The Appalachian Voice
USDA: Label Fuels Continued Controversy
By Bill Kovarik The USDA certified “Organic” label first appeared on foods in 2002 following 12 years of testing, rulemaking and controversy. By last year, organic agriculture had become a $26.6 billion business, growing at a rate of 5.3 percent per year – five times faster than regular foods. As its importance has grown, so…
Read MoreNon-timber Product Offer Farmers a Unique Opportunity
Collecting ginseng, ramps and yellowroot has been an Appalachian tradition for generations. It is a skill that families pass on; recognizing, harvesting and even selling these non-timber forest resources, particularly in southern Appalachian hardwood forests. “There is a tremendous growth of interest in these products both from an economic standpoint and from and ecological standpoint,”…
Read MoreFarming Forestry: A Pianist’s Tale
By Maureen Halsema He is a champion of trees, fighting for them in the legislative arena, teaching about them on educational platforms, and managing them on Charlane Plantation, his 25,000-acre tree farm southeast of Macon, Ga. Chuck Leavell is most recognized for his musical talent and his travels with the Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton, and…
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 MoreNew Links Found Between Water, Coal and Cancer
Story by Derek Speranza New research suggests that residents in close proximity to coal plants have to worry about the water as much as they do about the air. Nathaniel Hitt, Ph.D., of Viriginia Tech, recently published a study entitled “Ecological Integrity of Streams Related to Human Cancer Mortality Rates,” which correlates the ecological health…
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 MoreCoal News
Christian Coalition Takes Stand on Mountaintop Removal In March, the National Council of Churches announced that a multi-denominational coalition of 28 Christian groups petitioned the EPA to restore original Clean Water Act protections which would prohibit mountaintop removal mining coal companies from labeling coal waste as “fill.” “As Christians, we are called to be good…
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 MoreEdible Landscaping: Beautiful and Delicious
Review by Maureen Halsema Plump cherries ripe for picking, weighty pears begging to be plucked, aromatic lavender ready to be gathered—all within the confines of your yard! Nan K. Chase shares how to plant, manage and prepare these delectable plants in her book, “Eat Your Yard! Edible trees, shrubs, vines, herbs and flowers for your…
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