Producers

“We are a small family farm located in Fayette Co. WV. We are located just minutes from the New River Gorge Bridge. We have Angus Limousine cross cattle and are introducing some Simmental into the cross. We raise Kathadin sheep. All animals are steroid and hormone free. We try to do our best at being good stewards of the land.” - Simms Farm

Barbour Farms, Produce, St. Albans, WV

“Blue Ray Ranch is a unique 100 acre holistically-managed farm. Upon a visit to our farm, you enjoy a gobble greeting from our Royal Palm turkeys while our happy herd of goats welcome you with a baa! Gazing upon the rolling hills, you see a joyful flock of heritage chickens roaming freely across 10 acres of open land.” - Blue Ray Ranch 

“A 7th generation salt-making family harvests an all-natural salt by hand, from an ancient ocean trapped below the Appalachian Mountains. Our Dickinson ancestors first drilled for brine in 1817, using a hollowed-out tree trunk for piping, and established our family farm along the Kanawha River a few years after.  By the 1850s, there were hundreds of wells along the river producing more than three million bushels of salt per year, making the Kanawha Valley the largest salt producing region of the United States.” - JQ Dickinson Saltworks

“LeJa Produce is a small micro-farm. The land has been in the family since the early 1900’s. The original farm was almost 250 acres, most of the acreage was either sold or bartered off over the years. Today the farm is a micro-farm of almost three acres. Land that once grew tobacco and corn is now home to blackberries, blueberries, raised beds and high tunnels. Grandfather Handley grew all the summer veggies with much being canned for the winter by Grandmother Handley. Gene, as a child, would accompany his grandfather to sell produce door to door in St. Albans, Hurricane and surrounding areas. Today Gene works the land with his wife, Janis, children and grand children.” - Leja Produce

Hernshaw Farms, Mushroom grower and Wholesale

“Hernshaw Farms is a sustainable social enterprise that will have a positive impact on Appalachian communities. We will nurture and transform mine land into beautiful farmland using spent mushroom blocks and provide healthy local food with a purpose. Every time you purchase our mushrooms, you help us turn mineland2farmland.  After our mushroom blocks go through their flushes we use them to make compost. Then we use that compost to turn old mineland into farmland.”          - Hershaw Farms

First Hand Coffee, Farmers Market and Wholesale

“FIRSTHAND Cooperative is a worker-owned coffee company. Inspired by the principles of the fair trade movement, we connect producers and consumers in mountain communities through our fair share guarantee. This commitment to mutual aid  and our vision for a sharing economy along coffee supply chains supports social enterprise development abroad and right here in our mountain home.” - Firsthand Coffee

See their feature in the main exhibition Youth and Food Justice section!

Round Right Farm , Produce and Wholesale Terra Alta, WV

“Round Right Farm is owned and operated by Steve and Sunshine Vortigern. We met while studying the arts in graduate school. Steve is a trombonist and Sunshine is a writer (and also a violinist). While in school, we fell in love and discovered we had a mutual curiosity about living more sustainably. After gardening for one summer (and having a baby) at Sunshine's father's farm in southern Kentucky, we accepted a farming apprenticeship in Oakland, MD at Backbone Food Farm. After six months there, we were ready to look for a farm of our own.” - Round Right Farm  

Vested Heirs Farm, Produce and Wholesale, Aurora, WV

“Vested Heirs derived its name from the first generation of Stemples to farm this land. Vesta and Fred Stemple started their family here over 80 years ago. Although they are no longer with us, we combined their first names to form Vested. We want to continue the stewardship of the land and feel truly "vested" in its success. Four generations currently put their hands in the dirt at this family owned and operated farm. Using good farming practices we grow fresh fruits and vegetables that will be served in our schools, local restaurants, and on the family table.” - Vested Heirs Farm

Appalachian Orchard, produce Wholesale Martinsburg, WV

“Appalachian Orchard Company is a family run business that is steeped in history and tradition with an updated face and a young progressive management team guided by long time orchardist and owner Michael Orr.  West Virginia apples are grown and packed by third and fourth generation family members.  The Orr family began raising fruits and vegetables in the 1930’s.  Four subsequent generations have continued to plant orchards in the scenic Blue Ridge mountains.  In 1955, George S. Orr, Jr. bought his first 97-acre orchard and that orchard has grown and changed over the years into the 550-acre orchard that is the present-day Appalachian Orchard Company.  2018 saw the installation of a new packing facility and with it comes great anticipation of bringing high quality and delicious apples to our customers both near and far” -Appalachian Orchard

“Since 1944, we are a family owned and operated greenhouse and garden center that serves the tri-state area with a large selection of indoor and seasonal outdoor plants as well as hydroponic tomatoes, cucumbers, and lettuce. We are open year-round at our store front location in Midway, WV just outside of the town of Eleanor, WV. We also have an outdoor booth at the Charleston Capitol Market on Smith Street from March-October each year.” -Gritts Midway Greenhouse