WVFFC provides statewide leadership in local food so farmers and agriculture businesses can thrive, ultimately nourishing and strengthening their communities.
In Kentucky, Community Farm Alliance has worked for 36 years to help Kentucky communities, farmers markets, and producers reap those important benefits.
Behind every thriving community is small business. Behind a lot of successful small businesses are incubators, which provide the support and resources startups need to succeed. For 38 years, Ohio University’s award-winning Innovation Center (IC) has offered much-needed space for Appalachian Ohio’s innovators, helping them bring…
In 2016, the Natural Capital Investment Fund (NCIFund) partnered with the Hatfield McCoy Trail Authority and Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College (Southern) to drive recreational tourism development in the coalfields of southern West Virginia. Through ARC POWER funding, the partners launched a revolving loan…
“About 80% of West Virginia businesses have 20 or less employees,” said Alyssa Keedy, the Advanced Career Education Coordinator at the West Virginia Department of Education (WVDE). Why is that the case? One reason is a disconnect between West Virginia workers and the skills needed by local employers. With many…
Western Maryland Works is a full-service makerspace, small-business incubator project that provides access to technology and equipment, and training facility focusing on machining, welding, and industrial maintenance. With ARC support, Western Maryland Works purchased state-of-the-art advanced manufacturing equipment such as computers, electronic classroom systems, general furnishings, equipment for wood working,…
This research effort examines entrepreneurship in Appalachia through both quantitative and qualitative analysis. It includes a detailed overview of the components that tend to support vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystems.
This report examines trends in the 2007 and 2012 Censuses of Agriculture and related socioeconomic databases in order to assess, benchmark, and document food and farm activity and the local food economy in the Appalachian Region.
This report summarizes entrepreneurial opportunities in the energy, health, manufacturing and local food sectors, and examines innovative projects that demonstrate multiple benefits to Appalachian communities.
This study examines recent trends in the availability of capital and credit for small businesses in the Appalachian Region, compares financial conditions in 2010 with those in 2007, and assesses the impact of strategies to address capital gaps.
This report examines the burgeoning local food movement in the Appalachian Region, describes best practices, and analyzes gaps and opportunities for expanding this sector of the economy.
