A long winding road, once frequented by coal trucks, leads to the top of what used to be a mountain. At its end are flat fields filled with budding apple trees.
A long winding road, once frequented by coal trucks, leads to the top of what used to be a mountain. At its end are flat fields filled with budding apple trees.
Major General Bill Crane said this apple orchard was an abandoned mine seven years ago.
“We’ve got about 20,000 apple trees in the ground,” Crane said. “It’s an experimentation site that we work with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).”
This is one way the National Guard is taking on climate change and pollution. The Guard has teamed up with scientists from the USDA and West Virginia University (WVU) to find ways to grow apple trees on land that was previously thought to be somewhat of a waste land.
First they had to tackle one major problem: No topsoil. The solution: Chicken poop from pastures in the state.
“The nice thing we’re doing here is we’re bringing chicken manure from the Eastern Panhandle, we bring it here to help make the soil better,” Crane said.
Chris Dardick, a scientist with the USDA, said taking the chicken manure from the Eastern Panhandle to the orchard helps mitigate farming runoff into rivers. He said nitrogen from animal waste has been running into rivers, and creating algae blooms, which cause other aquatic life to die.
“Much of [chicken manure] contains nitrogen,” Dardick said. “Bringing it out here, out of the Chesapeake Bay watershed, and using it to amend the soils for apple production or other crops, that’s sort of a win-win.”
Tracy Leskey works with Dardick at the USDA as the research leader for this project and said the trees absorb another climate changing element — carbon.
“One of the things that we recognized a few years ago is this opportunity for apple trees to sequester carbon from the atmosphere,” Leskey said.
Trees take in carbon, and store it in their trunks and roots, or deliver it to the ground. The process is known as carbon sequestering and is one tool for fighting climate change.
And where the land had carbon removed from the soil in the form of coal, Leskey said the soil can now hold, or sequester, more carbon than the typical soil can.
But this project isn’t only aimed at helping the earth. Melissa Stewart, director of Patriot Guardens, hopes this project will also help the mental health of both active and retired service members.
“When they come back home from a deployment, and maybe they have seen some things that they don’t want to remember, they can’t have a conversation with somebody to get that out of their mind?” Stewart said.
She hopes that service members can create a “side hustle” and learn a hobby that brings peace and healing.
“Through agriculture, they can work with their hands, in an atmosphere like this,” Stewart said.
This is one of many projects the National Guard is working on to produce food like peaches, strawberries and arugula in the state. These projects are aimed at combating food insecurity in West Virginia where one in seven children experience hunger. Stewart says this is where the farming work takes on a special meaning for service members who are transitioning out of the service.
“To take that need to serve and give it purpose as they come out a uniform, being able to illustrate that they’re still serving our state as they transition into more of a civilian status by helping grow the food that helps feed our families helps feed our state,” Stewart said.
On this episode of The Legislature Today, about 20,000 West Virginia children are homeschooled, with that numbers growing every day. Some officials in state education and the West Virginia Legislature help champion school choice. Others worry about the quality of the education and the safety of homeschooled children.
On this episode of The Legislature Today, about 20,000 West Virginia children are homeschooled, with that numbers growing every day. Some officials in state education and the West Virginia Legislature help champion school choice. Others worry about the quality of the education and the safety of homeschooled children.
Randy Yohe sat down with public school teacher Del. Jeff Stevens, R-Marshall, and Sen. Patricia Rucker, R-Jefferson, chair of the Senate School Choice Committee, to discuss all things homeschooling.
In the House, spirited debate echoed through the chamber. Bills on third reading included a bill on what air monitoring systems can be used in court, and another bill toughening laws on copper theft. Randy Yohe has more.
In the Senate, the chamber passed four bills and sent them to the House for consideration.
Also, student discipline continues to be an issue in West Virginia schools, and lawmakers continue to try and address the issue through legislation. A bill in the Senate is trying to expand on a law that was passed last year. Chris Schulz has more.
