EDGE asserts that entrepreneurship— in particular, small business ownership— is central to rebuilding the economy and communities of Central Appalachia. EDGE supports local entrepreneurs by providing hands-on entrepreneurship, business development training and on-site education. EDGE acknowledges that individuals may need additional support, and has sought capital assistance for producers and entrepreneurs to build their businesses. EDGE incubates these entities and believes that eventually small business owners will gain the knowledge, skills and resources to operate their businesses in the future.
At Appalachian Gold, we don’t just provide delicious, homegrown flavors you’ll love. We’re part of a larger movement to restructure food systems in Appalachia and beyond.
We believe Appalachia has no business being a food desert. Our mountains are nutrition goldmines, and we’re proud of our region and committed to strengthening the health of our people. We create products that stand proud in our agricultural traditions, support local farmers, and deeply reintegrate us with the land. Many of our products use traditional food preservation– an ancestral practice that has deep roots in the Appalachian region.
By harvesting local produce and creating shelf stable food products, we unite regional farmers to provide an authentically Appalachian product. Your purchase of Appalachian Gold supports family farms and agricultural traditions in Appalachia.
Fostering Sustainable Agriculture and Community Growth
T & T Organics, LLC is a Black-owned farm that uses ancestral knowledge and rigorous research to pioneer solutions in mountain agriculture. In 2014, T & T organics was formed in direct response to the critical and persistent economic and health issues in McDowell County, West Virginia. The farm has crafted the vision for mountain agriculture in the region, which works alongside the land to understand the products that naturally and prolifically succeed in Central Appalachia– such as fruit trees, honey, maple syrup, meat goats, poultry and forest medicinal products. T & T Organics Owner Jason Tartt, Sr. is a co-founder of EDGE and the founder of American Youth Agripreneur Association (AYAA).
Establishing a lease of 350 acres, T & T Organics heralded an innovative partnership with Berwind Land Company to create the DRT Environment with EDGE— making the AgForce Development Program possible. T & T Organics also works with communities to create rural to urban resource exchanges. An existing exchange includes the exchange between the predominantly Black West Charleston area of Charleston, WV and the area of McDowell County. This relationship strengthens both areas by working together to create opportunities, provide awareness and educational opportunities, and ensure voices from underserved communities are heard and amplified.
Producing Farm-Fresh Eggs and Poultry with Mountain-Range Innovation
Mr. Joe’s Poultry & Eggs is a Black-owned business based in the heart of central Appalachia, producing farm-fresh eggs and poultry raised with care in the mountains of West Virginia. Our innovative mountain ranging system allows our chickens to roam freely and feed on the natural nutrients found in the rich Appalachian soil, creating healthier birds and more flavorful products.
West Virginians need clean water, and our SOURCE Hydropanel project is a first step in addressing this need.
From a partnership between The Nature Conservancy and SOURCE has made , we’ve created a sixty-panel hydropanel project that resides on the DRT Environment . The SOURCE drinking water system pulls water vapor from the air and uses sunlight to convert it to a pure liquid state, then mineralizes it for health and taste. SOURCE hydropanels have the capability of producing up to 66,000 liters of clean drinking water per year.
For years, the Southern Coalfields have been under a boil water advisory. Fixing public infrastructure is estimated to be a multi-billion dollar project, with an extensive timeline. While public infrastructure is being improved, hydropanel technology can greatly mitigate the current water crises. Once public infrastructure is fixed and our communities have clean water readily available, EDGE will create social enterprises from hydropanels.
EDGE prioritizes health, place, livelihood, and nutrition to lead land and community reclamation in Appalachia.
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