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This Upworthy Collaboration is a part of a series produced in partnership with Stand Together Foundation.
Refresh Appalachia, a social enterprise of Coalfield Development Corporation, is an economic and workforce development initiative in southern West Virginia. We exist to provide hope for agripreneurs to creatively and collaboratively compete in the modern marketplace. Our mission is to grow the growers by training, supporting and empowering current and aspirational farmers to reach their highest potential.
Since 2015, Refresh Appalachia has sought to grow an intensive agriculture industry and skilled workforce, poised to create and retain community wealth through local and regional food system jobs and markets. In collaboration with multiple partners working collectively and through a collaborative food hub effort called Turnrow Appalachian Farm Collective, which is a collaboration between multiple organizations, partners, farmers, and markets, bringing locally grown produce to the tables of southern West Virginians, we strive to supply and strengthen the local food system, increase access to healthy food, and aggregate and distribute agricultural products to meet regional and national markets.
We aim to aid more than 100 local farmers in southern WV by providing support and development of resources and measure our success by the “triple bottom line”: people, planet, and profit. All our earnings cycle back into supporting our crew members and serving our communities. Our crews, our farms, and our partnership with Turnrow Appalachian Farm Collective all play an integral role in advancing our “triple bottom line” objectives.
Refresh Appalachia is proud to be a leading partner in Turnrow Appalachian Farm Collective. Turnrow is a collaborative of farmers, businesses, organizations, and nonprofits across West Virginia that want to fundamentally change our food system. This work takes a strong community-based approach; we have formed the largest food collective in West Virginia by combining several food hubs and co-ops under one roof. We’re already growing to serve the greater region by working in surrounding states like Kentucky, Ohio, and Virginia. We are working with approximately 75 farmers throughout the region to ensure that fresh, quality food is distributed quickly and efficiently to buyers that value the grit, dedication and craft that working in these mountains and valleys have required of our farmers for generations.
Sprouting Farms and Refresh Appalachia started and ran their own food hubs in 2017, jointly grossing over $200,000. To reach financial sustainability and improve efficiency, the organizations decided to combine operations starting in 2018. Since 2018, the partnership has continued to collectively grow and support existing aggregation and distribution activities. Relying on key partnerships with existing distributors in the region, farmers, and organizations with similar missions this work continues to grow and increase to date. Together, we aim to open new market options and enrich relationships between producers, buyers, consumers, and our regional communities.
With Jason Ekers
Tractor accidents are the leading cause of injury and death on U.S. farms, and many of these accidents can be prevented by proper safety practices. Learn from experienced farmer and mechanic Jason Ekers in this FREE workshop that will cover the basics of tractor safety and operation.
In partnership with Farm Commons
Whether you’re new to farming or want to grow your established farm, this interactive workshop offers legal education, resources and personalized action plan specific to your needs and priorities.
You’ll hear real farmers explain how they overcome challenges and manage risks on their farm while legal experts emphasize the law’s specifics. Farming is complex, but we will give you the legal foundation to get you started and give you peace of mind.
Our curriculum covers 6 core legal areas, including business structures, insurance, employment law, food safety, land purchasing and leasing.
This workshop will give direction when facing critical questions like…
● Should I form an LLC, S corporation, or neither?
● Will I be liable if someone is injured on my farm?
● Is hosting interns on my farm legal?
Get comprehensive legal education, hear local farmers insights, and create an action plan with tangible steps to start a farm or protect your existing farm.
Lunch, coffee, and snacks are included.
Join us October 24, 2020, in Milton for the 2nd Local By Local: A Food & Farm Conference & Expo. The free event will feature local producers and industry experts. More details are coming soon! For complete details, check out our post!
Refresh Appalachia’s Meat Sale: Place your order here for local, humanely raised pastured meats! We’ve teamed up with some of the best of West Virginia’s farmers (Black Oak Holler Farm, Swift Level Fine Meats, Noni’s Farm, and of course our own farms at Refresh Appalachia) to bring you this amazing all-natural pork, chicken, beef, lamb and local trout. Proceeds help support our beginning farmer training programs at Refresh Appalachia.
Food Service Distribution: Our truck delivers weekly to Huntington, Charleston, Williamson, and areas in between. Restaurants, grocery stores and food service customers can order a range of items our our seasonal price list. Most produce is harvested only 24-48 hours before delivery!
Farm Share Subscription Program benefits:
Mini Markets: We partner with retailers, corner stores and restaurants to offer produce in places where fresh food is hard to come by. We help business owners to set up a produce area in their store, and then supply the food.
Refresh Appalachia is currently Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) certified on one of its farms, and working towards certifying all of our farms. We ask all our partner farms to be trained in GAP and to use our Food Safety Checklist to improve their on-farm food safety practices. We prioritize sourcing from farms that use sustainable farming practices, including organic or biological pest control, natural fertilizers and cover crops.
We currently purchase from small and mid-sized producers in the Charleston, Huntington, Hamlin and Williamson areas and the communities in between. We buy produce, meats, poultry, dairy and eggs. We are also interested in value added items (breads, cheeses, canned goods, snacks, etc.) that are labelled for resale.
We place orders with producers once a week and generally pick up 24-48 hours later at various locations along our driving route. We pay within 14 days. Selling to Refresh Appalachia might be right for you if…
Contact us today for more info about selling with us.
Sprouting Farms | Appalachian Sustainable Development | Williamson Health and Wellness Center | KISRA | Unlimited Future Inc. | ACEnet | RCBI | Lincoln County EDA | The Wild Ramp | Turnrow Appalachian Farm Collective | Wayne County EDA | CFA | KCARD | High Rocks | New Roots Community Farm
Refresh Appalachia has a great team, does interesting projects, provides lots of training and is always trying new things. Contact us today to learn more about our products and services!
This Upworthy Collaboration is a part of a series produced in partnership with Stand Together Foundation.
Appalachian places and people unlocking their full potential, power, and purpose. Together, we are rebuilding the Appalachian economy from the ground up!
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