About 50 people came together in Prestonsburg on April 24 to envision a new future for Appalachia in which agriculture and renewable energy will offer opportunities beyond coal.

Growing Appalachia: Moving Forward in the Mountains was co-sponsored by KFTC and the Mountain Association for Community Economic Development (MACED) and hosted by the Floyd County KFTC chapter. Held at Jenny Wiley State Resort Park, the day-long conference drew both KFTC members and non-members. Some folks came to gain specific information for their own small businesses, while others just wanted to join the conversation.

The conference was divided into two tracts: agriculture and renewable energy. Agriculture topics included starting a small mountain farm, new markets for small farmers, forest farming, and forest management for carbon credit income. On the renewable energy side, participants learned about micro-hydro energy, energy efficiency and green building, getting started in solar energy, and the basics of biomass.

Presenters from the University of Kentucky, Pine Mountain Settlement School, Kentucky Solar Partnership, and other organizations and small businesses shared practical, step-by-step information on starting new ventures in agriculture and renewable energy/energy efficiency.

Participants finished the day by coming together for a large-group discussion about next steps. They agreed they wanted to keep people connected and talking to each other beyond formal meetings, but they also wanted additional events focused on Appalachian transition.

Folks also talked about the need to educate children about growing gardens, get more local food in school lunches, build positive relationships with local media, talk more about what we’re for and less about what we’re against, and provide more information about funding opportunities for small businesses.

Look for more information about the conference in the next issue of balancing the scales.