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Natural Gas, Is it Right for Appalachia?
By Derek Speranza It’s the middle of July in West Trenton, N.J. More than 600 protesters have gathered outside a meeting of the Delaware River Basin Commission, speaking out to protect the region’s drinking water and water reserves from contamination. The issue? Natural gas drilling – a controversial practice that has been by some labeled…
Read MoreBiofuels: Local Gives Way to Large Scale
By Bill Kovarik ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Melita Kyriakou watches as a big blue fuel truck with a green biodiesel logo grinds past the fuel tanks, under the bridge and up the hill – off on another delivery to one of the four biodiesel retailers in the mountain city. The good news, for Blue Ridge Biodiesel,…
Read MoreStewards of the Rock
Story and Photos by Megan Naylor Bouldering is a sport of strength, power and dynamics focusing on pure contact with the rock, free from harnesses, ropes and racks of gear. It brings both climber and rock together in a rhythmic balance of fluid grace and technical moves. What began as a niche sport is now…
Read MoreKeeping On the Sunny Side: Carter Family Fold Survives In Spite of Tragedy
Written by Joe Tennis Like the traditional tunes collected by her grandfather, Rita Forrester carries on, always trying to “Keep On the Sunny Side.” Even in the face of tragedy. In December 2009, Forrester awoke to find her home in flames, barely escaping in her nightgown. Forrester, granddaughter of musicians A.P. and Sara Carter, lost…
Read MoreTurning Trash Into Glass
Former Landfill Fuels The Pursuit of Art By Maureen Halsema Nestled in the Black Mountains of western North Carolina, lies a unique twist on a trash heap. In 1994, creative minds from Yancey and Mitchell counties came together to discuss the closure of their 21-year-old landfill in Burnsville, N.C. From that mountain of trash sprouted…
Read MoreGoats Galore! Forging a Life as a Dairy Farmer
By Julie Johnson John and Andrea Woodworth operate a small goat dairy farm outside of Gate City, Va. Thirty-five alpine goats provide the family with enough milk to make a variety of cheeses, which they sell at local farmers markets as well as online. The Woodworth’s journey to enter the dairy market has taught them…
Read MoreHome Grown: From Farm to Farmer’s Market, Appalachians Seek to Bring New Meaning to Modern Agriculture
Story by Bill Kovarik Stroll through any farmer’s market and you’ll find a riot of color, taste, and sensation. And, quite likely, crowds of consumers. Farmers markets are the most visible sign of rapid change in agriculture. For consumers it means healthier choices, better tasting vegetables and a new relationship with the farmers. For farmers,…
Read MoreBusiness As Usual At Massey
Story by Jed Grubbs It’s been two months since the deadly April 5 explosion at Massey Energy’s Upper Big Branch (UBB) mine claimed the lives of 29 American Miners in Raleigh County, West Virginia. The incident, which was our nation’s deadliest mining accident in 40 years, was unquestionably made more tragic by the fact that…
Read MoreIson Rock Ridge, Spruce No. 1 Mining Permits On the Line
By Jamie Goodman Coalfields residents and conservation groups continue their ongoing tug-of-war with the coal industry over new mountaintop removal mining permits. In a massive blow for the environment, the Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy (DMME) announced approval of a vast 1,230 acre permit for A&G Coal’s Ison Rock Ridge Mine in Wise…
Read MoreBeware of Muggles: The Quest for the Geocache
Story by Maureen Halsema Space Cadet reads out the clues of the cache. While Zergle decodes the hidden message, Map Man checks the GPS. “We should be right on top of it,” Map Man says. Space Cadet scans the area as Zergle pauses to think. Where could the cacher have hidden the treasure? The hunt…
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