Acres of Blue Ridge Preserved
By Chelsey Fisher Nearly 6,000 acres of land in the Appalachian region were purchased or donated for conservation purposes in the same month Environment North Carolina released 10 reasons why the state General Assembly should restore conservation funds in the state. In Transylvania County, the new Headwaters State Forest, developed through a deal with former…
Read MoreRunning On Reality: A Conversation with Anthony Flaccavento
This is an abridged version of this interview that published in the print edition of our June/July 2013 issue. You can read the full transcript here. For more than 20 years, Anthony Flaccavento has worked to build bridges between small-scale organic growers like himself and farmers markets, grocery stores and public schools. He founded Appalachian…
Read MoreGarden Advice from the Experts!
As we prepared this agriculture-themed issue of The Appalachian Voice, we couldn’t help but think of how to improve our own green thumbs. We took the following questions to Ruth Gonzalez and Meredith McKissick at the Organic Growers School, a nonprofit that promotes sustainability through educational opportunties in Southern Appalachia. 1. Is there a way…
Read MoreHeirloom Plants Preserve Tradition and Heritage
By Alix John Woody Malot loves talking about heirloom seeds and seed saving. He gives out heirloom seeds to his friends and students, offers advice on how to grow them and emphasizes their stories and heritage. He is currently the head of the science department at Rabun Gap-Nacoochee School and owner of Barker’s Creek Grist…
Read MoreMaking It Last
The Easement’s Role in Protecting Family Acreage By Matt Grimley Once covered by corn, cattle and tobacco, the land surrounding Philip Fortune’s fifth-generation family farm near Asheville, N.C., was subdivided into roadways and developments. Unable to continue operating without difficulty, he purchased 180 acres in nearby Greene County, Tenn. Determined not to let his land…
Read MoreAdapting Farms to Face the Climate Challenge
By Brian Sewell Around the world, farmers are arguably the first to feel the impacts of climate change, and of all the systems put at risk, food may be the most fragile. Some of the largest grain and livestock producing states are still recovering from last year’s drought-stricken season. And forecasts for this summer are…
Read More