Growing Appalachia: Building Farms & Community

In this episode of Hort Culture, the hosts chat with Kayla Preston from Grow Appalachia about the growth of high tunnels and sustainable farming in Appalachia. Kayla shares how Grow Appalachia evolved from a community gardening program into a major resource for farmers through education, technical assistance, and conservation support. The conversation explores the early days of building high tunnels in Eastern Kentucky, the challenges growers face with season extension, soil health, and tunnel maintenance, and how organizations like Grow Appalachia help farmers succeed beyond simply installing structures. The episode also highlights the importance of community partnerships, practical farmer education, and the growing impact of protected agriculture across Kentucky. GROW Appalachia [https://growappalachia.berea.edu/] Resource Library [https://growappalachia.berea.edu/reso...] Contact Page [https://growappalachia.berea.edu/cont...] UK Center for Crop Diversification [https://ccd.uky.edu/] UK CCD High Tunnel Resources [https://ccd.uky.edu/resources/systems...] Questions/Comments/Feedback/Suggestions for Topics: [email protected] Check us out on Instagram! [  / hortculturepodcast  ] 00:00 Self-Reflection on Voice 00:28 Introduction to Kayla Preston and Eastern Kentucky Farming 00:57 Summer Snack Preferences 02:23 Favorite Walking Snacks 03:42 Grow Appalachia's Diverse Projects 04:58 Founding of Grow Appalachia 05:55 Community Gardening Program 07:35 Marketing Local Produce: Appalachian Proud 09:38 Can you take us back to some of those early days and sort of what was the landscape around season extension in Eastern Kentucky? 11:29 Inspiration from Chinese Farmers 14:06 USDA Collaboration and Expansion of High Tunnels 18:41 Do you actually have the time and the capacity to build this yourself? 22:20 Challenges in High Tunnel Management 24:31 Evolution of High Tunnel Installations 29:12 Building Partnerships and Community 31:52 Focus on Technical Assistance over Manufacturing 36:21 Kentucky's Agricultural Resources 39:04 Importance of Soil Testing and Maintenance