September is about harvest. The last vestiges of summer planting are either being put up for winter, or picked for the plate at supper a few final times. Fall festivals also begin this month, teeming and busting at the seams with local delicacies being cooked to order, or sold in jars and bunches to passersby.
We’re preparing our wares for winter this month, and celebrating the summer of plenty that we worked hard for – and for New Appalachia, that means investing more in our local foods economy to build it up as a foundation for our new economy. The sector – along with agriculture more broadly – has already become a burgeoning economic engine in the region, and for good reason: growing, selling, and storing food are some of our most important assets. Local foods will help us move forward in a way we have yet to fully realize.
For those reasons, we’re focusing on local foods and agriculture this month for our Transition in Action series. We’ll be bringing you posts from some folks who are working hard to make sure local foods and agriculture continue to grow as an economic sector, and continue to guide the region forward into its new economy.
So, pull up a chair around the harvest table, fix yourself a plate, and stick around for the stories we’ll tell and share. You won’t want to miss this meal.