Registration Now Open: Brushy Fork 2011 Annual Institute

The 2011 Brushy Fork Annual Institute will be held September 20-23 in Berea, Kentucky on the campus of Berea College.  The preliminary agenda has been posted, along with information about the keynote speaker Jeff Yost and this year's workshop tracks.  For a sense of the kinds of conversations that take place at this great event, proceedings from previous years' Institutes are available on the Brushy Fork website.  The goals of the Annual Institute support participants ability to get hands-on training through workshops; hear new ideas and explore regional issues; and connect with other people and organizations working to improve life in Appalachian communities. Since 1988, Brushy Fork Institute has worked to develop strong leadership in Appalachian communities throughout Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia. An outreach program of Berea College, the Institute offers leadership training, organizational development workshops and technical assistance to communities working for a better tomorrow. Each September, Brushy Fork offers an Annual Institute, which includes a variety of intensive workshop tracks as well as plenary sessions on regional issues. The Annual Institute is designed for community leaders, volunteers and organizations and agencies that serve communities. Learn more here. Press Release Announcing 2011 Institute: Brushy Fork is excited to offer its 2011 Annual Institute, which will explore how rural communities can create ways to capture local resources and head off the impacts of an expected transfer of wealth to younger generations who have left the region. Our keynote address will feature Jeff Yost whose Nebraska Community Foundation...

No Mail, No News, No Broadband: Who’s Reporting on Eastern Kentucky Now?...

It is fitting that this afternoon's post — featuring Al Cross' Rural Blog piece on the shuttering of the last Eastern Kentucky statewide news desk — follows a piece on demographic changes in Breathitt County.  As Cross points out in his piece below, soon to be former Herald-Leader reporter Dori Hjalmarson wrote one of her last pieces with the Breathitt County profile. Cross' piece highlights a serious regional civic problem — one for which we here at ATI are at a loss to offer solutions.  In closing the last major bureau in Eastern Kentucky, the Herald-Leader risks distancing itself from reliably, accurately reporting relevant news and information about Appalachian Kentucky.  For residents of the area, and Kentuckians who care about the region but live elsewhere, this presents a serious threat to information access and investigative journalism. When you add the loss of a bureau desk — and all the attention such resources entail — to the low rates of broadband adoption in the region, and the reduction in US Mail services in the region…how is it, exactly, that a strong, informed and engaged citizenry is to thrive in Eastern Kentucky?  And equally importantly, how will Kentuckians residing outside Appalachian Kentucky keep up to date on the important events taking place in and affecting the region?   Perhaps major institutions like newspapers and mail service have begun to leave Eastern Kentucky behind.  What then shall we, citizens of Appalachian Kentucky and surrounding communities, suggest as ways to cope with the loss...

Herald-Leader article describes challenging times for E. KY county...

Breathitt County, in the heart of Eastern Kentucky, is facing some serious challenges, not unlike many of its neighbors.  The population fell 14.7% between 2000-2010, and the population of school-aged residents fell 24.6%. Sunday's edition of the Lexington Herald-Leader provided an in-depth profile of the county (reposted below) and difficulties it faces as its young people leave to find jobs elsewhere. In the article, the valedictorian of Breathitt County High School states, "There aren't all that many opportunities here. If I had kids, and I want to have kids and raise them here, I would wish for more opportunity for them." The causes of this problem are numerous, and the solutions hard to find. But it underscores the need for economic diversification and development in Eastern Kentucky – and Central Appalachia as a whole. Today, a Herald-Leader op-ed proposed county consolidation as a possible solution to Eastern Kentucky's funding and population problems. Whether or not this is a viable or desirable option, it is part of the tough conversations that we must have – and must have now – about the future of Appalachia.  Portrait of a county: Breathitt loses people, fights for survival  http://www.kentucky.com/2011/05/22/1748860/portrait-of-a-county-breathitt.html#ixzz1NTpOcQPl JACKSON — Breathitt County High School valedictorian Emily Tackett looks around and doesn't see how she can make a living on her dream of opening a photography and art studio in the place she loves, near her large, close family. So she's going to use her full-ride scholarship at Union College in Barbourville to...

Apply Now for Organic Transitions Grant Program

Organic produce can fetch a nice premium at grocery stores and Farmer's Markets, while also being better for farm workers and the environment. But learning how to farm organically can be a challenge. The USDA's Organic Transitions Program offers grant money to help address some of those challenges, and the application period is now open. From the good folks at the National Sustainable Agriculture Coaltion: On Tuesday, May 24, USDA released the Request for Applications (RFA) for its Organic Transitions Program. The overall goal of the Organic Transitions Program is to support the development and implementation of research, extension, and higher education programs to improve the competitiveness of organic livestock and crop producers, as well as those who are newly adopting organic practices.  In Fiscal Year 2011, the grants will focus on the environmental services that sustainable agriculture enhances, such as climate change mitigation and soil quality preservation and enhancement. Projects should address practices associated with organic crops, organic animal production (including dairy), and systems integrating plant and animal production. Public, private, and state higher education institutions are eligible to apply for this grant at any level up to $750,000.  Projects may span one to three years with a funding cap of $300,000 per year. The deadline for submitting RFAs is June 30, 2011. Read the full RFA here; obtain submission instructions and the online application package here.  Contact the program administrator, Mary Monnig Peet with questions or for additional...

