When you think of “Appalachian cooking,” what comes to mind? For a lot of folks, it’s savory comfort foods like biscuits with sausage gravy, crispy fried chicken and mashed potatoes loaded with butter. But, what about folks who want that comfort food, without involving animals? Jan Brandenburg is a pharmacist and poet in Eastern Kentucky. Over the last 30 years, she’s collected and perfected recipes that take a plant-based approach to the Appalachian table. Producer Bill Lynch spoke with Brandenburg about her new book The Modern Mountain Cookbook.
Home » Sipping Berkeley Springs Water And Talking Climate Change With Silas House
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Sipping Berkeley Springs Water And Talking Climate Change With Silas House
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This week, we’re visiting Berkeley Springs where we sample healing waters from a natural spring so good that even George Washington traveled to check it out.
We’ll also visit the Cass Scenic Railroad in Pocahontas County, West Virginia. Tourists come from all around to ride its antique trains. And there’s a crew of experts who keep ‘em running. And we speak with Kentucky author Silas House about his new novel. It’s part of a growing genre called climate fiction.
You’ll hear these stories and more this week, Inside Appalachia.
There are natural springs all over Appalachia. The deep folds of rock that make up our mountains bring water from the depths to trickle out of our hillsides. That’s where many people got their fresh water in the years before indoor plumbing. But in Berkeley Springs, West Virginia, people are still filling jugs with spring water to lug back home. Why? Folkways reporter Zack Harold decided to fish around for some answers.
Keeping The Fires Lit On The Cass Railroad
Since 2019, our Folkways team has produced more than 100 stories about Appalachian folklife — that is, traditions that are being passed down from one generation to the next. Passing down those traditions is important. In our story about the Cass Railroad, you’ll meet railroad senior employee Rex Cassell. He passed away during the making of this story. But during his life, he was a crucial part of why visiting the Cass Railroad in Pocahontas County, West Virginia, feels like you’re stepping back in time. Folkways reporter Lauren Griffin brought us this story.
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The cover the latest Silas House novel.
“Lark Ascending”
Amid extreme weather events like floods and fires, a new literary genre is emerging, called cli-fi. Short for climate fiction. Cli-fi tells stories about the effects of climate change on people and society. And Appalachian writers are penning their own works in the genre, including one of the region’s premier writers, Kentucky author Silas House. His new novel is “Lark Ascending” which tells the story of a climate refugee from Appalachia.
The Message Behind The Music At “Healing Appalachia”
The Healing Appalachia music festival returned to Greenbrier County in September. Headlined by eastern Kentucky’s Tyler Childers, the festival went from a single day to two and included performances by Arlo McKinley, Margot Price and Galactic, among others. But the festival has a larger mission than just having a good time. Producer Bill Lynch spoke with organizer Charlie Hatcher about what the festival hopes to accomplish.
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Our theme music is by Matt Jackfert. Other music this week was provided by Appalachian Road Show, The Company Stores, June Carter Cash and Tyler Childers.
Bill Lynch is our producer. Our executive producer is Eric Douglas. Kelley Libby is our editor. Our audio mixer is Patrick Stephens. Zander Aloi also helped produce this episode.
When you think of “Appalachian cooking,” what comes to mind? For a lot of folks, it’s savory comfort foods like biscuits with sausage gravy, crispy fried chicken and mashed potatoes loaded with butter. But, what about folks who want that comfort food, without involving animals? Jan Brandenburg is a pharmacist and poet in Eastern Kentucky. Over the last 30 years, she’s collected and perfected recipes that take a plant-based approach to the Appalachian table. Producer Bill Lynch spoke with Brandenburg about her new book The Modern Mountain Cookbook.
On this West Virginia Morning, in honor of Earth Day West Virginia University has announced a comprehensive set of more than 20 sustainability goals. And from Inside Appalachia, perfecting recipes that take a plant-based approach to the Appalachian table.
On this West Virginia Morning, we look into the effort to create more microgrids in the state, and a shop keeping the video rental industry alive in a neighboring state.
This week on Inside Appalachia, we head to the woods for a master class in foraging for wild mushrooms. And the woman behind the popular TikTok account “Appalachian Forager” makes jam from pawpaws and jewelry from coyote teeth. We also visit the Alleghany Highlands, where mountain maple syrup traditions are changing with the times.
