Civic Tourism: Tourism for Communities First

I’ll admit, even though I love to travel, I’d never heard of “civic tourism” before I saw the information about this upcoming conference. Curious, I looked into it a little more and found that it encompasses most of the other types of sustainable tourism many of us are already familiar with, like eco-tourism, agri-tourism, adventure tourism. Here’s a great explanation from this Appalachian Ohio-based Civic Tourism website: [Communities] protect, promote and share the unique assets of their landscapes and communities for themselves first, because they define who they are through the places, stories and local practices they love and respect.   As time goes on, these inspiring local assets and the people who tend to them attract others who wish to experience and support their special character, often times supporting the local economy and its ability to sustain itself over time because of the lasting qualities of unique, treasured places. As more Appalachian communities look to tourism as a way to bolster and diversify their economies, this idea is one that deserves more exploration. During a conversation about tourism at the Brushy Fork Institute, participants in the “Appalachia’s Economic Future” track described places in Appalachia they thought were both successes and failures as tourism destinations. Damascus, Virginia; the Lake Cumberland area, and Berea, Kentucky – places that focus on preserving and promoting assets, that support local businesses and entrepreneurs, and that are hospitable and friendly – were all suggested as models to aspire to. Gatlinburg, Tennessee, with its chain stores, imported...

Mark Your Calendar: Tri-State Farm to Food Conference

From the West Virginia Community Development Hub and the WV Food and Farm Coalition:  For the third straight year, farmers, producers, locavores and foodies will converge on Huntington for in-depth training and discussions on the agricultural community in this part of West Virginia, Ohio and Kentucky. The Tri-State Farm to Food Conference is Oct. 12 and 13 at the Pullman Plaza Hotel in Huntington, WV. The conference will focus on the food system, or foodshed, within 50 miles of Huntington. This encompasses 15 counties in West Virginia, Ohio and Kentucky. West Virginians spend more than $7 billion on food every year. Less than 1 percent of that wealth stays in West Virginia. But change is underway.   Local farms are getting more attention lately, as a locally-grown movement sweeps the nation. That movement includes the Ohio River Valley, where new farmers markets are opening and a new local food market, The Wild Ramp, has opened in Huntington. “With such opportunity for growth and expansion of the agricultural community and foodshed in the Tri-State region, we feel it is an ultimate necessity to bring farmers, consumers, cafeterias, and businesses in this region together to continue revolutionizing Huntington’s foodshed,” said Tom McConnnell, the WVU Extension Service Small Farm Center program leader. An exciting, new feature this year is the Farm Festival, which kicks off at 5 p.m., Friday, Oct. 12. The Farm Festival will feature a farmer’s market and a food fair. Local vendors will offer their farm products, while area...

“Blueprint Communities” Initiative Expanding in Southern West Virginia...

From the West Virginia Community Development Hub: The Blueprint Communities initiative, which helps  smaller communities gain their second wind through a program of leadership training, capacity building, community planning and access to private and public funds, is expanding in southern West Virginia. The initiative, inaugurated in 2007 in ten West Virginia communities, is now recruiting other communities interested in gaining the tools they need to spur revitalization in their neighborhoods. Nominations to be a Blueprint Community are due Friday, September 28, 2012. Completed applications are due October 19. Three of the original Blueprint Communities organizers – the Federal Home Loan Bank (FHLBank) of Pittsburgh, West Virginia Community Development Hub, and the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation – have decided to bring a second round of community building to the state in concert with other partners and have specifically targeted southern West Virginia due to ongoing area needs. Up to seven communities will be selected to participate in this second round, which gets under way in December and runs through late 2013. How communities can participate To be eligible to participate in the next round of Blueprint Communities, a community must have a population of 1,000-30,000; may be a neighborhood within a municipality, a single municipality, or a collection of contiguous municipalities; and must not have completed a community vision and comprehensive revitalization strategy within the last two years. In addition, communities must demonstrate local leadership, possess basic development capacity, and be able to assemble a diverse team of local leaders...

An Apple Orchard in the Heart of the Coalfields

Just in time for apple cider, caramel apples, apple fritters and apple pie, our friends at Making Connections visited a successful Harlan County apple grower (and former miner). Take a look at Creech Orchards, and try to resist hunting down a Honeycrisp to munch...

Drink Local – Appalachian Breweries and Distilleries Making Their Mark...

Need something to wash down your Appalachian-raised burger and fries? There are an increasing number of locally-produced beers, wines and liquors to quench that thirst. Local food might be getting the lion’s share of media attention, but local “adult beverages” are becoming a force in their own right. Dancing Tree Distillery is a new, craft vodka distiller located in Meigs County, Ohio. And not only is it locally-produced, it sources the vast majority of its ingredients locally too. A recent article from the Ohio University’s newspaper, the Post, describes the impact: Larry Cowdery, owner of Cowdery Farms [source of Dancing Tree’s corn], said he is a big supporter of the distillery’s commitment to supporting the local food economy.What (Sauber) is doing with his products is great,” Cowdery said. “By incorporating local ingredients into the products, not only does (he) make them high quality, but he is helping me and other farmers continue to make a living. I can’t thank him enough for that.” Many area restaurants and liquor stores sell Dancing Tree, and tourists will soon be able to stop in at the distillery for a taste. Craft brewing and distilling is a growing niche market in Appalachia. There are more than 25 local breweries in Central Appalachia (and that’s not including the official “Beer City USA” of Asheville, NC), with many more in the works. Liquor distilleries are popping up throughout the region as well, and (legal) moonshine is beginning to making its own mark – Short Mountain Distillery...

Community Development Expert to Speak in Two Kentucky Counties...

How can a community go from being one of the poorest rural counties in the poorest state with sparse resources and relative isolation, no body of water and no 4-lane highway within 75 miles… to being a national model for community development, having 45 international corporations, 18 Fortune 500 companies and citizens who are truly involved in making their community better? Folks in Jackson and Clay counties will have the chance to learn how Tupelo, Mississippi made its turnaround from community development expert Vaughn Grisham. He’ll be speaking in Manchester on September 5 and in McKee on September 6, and both events are free! Click below for more information. Wednesday, Sept. 5th Clay County Community Center 311 HWY 638, Manchester 1:00– 3:00 pm Thursday, Sept. 6th Jackson County Area Technology Center 1000 Educational Mountain Dr, McKee 6:30 pm For more information, contact Lynnett Renner.  ...