Tonight on WMMT’s Mountain Talk: Farmers’ Markets and Local Ag in Appalachia...

Tonight on WMMT's weekly Mountain Talk public affairs show there will be a discussion about farmers’ markets and growing a local food economy here in the mountains!  We'll hear about some of the active markets in the mountains, what some of the challenges and obstacles are, new ideas for how to build a successful farmers’ market, and how we can work together to support sustainable agriculture in our region.  Tune in from 6-7pm tonight to WMMT 88.7, or stream online at www.wmmt.org, and please call in your thoughts and comments during the show at . Our guests will be: Todd Howard – Heirloom Tomato grower, Owner of H & F farms, President of Floyd County Farmer’s Market Carrie Traud – Research and Policy Associate at the Mountain Association for Community Economic Development with a focus on sustainable agriculture, forestry and biomass, and has been working with the Central Appalachian Network to support regional local food production Martin Richards – Executive Director of the Community Farm Alliance Carmen Cantrell – Lead organizer of the Norton Farmer’s Market in downtown Norton, VA About Kristin TraczKristin Tracz served MACED’s Research and Policy team from 2009-2012 working on clean energy policy, energy efficiency programs and the Appalachian Transition Initiative. She joined MACED after finishing her Master of Environmental Management degree at the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies. She now lives and works in Washington,...

West Virginians Win UK’s “Re-Imaging Appalachia” Photo Contest...

West Virginians swept the field at the University of Kentucky Appalachian Center's Re-Imaging Appalachia photography competition with their beautiful depictions of life in Appalachia. First-place winner Michele Coleman from Parkersburg, WV, described her photo (at left) this way: "I think the image portrays several emotions. One would be that she is rugged yet refined, simple yet elegant. And the overall picture does not reinforce negative stereotypes," she said. The press release from the Appalachian Center describes a tough voting process requring a tie-breaking vote. If you look through the finalists' photos, it's easy to see why. The purpose of the competition was to capture Appalachia beyond the stereotypes, and show the region as it truly is – a complex and diverse place. “The Appalachian Region is made up of beautiful mountains, but the people who call those mountains home matter just as much,” said Zak Pence, communications director for the Appalachian Center. “The judges and I think the winners of this contest understood that, and they captured it in their photos.” You can see the second- and third-place photos by clicking "Read More" below.            The second-place winner, Toril Lavender from Huntington, WV, captured a moment from "The Nutcracker Ballet" in Huntington.                   Third-place winner Troy Lilly, from Cross Lanes, WV, shows the beauty of Blackwater Falls State Park. Congratulations to the winners, the finalists, and all...

Saving Appalachian Hemlocks: Efforts in Tennessee and Kentucky...

Tennessee's WBIR-10 station highlights a new effort by UT scientists to save the region's hemlock trees from the invasive wooly adelgid. Take a closer look at the research in this video interview.  Tennessee isn't the only place eastern hemlocks are threatened in Appalachia.  A partnership of citizens, non-profits, and government agencies are being led by the Kentucky Division of Forestry to mitigate the effects of the wooly adelgid in Kentucky's forests.  You can learn more about their efforts or support the program by adopting at tree at the Save Kentucky's Hemlocks website. What forestry efforts — fighting invasive species, or protecting forested areas–do you know about in your communities? About Kristin TraczKristin Tracz served MACED’s Research and Policy team from 2009-2012 working on clean energy policy, energy efficiency programs and the Appalachian Transition Initiative. She joined MACED after finishing her Master of Environmental Management degree at the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies. She now lives and works in Washington,...

Kentucky FarmStart Program Helps Beginning Farmers

The University of Kentucky and Kentucky State University have teamed up to help beginning farmers navigate the business and science of farming. KyFarmStart offers mentorship, educational opportunities, skills-building, access to resources and field trips to folks who have been farming for less than 10 years. From the KyFarmStart website: KyFarmStart is designed as a two-year producer education program. In year 1, producers will participate in a series of 12 face to face education programs, including nine traditional county extension meetings and three on-farm demonstrations/farm field day experiences. Additionally, all of the curriculum will be made available as an on-line course to provide all producers the opportunity to take part in the program, even if they are unable to attend the classroom portion. Producers may choose to participate in the classroom education, on-line, or both. In year 2, producers will be matched with a successful farmer mentor. The mentorship program will work with beginning farmers to connect them with experienced farmers with a similar enterprise interest, so that they will have a mentor that understands the challenges, both production and financial, that the operation will face. This will assist producers in translating the knowledge gained in the classroom to on-farm practical experiences. Kentucky Women in Agriculture and the Kentucky Cattleman’s Association will assist in the identification and training of mentors.   The goal of the KyFarmStart program is to assist clientele in evaluating their land, labor, and other resources in an effort to make management decisions that are profitable for...