Hello Grow Appalachia Family! I hope spring has been nothing short of refreshing and beautiful for everyone so far. Most of us did not get to meet at Berea so I would like to introduce myself to everyone. My name is Sarah Gleason and I am completely foreign to this wonderful and vital world of farming. I grew up for eighteen years in Riverside, California and decided to leave that sunny, chaotic world for the land of the wild and wonderful; West Virginia. It was while living in Morgantown and attending West Virginia University and discovering an amazing world of local food that I began to process the importance of sustainability and organic, local farming not only for my own well-being but for the well-being of this precious earth. This spark of interest led me to leave Morgantown only one month ago and unite with Grow Appalachia, The Green Grocer and the Alderson Community Food Hub on their mission to provide a sustainable lifestyle for all the great people of Alderson. In the past month I have talked to both small and large scale farmers who are eager to learn as much as possible not only from Grow Appalachia but the environment which surrounds them everyday. The community exuberates with enthusiasm for their future and their humanities future and this eagerness shown from participants and the community has only made my confidence in undertaking the intimidating world of farming stronger. The small size and peacefully quiet feel does Alderson little justice in regards to it’s peoples strong desire for a community based on local production and local spirit. Grow Appalachia has joined an amazing team by being a part of the Green Grocer and Community Hub here and the joint effort is going to do brilliant things for this fantastic community. Over the next coming months Grow Appalachia participants will be able to truly engage with the community as we plan to incorporate participants in Alderson programs such as the mobile market, Farm to School, Alderson Farmers Market, and volunteer opportunities with community garden and the community in general. All of us here at Alderson cannot wait to see what is in store for our future as well as keep everyone updated for our thrilling ride ahead.
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