There’s a growing trend across the country — folks are looking for more local foods. Here in Appalachia we’ve got a reputation for being able to survive. Many families have gotten by with a garden in their backyard. Not everybody here makes a living mining coal. On this week’s episode of Inside Appalachia, we’re going to take a look at some of the benefits and challenges of farming.
We talked about farming back in the fall, when we asked if you thought the industry could help our economy. Is local food just a trend that will pass? Is it really enough to support an economy? We heard some concerns from some of you, and we wanted to see what we could find out too, so our producer Roxy Todd visited a couple of places to find out some of the challenges and benefits of farming.
On this week's show you'll hear:
- Christina Moyer, a 17-year-old farmer who prefers food the way her grandparents used to grow. But Christina and other farmers are wondering what will happen to traditional Appalachian seeds if more farmers grow genetically modified food. Roxy Todd met up with her at the Abington Farmers’ Market in Virginia.
Listen to hear stories of Appalachian food, farming, and the debate over GMO Labeling Laws.
Photos of Harvest Table courtesy of Adam Ewing and Distinction Magazine.
We travel to Pikeville, Kentucky’s Appalachian Seed Swap, with WMMT’s Benny Becker. Find out what Benny learned about the efforts to turn Appalachia’s rich and varied food traditions into a sustainable economy.
Music in today’s show was provided by Andy Agnew Jr.,Ben Townsend, The Hillbilly Gypsies, and Jake Schepps, Our Appetite Appalachia theme music is by the Carolina Sunshine Trio.
This show was edited by Catherine Winter and Jesse Wright. Zander Aloi mixed the audio. We'd love to hear from you. Find us on Twitter@InAppalachia or@JessicaYLilly.
Copyright 2016 West Virginia Public Broadcasting
