About EDGE
EDGE (Economic Development Greater East) is a federally recognized nonprofit 501 (c) (3).
EDGE was formed when a group of community members and land-based producers realized the need for coordination of, and support for, regional education and programming in land-based sectors ripe for scale.
Evolving out of a volunteer-based agricultural working group in 2016, participants pooled their 20+ years of experience in farming, business, nonprofit, military, and public health to work collectively for full scale regional regenerative land-based production and a healthy, vibrant entrepreneurial and work- force.
EDGE's fundamental goal is to grow and support land-based producers toward a living wage comparable to that outlined by the agricultural economist David Kohl for Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, and our section of the Southeast, which is a farm family gross income of at least $80,000 per year (based on the work of the respected AgBiz Planner program). EDGE utilizes tried and true and researched strategies toward supporting these ends.
EDGE also coordinates and collaborates on issues of food security and food desert dilemmas, leading with heritage foodways and skills at the core of that joint effort.
EDGE seeks to provide comprehensive whole person workforce and entrepreneurship readiness training and regional collaboration and facilitation in:
Multi-species Apprenticeship (currently, pilot meat goats, heritage turkeys, and broiler--in process)
Maple Syrup Producers Training and Regional Guild (in process; seeking feasibility)
Liquor Hill Liquor Producers Training and Regional Guild (in process--designing outreach)
Botanicals and Appalachian Farming and Regional Guild (forthcoming)
Charcuterie and Cuisine--North American Certificate Program (forthcoming)
Small Grains Producers Training and Regional Guild (forthcoming)
Value-added Meat and Dairy and Product Development (forthcoming)
Value-Added Product Development: Invention and Innovation (forthcoming)
With additional expansion over time into sustainable textiles, tourism, and the creative economy.
Major Components of Programs Include:
Industry Fundamentals
Training in Innovation and Invention
Entrepreneurship Training
Financial Literacy
Job and Entrepreneurship Coaching
Health and Wellness
Time Management
Lifecoaching
Forthcoming Facilities include:
on site student kitchen
student still
student greenhouses
student fermentation production
gardens
facilities rental to regional producers.
EDGE seeks to expand services to mobile sites.
Destinations
Below are additional programs EDGE would like to grow capacity to provide or to facilitate regional capacity in (programs for which EDGE does not need to the principal provider).
These programmatic areas below incorporate researched needs in our region to increase capacity in the land-based, tourist, creative, and trades sectors.
Additional Guild Programs
Organic or Regenerative Certifiers
Beekeeping
Community Based Innovation Hub + Invention Station: community fabrication and invention station
The Rural Semester: Rural policy, Ag Policy, Rural economic modeling, Sustaining, attracting and keeping talent and leaders
Beginning Farmer/Gardener Site addressing food security and introduction to growing
Community Foundation Nonprofit Incubator
Aggregates and provides nonprofit incubation services in
Accounting
Insurance
Angel Investors Circle
A means to pool or manage community-oriented investment and donor funds.
Sustainable cosmetics and fashion = R & D and Training
Piloting business research and businesses
Training in sustainable cosmetics and fashion
Feasibility on environmentally non-harmful tanning
Feasibility fur, wool, cotton, leather, and deerskin production
Multi-species Apprenticeship (currently, pilot meat goats, heritage turkeys, and broiler--in process)
Maple Syrup Producers Training and Regional Guild (in process; seeking feasibility)
Liquor Hill Liquor Producers Training and Regional Guild (in process--designing outreach)
Botanicals and Appalachian Farming and Regional Guild (forthcoming)
Charcuterie and Cuisine--North American Certificate Program (forthcoming)
Small Grains Producers Training and Regional Guild (forthcoming)
Value-added Meat and Dairy and Product Development (forthcoming)
Value-Added Product Development: Invention and Innovation (forthcoming)
With additional expansion over time into sustainable textiles, tourism, and the creative economy.
Major Components of Programs Include:
Industry Fundamentals
Training in Innovation and Invention
Entrepreneurship Training
Financial Literacy
Job and Entrepreneurship Coaching
Health and Wellness
Time Management
Lifecoaching
Forthcoming Facilities include:
on site student kitchen
student still
student greenhouses
student fermentation production
gardens
facilities rental to regional producers.
EDGE seeks to expand services to mobile sites.
Destinations
Below are additional programs EDGE would like to grow capacity to provide or to facilitate regional capacity in (programs for which EDGE does not need to the principal provider).
These programmatic areas below incorporate researched needs in our region to increase capacity in the land-based, tourist, creative, and trades sectors.
Additional Guild Programs
Organic or Regenerative Certifiers
Beekeeping
Community Based Innovation Hub + Invention Station: community fabrication and invention station
The Rural Semester: Rural policy, Ag Policy, Rural economic modeling, Sustaining, attracting and keeping talent and leaders
Beginning Farmer/Gardener Site addressing food security and introduction to growing
Community Foundation Nonprofit Incubator
Aggregates and provides nonprofit incubation services in
Accounting
Insurance
Angel Investors Circle
A means to pool or manage community-oriented investment and donor funds.
Sustainable cosmetics and fashion = R & D and Training
Piloting business research and businesses
Training in sustainable cosmetics and fashion
Feasibility on environmentally non-harmful tanning
Feasibility fur, wool, cotton, leather, and deerskin production
EDGE is a federally recognized nonprofit, 501 (c) (3).
Website Content by Economic Development Greater East. All Rights Reserved.
Website Content by Economic Development Greater East. All Rights Reserved.