We Cannot Wait

Foothills Eco-Agri-Tourism Corporation (FEAT) and the UK Cooperative Extension Service hosted a workshop for entrepreneurs interested in advancing their ideas at Morehead’s Regional Enterprise Center in West Liberty, KY earlier this week (see post for details). Entrepreneurs working in Wolfe, Menifee, Morgan, Elliott Counties were the target audience for the event – but the combination of excellent speakers and networking among creative folks with great ideas drew a crowd from across Kentucky. Peter Hille, Director of Berea College’s Brushy Fork Institute, set the tone for the workshop with a talk entitled “We Cannot Wait.” Hille talked about the lag effect often present between the national economy’s events and the impacts on rural communities, noting that it is possible the brunt of the economic downturn could just be hitting Appalachian communities now. Therefore, according to Hille, we cannot wait for a factory to show up and jump-start community economies – the local opportunities present in each and every community need to take off. Existing resources – capable people networking together to address challenges – need to be tapped to confront challenges in local economies, schools and government. Hille stressed the need for communities to take matters into their own hands – and not wait for outside help from the state or federal government, private foundations, or businesses. One such way for local communities to resource themselves is, according to Hille, exploring the opportunity to create a local community foundation, drawing on contributions of those who have made their lives and...

Mountain Music Fuels Virginia Economy

From Voice of America: The tiny mountain town of Floyd, Virginia has one traffic light. Only 500 people live here year-round. But there's a festival atmosphere on Friday evenings, especially in summer. The Floyd Country Store is crowded with a few hundred people from out of town – well-dressed families with children, gray-haired senior citizens, motorcycle groups. They're all here to listen and dance to live music. The Crooked Road The store is a major stop on The Crooked Road, a twisting 480-kilometer long route across the Appalachian Mountains of southwestern Virginia, connecting venues where traditional mountain music is played. Woody Crenshaw bought the store five years ago, when the 20-year-old Friday Night Jamboree still attracted a mostly local crowd. That was shortly after the state legislature designated U.S. Highway 8 – which runs through town – as part of Virginia's new Heritage Music Trail. Economic development leaders believed people from around the world would come to southwestern Virginia, to hear the traditional music of Appalachia. They hoped the visitors would spend time driving along the 'crooked road' that snakes through the mountains, stopping at the places where authentic mountain music was born. Crenshaw says the vision has become reality. He estimates the Country Store brings between 20,000 and 25,000 visitors to Floyd each year. "We have a lot of overseas visitors, I know that because every Friday night we have a little celebration at the Country Store where we offer a hat to the person who is from...

Grooming Our Own Leaders in Appalachia

From Kentucky’s Berea College: This summer, Entrepreneurship for the Public Good (EPG) is training students in both business and community leadership. The program supplies young entrepreneurs with the abilities to strengthen their local communities. The work they are doing promotes a sense of pride in our region while also boosting the economy. EPG has been bringing Berea students, faculty, and community members together for the past eight years. During the summer months, the program’s summer institute promotes learning, engagement, and achievement in promising young entrepreneurs through an intense eight-week program. Students must participate for two summers. At the end of their second, those who demonstrate development in applying what they have learned are awarded the distinction of EPG Fellow. This summer, one team of EPG Fellow candidates is working to expand and promote the local food system economy. They are doing this by looking into food security, healthy living, farmers markets, and helping local farmers see the value of the food they produce. They are also incorporating different community assets like entertainment and art along with food. Using Kentucky’s rich agriculture, students hope to use what the state already has to offer for the benefit of communities and the economy. This group, consisting of both Appalachian and international students, is currently working in Hazard, Ky. to help establish a more efficient local food system in the region. The remaining three EPG groups are working on promoting tourism within the state, which is one of Kentucky’s largest industries — the...

FEAT Hosting Workshop on Eco-Agritourism Business Development in Eastern Kentucky...

Eastern Kentucky Foothills Eco-Agri-Tourism Corporation (FEAT) and the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service are joining together to host a workshop entitled” It’s Your Idea Make it Pay!: Emphasizing eco-agri-tourism and related businesses” July 28 – 30 at Morehead’s Regional Enterprise Center in West Liberty Kentucky. The workshop aims to “inspire local people to think differently about our community and its economy.” The goal is “to create a network of people and businesses working together across county lines.” There will be training and assistance, beginning at this workshop and continuing through the winter of 2010-11 for those who wish to start a business in the region, including restaurants, catering services, lodges, U-picks, bed and breakfasts and any other such related business. Residents of Wolfe, Menifee, Morgan, Elliott and Carter Counties are eligible for free registration (limited to 10 from each county) – more information is available by calling Gayle at . Keynote speakers include Peter Hille, Director of the Brushy Fork Institute, leading sessions entitled “We Cannot Wait” and “Strategies for Strong Communities”. Vaugnh Grisham, director of the George McClean Institute for Community Development at the University of Mississippi, will be leading a two-day session on local capacity, called “We Must Look to Ourselves First”. Todd Comen, founder and manager of the Institute for Integrated Rural Tourism, is leading a day-long look at integrated rural tourism’s potential application in eastern Kentucky. The conference will also feature farm and business tours, as well as meals made with locally-grown ingredients. To...

Tourism: A Potential Path to a Sustainable Future

Despite the economic downturn, tourism remains big business in the region and is an important potential path for Central Appalachia's economic future. A recent analysis by Certec, Inc. for Kentucky found that the economic impact of tourism in the state amounted to $10.8 billion in 2009, as outlined in a press release by the Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet. The impact figures are based on such things as tourist spending at attractions, overnight hotel stays, campgrounds, tax data, attendance figures and airline business. Of particular interest is the fact that tourism in mostly rural areas of the state saw gains, while the tourism impact in more urban portions of the state declined. Tourism develpment is tricky because it can often lead to low wages and seasonal jobs; negative environmental and quality of life impacts; and the commercialization of local culture. But Central Appalachia's stunning forested mountains and rich cultural traditions are important assets with tourism potential. With good, careful planning, communities can take advantage of those opportunities in ways that are beneficial and sustainable. About Tamara...

Travel Green in Appalachia!

“Travel Green Appalachia” (http://www.travelgreenappalachia.com/) partners with folks in the public and private sectors to help promote green tourism. The web-site includes travel blog posts, check-lists for green travel, links to eco-friendly destinations and information for businesses that want to be involved in building a tourism industry that supports the triple bottom line of travel. The folks at TGA recognize their work as part of the broader project of building a healthy and diverse economy in Appalachia: Our efforts and influence extend beyond tourism because tourism development cannot occur in a bubble isolated from other components of a sustainable economy. TGA has been working on green tourism in Appalachia since 2008. The list of speaking engagements and projects suggests that the web-site is a small piece of an ambitious project that engages small business owners and local and state officials in trying to build environmental tourism in West Virginia. Check it out! About Melissa Fry...