VIRGINIA By Kathryn Jacobson She has an old type of beauty. I’m not quite sure why she feels that way; old. I suppose God put the dirt here at the same time he put the dirt everywhere else. It&#...
In the Appalachian Highlands, a barn has never been merely a structure. It is a survival machine. Driving through the ridges of East Tennessee, the hollows of Southwest Virginia, or the rolling hills ...
Why cattle producers are seeing a golden period, while row crop farmers face a perfect storm of low prices and elevated expenses. If you stand at the sale barn in Wytheville on a Thursday, you might t...
We’re launching a nonprofit newsroom to preserve Appalachian Highlands heritage and support its future. The Appalachian Highlands, spanning Asheville to Wytheville and beyond, are linked by resi...
In the Appalachian Highlands, “putting up” or canning isn’t just a chore or a challenge; it is the boundary between the abundance of summer and the lean gray of winter. For many gene...
In the pages of Smoky Mountain Magic—that beloved culinary bible compiled by the Junior Service League of Johnson City in 1960—there sits a recipe that feels less like instructions for dinner and more...
In Northeast Tennessee, our rivers are more than beautiful landmarks; they fuel our farms, shape our childhoods, and drive our economy. But as any farmer on the Nolichucky or Watauga knows, these wate...
When the sun finally drops behind the ridge and the last chore is done, life on an Appalachian Highlands farm shifts gears. Today, we might turn on the TV or scroll through our phones. But for generat...
January 1, 2026 | Regional Legislative & Market Outlook For farmers, meat producers, and market gardeners in the Appalachian Highlands, the new year isn’t just a calendar flip—it is the effe...
In August, the Appalachian Highlands are drowning in corn. Silver Queen, Peaches and Cream, Hickory King—it comes in by the bushel. The challenge hasn’t changed in 200 years: How do we keep this...
