About Appalachian Highlands Farmers

Appalachian Highlands Farmers Magazine, a publication of the non-profit Gavel Media, serves the region from Asheville to Wytheville, including Eastern Tennessee and West Virginia. It acts as an information bridge, filling critical news gaps by documenting agriculture, regional heritage, and sustainable food systems.

The magazine prioritizes educational content regarding farm science, technology, government policy, and Appalachian culture, including art, music, and foodways. Operated as a non-stock corporation, the magazine emphasizes unbiased reporting and community support over commercial interests. Its mission is to educate, preserve regional traditions, and promote resilient, farm-to-table economic models for local farmers and producers.

Our Organizational Mission.

Gavel Media Corporation is organized exclusively for charitable and educational purposes. Specifically, the Gavel Media Corporation creates regional media resources dedicated to documenting, supporting, and strengthening agriculture, food systems, and rural culture in the Appalachian Highlands of North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.

To further this mission, the Gavel Media Corporation shall: (a) Produce in-depth reporting, educational content, and community storytelling that amplifies the voices of farmers, food producers, scientists, and regional non-profit organizations, while preserving Appalachia’s cultural heritage; (b) Promote sustainable agriculture, food security, economic resilience, and informed civic engagement in rural communities; and (c) Serve as a trusted information bridge between research, policy, and practice—ensuring that farmers and community members have access to accurate, relevant, and regionally grounded knowledge.

Mary McLeod

Senior Food Writer

University of Florida graduate Mary McLeod pivoted from public relations to agricultural journalism after an internship highlighted the struggles of small family farms. She now uses empathetic storytelling to bridge the gap between consumers and producers, advocating for the agricultural community.

Hiram Jensen

Senior Government Writer

Iowa State Agronomy graduate Hiram Jensen pivoted from farming to journalism to address the industry's information gap. He now equips farmers with data-driven insights on markets, climate, and policy to help them thrive in a complex landscape.

Josh Mason

AgroTech Writer

University of Missouri journalism graduate Josh Mason discovered his passion for agriculture during a rural practicum. Now, he bridges the urban-rural divide by reporting on agrarian policy, technology, and the untold stories of farmers.

Stefanie Manuele

Contributing Writer

Stefanie Manuele recently relocated from Utah to rural Virginia with her husband and youngest child. A genealogist who enjoys family history, teaching, gardening, herbology, and cooking, she now lives in a renovated Victorian farmhouse and writes about the rhythms of family and land that shape life in Appalachia—while learning the land one season at a time.

Caleb Musser

Senior Writer

Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication alumnus Caleb Musser shifted from sports broadcasting to environmental journalism and now specializes in reporting on government policy, science, and agricultural innovation.

Aaron Creighton

Publisher/Writer

With a family history deeply rooted in journalism, Aaron's early career involved advising major international newspapers on production before he eventually owned and published the Alpine Mountaineer. Today, he serves as the CEO of Gavel Media, a nonprofit organization dedicated to producing content that champions agriculture, local food systems, and farmers markets.

Kathryn Jacobson

Contributing Writer

Kathryn, Nate, and their three children moved from Utah to Virginia in 2016, seeking new work opportunities. Though their roots remain in the sandy rocks there, they fell in love with the lush valley and its generous people and settled into its giving soil.

Donica Krebs

Contributing Writer

Donica Krebs is a Certified Master Farm Manager, and owns a dairy goat farm in Elizabethton, TN. She hopes to foster deeper connections between farms and consumers through supporting the common ground of farmers markets, in order to create a more close-knit and sustainable food system for her community.

Trisha Starr

Food & Organics Writer

Texas A&M Agricultural Communications graduate Trisha Starr grew up on a Central Texas organic farm, witnessing the disconnect between producers and consumers. She now writes stories that demystify agriculture, highlighting sustainable practices and local food heroes.