Ann Taylor Wright realized that spending a few hours each week selling meat products to farmer’s market customers wouldn’t keep her sixth-generation family farm afloat. She approached leaders in the nearby town of South Hill, Virginia, with the idea of creating a food hub – a place where meats and produce could be processed and sold – to better market the wares of small farmers and vendors in Mecklenburg and surrounding counties.
Resilience is the theme of the Small Town, Big Number segment, which takes a second look at towns previously covered on the series. Boone, North Carolina; Cleveland, Virginia; Danville, Virginia; Erwin, Tennessee; and Pulaski, Virginia – all illustrate key building blocks of resilience, as defined by researchers for the Appalachian Regional Commission.
The Glade Spring update lays out an ambitious idea promoted by a group of concerned residents – one that faces many obstacles, including funding.
Save Our Towns is produced by Outreach and International Affairs and distributed to mayors and town managers throughout Appalachian Virginia and beyond.