Finally, it was Food and Farm Day at the Capitol, and the emphasis was on West Virginia farmers getting legislative help to better market their produce and products. Randy Yohe has more.
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The Legislature Today is West Virginia’s only television/radio simulcast devoted to covering the state’s 60-day regular legislative session.
Watch or listen to new episodes Monday through Friday at 6 p.m. on West Virginia Public Broadcasting.
Western North Carolina is home to one of the largest Hmong populations in the United States. Many Hmong families find ways to honor their culture through food. Tou and Chue Lee, owners of Lee’s One Fortune Farm, are one of those families.
This story originally aired in the Feb. 4, 2024 episode of Inside Appalachia.
When you think of rice, you might not think of Western North Carolina. However, Hmong farmers have been growing rice in the North Carolina mountains for nearly five decades.
Tou and Chue Lee are two of these farmers. They are the owners of Lee’s One Fortune Farm in Morganton, North Carolina. Named for the family legacy Tou and Chue hope to inspire, Lee’s One Fortune Farm aims to make fresh rice, along with Asian fruits and vegetables, accessible to local people.
The Lees grow multiple varieties of rice — sweet sticky, red and purple. They are also working with family members to develop a black shell variety they hope to sell within the next year. Fresh rice is unlike anything that you can find in a conventional supermarket. The sweet sticky rice is fragrant and somewhat chewy, while the red rice has a flavor similar to chestnuts. The purple rice is also nutty and has a deep inky purple color. The sweet sticky rice is one of the Lees’ most popular varieties.
“The sweet sticky rice has a very nice, kind of a honey, sugar cane aroma — a subtle freshness that is hard to explain,” Tou said.
The sweet sticky rice field at Lee’s One Fortune Farm in Morganton, North Carolina.
Credit: Rachel Moore/West Virginia Public Broadcasting
He likens the rice to a fresh loaf of bread. It may be hard to describe, but once you experience it, you will know what to look for.
Origin Story
While each of the rice varieties that the Lees grow is distinct, the sweet sticky rice has a legendary beginning in North Carolina. It started with a handful of seeds, passed down through a network of Hmong families.
“Someone visited Laos back in the 1980s after they came to the United States,” Tou said. “They were able to visit their families and acquire a few — I mean, not even ounces — worth of seed. I would say no more than maybe 40 to 50 seeds.”
The family planted the seeds in California. Tou said the rice grew, but it did not grow well because it was not suited for the California climate and terrain. So, the growers in California sent some rice seeds to friends in North Carolina — this is how Tou’s family acquired some. They planted the seeds just to see what would happen.
“Lo and behold, the thing germinated and took off and it almost grew as tall as a full grown adult,” Tou said.
The Lees have been growing the sweet sticky rice ever since. Tou said it has completely adapted to Western North Carolina.
“It started off as an heirloom from Laos, but as many years as it’s been here in Western North Carolina, it might as well be considered an heirloom in the Western North Carolina area,” said Tou.
Before and after: sweet sticky rice after it has been harvested and toasted (left), and sweet sticky rice after the hulling process (right).
Credit: Rachel Moore/West Virginia Public Broadcasting
Blending Old And New Techniques
It may be considered an heirloom, but growing rice is still a lot of work. The Lees had to establish their rice field in a low-lying area about a mile from the rest of their farm. It does not grow in a conventional paddy, but the Lees do have to flood the field each year to ensure the rice has enough water, and to provide pest control.
Each year, Tou and Chue Lee flood their rice fields with 8–10 inches of water for pest control.
Credit: Rachel Moore/West Virginia Public Broadcasting
The Lees find ways to incorporate traditional Hmong practices throughout the growing season. Take seed saving. Each seed has to be hand selected. It is a time-consuming process.
“When the rice starts to mature, we actually go in there with buckets or bags and we walk around and hand select the most plump, the most well-defined rice that’s on the stalk, and we hand harvest those just for seed,” Tou said.
