When asked to describe Bridgeport Farmers Market (BFM) in three words, Debbie Workman gave nine. That should be a good indication of the kind of market she is running; so good that it can’t be narrowed down to just three words. Founded in 2009, the Bridgeport Farmers Market is one of the longest running organized farmers markets in West Virginia. When they began planning for the market in 2008, they didn’t feel like they had many examples to look towards when starting such a venture. Fast forward 12 years and BFM serves as a beacon for markets looking for helpful tips and advice on starting an ..read more

After just a few minutes talking with Doug Lusk, you feel like you’ve gained a new friend. He credits his communication skills to many years of teaching school, which is how he made his living until the summer of 2020. No, this isn’t another tragic story of how the Coronavirus pandemic uprooted someone’s livelihood, but instead a success story.    While Doug was teaching, his family sold homegrown eggs with Sprouting Farms in Talcott, West Virginia. Providing quality, nutritious goods to his community has always been important to Doug, and this was just one of the ways in which he w ..read more

Although Hart Kitchen is new, Chef Anne Hartis no stranger to the food scene. Sadly, her restaurant Provence Market Cafe, was lost in a devastating fire in 2019.  For years Hart has been looking for a space to do culinary classes in. And though 2020 hasn’t been filled with too much luck, Hart came across some when she found a large building in Clarksburg. The building which is divided into two spaces, a small restaurant with a bar, and a large open space, was just what Hart needed to create Hart Kitchen Eatery and Hart Cookery.  Hart Cookery can take up to 12 people but is currently ..read more

From their start in 2017, Swilled Dog set out to make a much larger impact than bringing a new hard cider to the market (and now small-batch whiskey). Swilled Dog laid the foundation of their company with the mission to give back to the causes they care about. “That is paramount to everything we do.”, says co-founder, Brooke Glover,  “We say we have two pillars to the business, and that was the main one, the first thing, the second thing was making good cider with more taste and less sugar than what you find out in the market.”  Even though they have only been in business for a short ..read more

Using techniques learned before he could even drive, Josh Bennett, owner of Hawk Knob Cider, knows the cider that they produce sets them apart from any other on the market. “We are really dedicated to what we’re doing”, says Bennett, “we went with really traditional cider…what we do is quite a bit different than more modern ciders you find on store shelves.”  Bennett first noticed the cider market beginning to take shape in the early 2000s, however, his excitement was cut short after trying some and realizing it wasn’t like the cider he grew up making, “they were so sweet, you could put t ..read more

In 1993, Duane Brown accompanied his uncle to Colombia on a mission trip. During that trip, Brown fell in love with the country and knew he wanted to return when the next opportunity came. However, due to safety concerns, the next opportunity wasn’t until 2011, this time accompanying his daughter and her Colombian boyfriend (who also happened to be a missionary). Although it was a long wait, the timing turned out to be perfect.  Colombia had recently relaxed its international law on buying property, allowing foreigners to purchase property. Brown, his wife, and their two sons decided to t ..read more

Capitol Street in downtown Charleston has your typical restaurants and shops you’d probably expect, however, there is one business at the end of the road that may just surprise you. 800 Kanawha Blvd E, at the corner of Capitol Street and Kanawha Blvd. is home to the unique and evolving micro-distillery, Mountain State Distillery.  Just how micro you might ask? The entire distillery, which consists of 2 fermentors, a tasting counter, and a retail room, all sit inside a less than 2000 square foot area. (If you can find a smaller distillery let us know!) The 2 fermentors can make about 20-30 ..read more

With the tag line “One Shop. Many Discoveries.”, Hidden Creek Mercantile & The Copper Room doesn’t disappoint. What is now the event space at Hidden Creek, first started as a secret meeting space for the Odd Fellows. The meeting room, however, wasn’t the only secret the over 100-year-old building held, along with old alcohol bottles from the prohibition, and a door that requires a secret knock, the building also held a secret a bit deeper. When new owners purchased the building 4 years ago and did a total renovation, they found a hidden creek that ran under the building during rainstorms ..read more

The Rambling Root really loves two things, their beer, and their customers. Since their opening in Fairmont in 2017, co-owners DJ Cassell and Josh Clarke have worked to combine the two to create a space that celebrates both. “Josh and I have always worked to create a really welcoming space for people, and also an educational space to teach people about good beer and good food,” says Cassell.  When it comes to sourcing their ingredients for both their beer and menu items, the Rambling Root works to source as most locally as possible. “It’s our responsibility to support other West Virginian ..read more

In 2014, Blue Ridge Bee Company started out online selling a beekeeping tool they fabricated, called an Oxalic Acid Vaporizer (used to treat against a parasite that kills honey bees). Since its online start, BRBC has expanded into a brick and mortar store in downtown Princeton, WV.  BRBC loves being a part of their community and believes in keeping resources in the community to help grow and strengthen it. Although they knew they were coming into a supportive community, they have still been blown away at just how supportive the community has been. “We expected our community to be receptiv ..read more