Appalachian Festival Hosts Local Foods Dinner

Attendees enjoy the buffet of local foods
Photo Credit: Taylor Whiteman

Frostburg State’s Appalachian Festival, a three-day annual event held mostly on campus, was in full swing by the time dinner rolled around on Friday. Under the large tent on the Upper Quad, discussions had been taking place all day dealing with energy, labor, and the local foods movement with a focus on the region of Appalachia.

The food, prepared by FSU’s dining service Chartwells, was a little different than their normal catering options. Everything served was locally sourced from farms in our area. The dinner was hearty and fresh, featuring pepper jelly crusted chicken with a variety of sides and a delicious peach and blueberry cobbler for dessert.

Menu for the dinner
Photo Credit: Taylor Whiteman

After the majority of diners were settled back at their tables enjoying the offered fare, discussants began speaking about their own positions in the local foods movement in Western Maryland and the surrounding areas.

First up was Ben Yoder, who owns Savage River Farm in Garrett County, Maryland. The farm runs as a cooperative, or co-op, and boasts 125 members. Yoder expressed that their goal at the co-op is to promote “active community ownership,” meaning each member of the co-op contributes to the farm in both labor and finances, so that the members can take what they need. Yoder also discussed his passion for the area, and his wish to teach current generations the skills that their ancestors knew about farming and providing for themselves. He explained that this passion developed after moving away from Garrett County for a while, saying “I didn’t quite realize I was in Appalachia until I left.” When he returned, Yoder discovered his passion for local foods and making them more accessible.

Next to speak was Ben Houdersheldt, who owns Under the Son Farm in Ridgeley, West Virginia with his wife Kelly. Houdersheldt explained that until recently, his family was “living basically through Walmart” and eating “anything that was convenient and easy.” He explained that his seven children all had flat screen televisions in their bedrooms. They grew weary of this lifestyle and, as Houdersheldt puts it, “completely did a 180.” They moved and opened their farm a little over a year ago, doing their best to live on what they have. In that year, they have had recovering addicts come and help them on their farm as an outreach program, and have helped the women’s home in Cumberland grow their own vegetables. Houdersheldt’s goal is to educate people on how to grow on what they have, and that they do not need acres of land to grow their own food.

Cheryl DeBerry of the Garrett County Economic Development discusses how she helps local farmers succeed
Photo Credit: Taylor Whiteman

The third speaker was Cheryl DeBerry, who works for Garrett County Economic Development in small business development. She expressed how she fell in love with agriculture growing up on a farm, and despite leaving for her undergraduate and master’s degrees, knew she wanted to be involved with farming in some capacity. Explaining her position, she said, “part of my job is like having my nose up in other people’s business,” as she asks Garrett County farmers about their practices in order to help them turn a larger profit and succeed. She encourages them to grow crops that do well in Western Maryland’s climate, and does her best to help them with any ideas they have to improve their businesses, such as agritourism. She is also passionate about encouraging future generations to pursue agriculture.

Last to speak was Dan Fiscus, the development director for Frostburg Grows. He explained how to project acquired an old coal mining site outside of Frostburg and has begun to reclaim it, building high tunnel growing areas with raised beds. These enclosed growing areas extend the growing season by about four months total, and allow growth on trucked in soil while the project works to replenish the soil tainted by the mine. Fiscus discussed goals of the project which include building a local food system in Western Maryland, as well as “get new growers started in growing food.” Frostburg Grows is also working with the university to offer courses in sustainability.

The common theme throughout this shared meal was simple: encourage others to support local farms, and even pursue growing your own food. It can lead to some rewarding and delicious results.