The Lees do implement more modern techniques during the harvesting process — by using a combine harvester, for example — but their hulling process looks similar to what it did when they were growing up in Laos.
Tou Lee and his aunt hull sweet sticky rice that has been harvested. First, the rice is boiled in a pot of water and debris from the field is skimmed off.
Credit: Rachel Moore/West Virginia Public Broadcasting
On a chilly October afternoon, Tou and Chue, along with Tou’s aunt, Pa Vang Lee, hull the rice. Hulling removes the outer layer of the rice, making it edible. First, Pa Vang scoops rice into a pot of boiling water. This allows the rice to sink and all the debris to float to the top so she can skim it off.
Then, Chue toasts the rice in a large wok over a gas flame. Toasting the rice starts the drying process and helps develop the flavor. The rice finishes drying on large tarps. When it dries, Tou runs it through the huller and it is ready to cook.
Chue Lee toasts rice in a wok to begin drying it before it can be hulled.
Credit: Rachel Moore/West Virginia Public Broadcasting
A Lasting Legacy
Growing rice may have its challenges, but the Lees believe it is important to keep doing.
When the Lees decided to settle down in Western North Carolina, Tou knew he didn’t want their culture to be hidden away in the background. The Lees bring their culture to the forefront by selling at farmers markets and introducing customers to Hmong foodways.
“The rice is something that brings our families back to remembering what our culture was in the old country and how we want to continue our culture here,” Tou said.
The rice is also an important piece of the Hmong new year, a huge annual celebration that takes place around Thanksgiving. In North Carolina, members of the Hmong community travel up to hundreds of miles to celebrate the holiday. Traditionally, this is when farmers would share their young, green rice with others.
“When the family gathers, you’ve got this fresh, new rice. You cook that and that is a means of making something that the whole family can enjoy together,” Tou said.
Now, the Lees are proud to share their rice with people outside of the Hmong community.
Rice is one of the Lees’ most popular items when they offer it at farmers markets. People line up long before the market opens to stock up. It was not always this easy for the Lees though. Tou said when he and Chue started selling at farmers markets a little over a decade ago, not many people knew what they were offering.
“I knew it was gonna be tough to start out with because people didn’t know what you have, so it’s a tough sell. We knew it would take a long time to develop it, and it did,” Tou said.
So, the Lees found their own ways to adapt. They share recipes and ideas with customers. Recipes like young, sticky green rice with succulent Hmong sausage, stuffed bitter melon or charcoal-roasted Japanese sweet potatoes, make Hmong cuisine accessible.
Tou and Chue Lee serve a meal of young, fresh sticky rice, Hmong sausage, hot sauce and an eggplant dip to guests of the Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project Farm Tour at Lee’s One Fortune Farm in September 2023.
Credit: Rachel Moore/West Virginia Public Broadcasting
Now, people beyond the Hmong community know how special Lee’s One Fortune Farm is. They respect the rice and they respect the produce, coming back year after year to stock up. Tou and Chue were able to help make rice thrive in North Carolina, and the community has shown they are willing to support it.
“The rice just seems to be in its home,” Tou said.
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This story is part of the Inside Appalachia Folkways Reporting Project, a partnership with West Virginia Public Broadcasting’s Inside Appalachia and the Folklife Program of the West Virginia Humanities Council.
The Folkways Reporting Project is made possible in part with support from Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies to the West Virginia Public Broadcasting Foundation. Subscribe to the podcast to hear more stories of Appalachian folklife, arts and culture.
On this episode of The Legislature Today, an ongoing discussion in the legislature is how to staff and fund fire and EMS services around the state. Randy Yohe has been following this issue and sat down with Chris Hall, the executive director of the West Virginia EMS Coalition, and Del. Clay Riley, R-Harrison, the vice chair of the House Fire and EMS Committee.
