Growing Appalachia 2012
The third annual Growing Appalachia featured a day of workshops and conversations about smallscale farming, sustainable forestry, and clean energy solutions that can benefit the land and people in eastern Kentucky.
Prior to the conference, KFTC members Fern Nafziger, Todd Howard, and Nathan Hall visited WMMT’s Mountain Talk to get the word out about the conference. Listen here. And you can see in-studio photos here.
List of workshops
Beginning Organic Gardening – Michael Bomford, Kentucky State University – Learn about the basics of growing organically while saving money.
Home Energy Efficiency and How$mart – Fern Nafziger, HOMES, Inc.; Chris Woolery, MACED – Learn about home weatherization tips and ways to save money and energy by tapping into incentives and local cost-share programs.
Small Farm Financials and Funding Options – Martin Richards, Community Farm Alliance – Learn how to get started with basic financial planning and record keeping. We will also review available grants and cost-share opportunities.
Do-It-Yourself Season Extension – Michael Bomford, Kentucky State University – Learn about building your own greenhouse (high tunnel or low tunnel) and growing vegetables year-round.
Surface Mine Reforestation and Bioenergy – Nathan Hall, Green Forests Work – Learn how strip mined lands in Appalachia can be converted back to native hardwood forests while also providing feedstock for distributed renewable energy.
Innovative Marketing Channels – Anthony Flaccavento, Rural SCALE, Inc. – A regional marketing pioneer describes ways to get products to markets that are new, expanding, and profitable.
Organic Soil Building and Composting – Sean Clark, Berea College – Learn ways to generate rich, fertile soils and make your own compost from local materials.
Solar Applications in Eastern Kentucky – Danny Tolson, Alternative Energies KY; Lisa Abbott, Kentuckians For The Commonwealth – Representatives from a local solar panel manufacturing and installation company will describe solar opportunities in Ky. We will discuss promising solar projects in Appalachia and review proposed policies that can help grow our solar industry.
Value-Adding in Community Facilities – Greg Golden, Jackson County Regional Food Center; Brian Geier, Sour Power – Hear examples of community food processing facilities that enable up-to-code production of value-added products.
Perennials for Mountain Farms – Kirk Pomper, Kentucky State University – Learn about shrubs, trees, canes and other plants that can be grown in “stacked systems” and provide high value produce in Ky.
Seed Saving and Heirlooms – Bill Best, Sustainable Mountain Agriculture Center – Discuss ways to save your own seeds and learn about heirloom varieties from a nationally-known master.
Farmers’ Markets in Central Appalachia – Savanna Lyons, West Virginia Food and Farm Coalition; Keith Hackworth, Floyd County Extension – Learn from examples of successful farmers’ markets in southern West Virginia and get an overview of Kentucky’s requirements for farmers’ markets.