The West Virginia Regional Technology Park in Kanawha County, West Virginia has launched a new program to turn former strip mines into lavender farms as a means of boosting the local economy, Roxy Todd of West Virginia Public Broadcasting reports. The program, Green Mining, started last year, and has enrolled locals and people who moved to the area from other states specifically to be a part of the program. It received a $1 million grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission’s Power Initiative.
Green Mining coordinators hope to tap into the essential oil aromatherapy market. They’ll need to produce at least 2,000 gallons of oil to sell to larger companies, and project coordinator Mariana Sawyer says they want Appalachia to become the new home of U.S.-sourced lavender oil.
The program is currently employing students and new farmers to plant lavender on a Boone County strip mine. And it’s gaining some steam. There were only 8 graduates of the program during its first course. The second course saw 20 graduates. Green Mining is seeking another federal grant to transition the business to a co-op model, and hopes the farmers would become the owners of the business within three years. (Read more)