On this episode of The Legislature Today, we’re now a third of the way through the 60-day state legislative session. In the coming weeks, deadlines on what bills can be introduced and how they will be considered are coming quickly.
In the House, a bill passed that deals with the physician shortage in West Virginia and discusses ways to expand medical services rendered to the public.
In the Senate, the chamber approved five bills unanimously and sent them to the House. One of the bills could open more recreational trails in West Virginia. Briana Heaney has more.
Also, a piece of legislation introduced last Friday, aims to define sex-based terms used in state law. Emily Rice has the story.
And, West Virginia is not really known as an agriculture state, but you might be surprised at the variety and diversity of farming that goes on here. Bob Brunner brings us a look at Farm Bureau Day at the Capitol.
Finally, an ongoing discussion in the legislature is how to staff and fund fire and EMS services around the state. Randy Yohe has been following this issue and sat down with Chris Hall, the executive director of the West Virginia EMS Coalition, and Del. Clay Riley, R-Harrison, the vice chair of the House Fire and EMS Committee.
Having trouble viewing the video below? Click the here to watch it on YouTube.
The Legislature Today is West Virginia’s only television/radio simulcast devoted to covering the state’s 60-day regular legislative session.
Watch or listen to new episodes Monday through Friday at 6 p.m. on West Virginia Public Broadcasting.
On this West Virginia Week, we learned about plants that can thrive in former mine lands, we kayaked along the Gauley River, we learned about an art exhibit inspired by recent cuts at West Virginia University, and we saw dogs fly from Charleston to Michigan to reach their forever homes.
On this West Virginia Week, with a possible government shutdown looming, we learned how it might affect West Virginians.
We also learned about plants that can thrive in former mine lands, we kayaked along the Gauley River, we learned about an art exhibit inspired by recent cuts at West Virginia University, and we saw dogs fly from Charleston to Michigan to reach their forever homes.
We also remembered longtime state legislator Chuck Romine, who passed away this week at 87.
Liz McCormick is our host this week. Our theme music is by Matt Jackfert.
West Virginia Week is a web-only podcast that explores the week’s biggest news in the Mountain State. It’s produced with help from Bill Lynch, Briana Heaney, Caroline MacGregor, Chris Schultz, Curtis Tate, Emily Rice, Eric Douglas, Liz McCormick, and Randy Yohe.
The rule of thumb for putting out your outdoor plants is right around May 15, close to Mother’s Day.
Over the past month we’ve seen days in the 70s and nights below freezing.
Zack Fowler is a West Virginia University biology professor and the director at WVU’s Core Arboretum. He said the wild temperature swings relate to phenology, the timing of annual events and an organism’s life cycle.
“Phenology is, especially around here, emerging from dormancy in the spring, making flowers, making fruits, losing leaves, going back into dormancy, those sorts of things,” Fowler said. “The scientists that study this have found big changes in plant phenology due to warmer weather earlier in the spring.”
Fowler said early blossoms on apple and paw paw trees, for example, followed by freezing temperatures, won’t necessarily kill the tree, but can affect the fruit yield.
“If a frost comes while the flowers are blossoming, the blossoms would die before they’ll produce fruit, and if it comes when there’s already some small tender fruit, the fruit will just kind of wither and fall,” he said.
Fowler said when blossoms come early, sometimes pollinators like bees come out of hibernation as well, giving fruit growth a natural boost.
“Trees and plants depend on the emergence of pollinators and other organisms to complete their life cycle,” Fowler said. “You end up in this complex system where if everything moves together as things warm up, it might not be weird to have spring earlier, but it might not have drastic system wide effects. If everything doesn’t move in sync, if one thing moves faster than another thing, or if the insects respond differently than the plants, or if the trees respond differently than the small plants that need to grow under the trees, then things could really be impacted by that.”
He said the rule of thumb for putting out your outdoor plants is right around May 15, close to Mother’s Day.
