I am originally from Appalachia, a very beautiful area of the United States, but its economy has been dominated for too long by industries like tobacco and coal, industries that I consider very contaminating for people and our world. But my daughter just brought to my attention, one industry that is bringing about change in Appalachia (there are also others), and I am so excited to see what is happening. AppHarvest, a non profit organization headquartered in Kentucky, focuses on economically suffering communities reeling from job losses, such as those in the coal and tobacco industries. One in three people in the area live below the poverty line and unemployment is rampant. AppHarvest offers at least 300, good paying jobs in each of their vegetable growing facilities, on line now and planned for the near future. The "farms" are under rooftop in climate controlled growing warehouses. They concentrate on manpower over automation to provide jobs growing vegetables using a hydroponics system with recycled, pesticide free, rainwater and solar energy. Starting in Kentucky, AppHarvest has plans to develop facilities throughout the country. Locally produced vegetables from the warehouses will save on the cost of trans-continental growing, transportation and distribution and won't require the energy consuming, polluting long hauling to market.
In addition to good paying jobs for the adults in the community, AppHarvest is working with the school systems to teach container farming to high school students to show them the benefit of growing quality food locally and giving them a vision of sustainable jobs for their future.. The average American meal now travels an average of 1,5000 miles by the time that it gets to the dinner table. These farms will produce more food for less money, with less environmental impact for a better future.
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This is Lae Lae's blog and although she is just in preschool now, she thinks of what the future will bring. She tells me that she is very excited to hear about an industry like this one for the future that she will be a part of.
We can do it if we want to - let's work to create a just, sustainable, and healthy environment for us all!!
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This is Lae Lae's blog and although she is just in preschool now, she thinks of what the future will bring. She tells me that she is very excited to hear about an industry like this one for the future that she will be a part of.
We can do it if we want to - let's work to create a just, sustainable, and healthy environment for us all!!
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