The Appalachian Voice
Wind plan advances in WV
The groups have been organizing support for the Coal River Mountain Wind Project since April. The groups include Coal River Mountain Watch, the Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition, Appalachian Voices and the Sierra Club, “The Coal River Wind Project is a clear choice between a clean renewable energy future and a dirty destructive threat to the…
Read MoreAppalachian Mountains Preservation Act introduced in NC Legislature
MAY 27 RALEIGH, NC – Representative Pricey Harrison (D-Guilford) and Appalachian Voices announced the Appalachian Mountains Preservation Act, a bill to end the use of coal obtained from mountaintop removal mining – a controversial form of strip mining. If passed, North Carolina would be the first state in the nation to implement such legislation. “Right…
Read MoreWild bees create a buzz
A few years ago I invited a local beekeeper to place a hive on my farm. I naively assumed a honey bee colony would increase pollination and thus help maximize crop production. On a preliminary visit he stopped near a mist of insects hovering around a patch of blooming blackberry briars. “You’re getting plenty of…
Read MorePreservationists win second battle of Blair Mountain
A twenty year battle to preserve the site of the historic Blair Mountain miners uprising is ending with a victory for labor and the environment. In a hearing February 22, the West Virginia Archives and History Commission gave its unanimous final recommendation for the preservation of 1600 acres of the Blair Mountain Battlefield as a…
Read MoreBaseball and rebellion: The treason trial of Bill Blizzard
Nothing matches it in the history of baseball, if the visting players’ lineup is any clue: • Bill Blizzard. Right field. Treason, murder. • Cecil Sullivan. First base. Murder. • Okey Burgess. Second base. Murder. • W. Lacey. Third base. Treason. • Okey Johnson. Pitcher. Treason • Joe Rhodes. Shortstop. Murder. • A.C. McCormik. Left…
Read MoreAg-Ventures: Appalachian Sustainable Development
Their motto: from field to table. In the case of agricultural work, this means the food that goes on the table. For the logging and forestry portion of the enterprise, it means the table itself. Appalachian Sustainable Development first came together in 1995 to address the question of jobs versus environment, and the solutions that…
Read MoreNew river organic growers find themselves growing
Organic farming is one of the fastest growing markets in the agricultural industry, and the New River Organic Growing (NROG) cooperative wants to fill this niche. “The demand is here,” Charles Church, an original member of NROG, said. “People eat everyday and somebody has to grow food. That’s one thing you know people will buy.”…
Read MoreNew perspectives on a platter
The lofty vision of the Harvest Table Restaurant in Meadowview, Virginia can be served up in two different ways. One, you can catch the drift by reading some of the comments on the menu and getting into a heated debate with the restaurant manager. Or two, you can read the runaway bestseller, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle,…
Read MoreEditorial – End Game for King Coal
/images/AppalachianVoice/Mar_2008/Edit.cartoon.jpg The American coal industry has never been more profitable, and yet paradoxically, has never been more vulnerable. With the rise of coal prices to unprecedented levels, new coal mines of marginal quality are being forced online. The owners are squeezing small profits from big risks. Experts who have observed mine safety budget cuts expect…
Read MoreBook review – Lockjaw by Holly Farris
Lockjaw by Holly Farris Gival Press, Arlington, VA The language is fresh, the stories stimulating. Holly Farris’s first short story collection, Lockjaw, offers poignant glimpses into the interior lives of an array of diverse characters that linger in the reader’s mind. Her Appalachian narrators, though deeply rooted in Southwest Virginia, exhibit characteristics universally human. As…
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