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276-596-4002

Read and share the EDGE White Paper on Mountain Farming and
its Call for Research, Planning, and Substantial Investment
​

​Appalachia Has to Be in the Game: 
An EDGE 22nd Century Mountain Farming White Paper

Principal author: Crystal Cook Marshall, MST, MFA, PhD with Jason Tartt, Amelia Bandy, and Atlas Charles
All Rights Reserved.    
​

Abstract

With the climate and food, national, and civic security issues at stake in the United States, we at EDGE strongly assert that “Appalachia Has to be in the Game” of scaled as well as abundant regional food production. To continue to discount or ignore the land, location, natural resource, climate, agricultural production, and water supply potential for the Appalachian Mountains of the United States toward averting national food and security crises in the short-term, as well as those on the horizon, amounts to a crisis of political will, and even to continued regional health, economic, and civic peril.

Also available at this link:

https://tinyurl.com/5xsp2fnb​


EDGE Co-founder Jason Tartt, Sr. and Ex. Dir. Amelia Bandy discuss EDGE

Starts at 12:58 and runs till 48:30. History of EDGE, goals, next steps. Part of the Central Appalachian Network A Fair Food System Series 2022.

Ag Innovator Spotlight


 

Support EDGE and its important work with a monthly subscription.


EDGE develops economic sector pilots, demonstration sites, trains locals in agripreneurship and entrepreneurship, launches local products, and much more. 


Economic Development Greater East (EDGE) 501 (c) 3 is building the 21st Century Economy
where food is foundational
land is conserved
and people are valued. 

What is EDGE? What does it do?



EDGE's 21st Century Economy Initiatives

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EDGE Demonstration Farm

Click to learn more & get involved.
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EDGE THRIVE Training Programs

Click here for more about training.
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Mountain Farm Community Grocery

Click here to learn more & get involved.

Farmacy & Food Truck
Click here to learn more about the Farmacy and Food Truck.

Impact Overview

EDGE is a model for the new rural & community-focused economy of local citizens rooted in the interconnected fundamentals of life:
food, meaningful livelihood, health of people & place, connection.

361+

Acres being stewarded into mountain farm production.

4,215 

Hours of training total delivered in mountain farm production & a workforce development  2020-2022 for 20 trainees.

1000

Feet in development for retail space and shelf space for local & regional goods through Mountain Farm Community Grocery.

Seven

Deep institutional partnerships.

8

Production lines piloted for scale.

$2m

Leveraged since 2016 for community investment, training, pilots, economic development.

​
EDGE's CORE ETHICS
How ought we build the place we live in & share?
How ought we reinvigorate & reinvest for resilience? 

Click through the presentation below about how
​EDGE answers these questions and interconnects its intiatives.
​


EDGE from the 50,000 foot view

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Health Equity Economy Creators

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Social Entrepreneurs

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Economic Sector Developers


Our Region by the Numbers

​How our location ranks for health and wealth
​How we rank for food access
​How our region ranks for population decline and educational opportunity
EDGE focuses on assets for upgrowth

EDGE is a federally recognized nonprofit, 501 (c) (3).
Website Content by Economic Development Greater East. All Rights Reserved. ​
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© Economic Development Greater East 501 (c) 3. All Rights Reserved.