The Appalachian Voice
New 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 MoreToday’s Farming Frontier
Resilient Growers Adapt to Contemporary Challenges By Molly Moore A summer drive along nearly any Appalachian road reveals scenes of agrarian beauty – cows grazing in the morning mist, hills striped with rows of Christmas trees, and a mix of colorful and weathered barns. Twenty years ago, the drive would have toured fields and sloping…
Read MoreThe Mysterious World of Moss
Story and photos by Molly Moore As part of the first plant family to colonize Earth, the soft beds of mosses that now grace mountain streams and woodlands may have shaped our planet’s history. Primitive mosses, similar to the hundreds of moss species found in Appalachia, might have triggered two cool periods around 455 million…
Read More