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August 2013 | Virginia’s Blue Ridge Edition | NABlueRidge.com

never glossy, always green

EATING WELLOn a Budget

The 15-county region of central and western Virginia features some of America’s best scenery, including

the Blue Ridge. And the Blue Ridge Mountains actually do appear to be

Traveling Virginia’s Blue Ridgeby Anne Piedmont

Take the next exit.Take the long way home.Take the scenic route.Take in Virginia’s Blue Ridge.

Fincastle Vineyard and Winery, Botetourt County

The Blue Ridge region is home to more than a dozen wineries. A winery visit allows you to sample wines, enjoy beautiful scenery and talk with wine-makers and owners. While in the area, park the car and walk along the main street of the nearest charming small town. Ask a local resident where to eat or shop. Look for regional wineries and wine trails at VirginiaWine.org. Local residents, why leave home for a vacation? Spend a few days discovering, or rediscovering, why millions of people travel to the Blue Ridge area every year. From almost every point in the region, travelers are within a few hours of local, state or national parks, historic landmarks, recreational attractions, antique shops, vibrant cities and quaint towns. Secondary roads make the trip more enjoyable than traveling by inter-state. The famous Blue Ridge Parkway, one of America’s favorite roads, travers-es the region and is visited by more than 15 million travelers annually. The parkway enters Virginia near Galax and terminates near Charlottesville, where it meets Skyline Drive. In between, there are overlooks, hiking trails, camp-

blue, thanks to a chemical released by pine trees. It’s possible to enjoy the vistas while driving along on the interstate, but the region is best savored at a slower pace.

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grounds, cabins and other lodging. Some of the region’s better known attractions include the Peaks of Otter, in Bedford County, and Mabry Mill, in Floyd County. Roanoke and Asheville, North Carolina, are the two largest cities located along the parkway. A detour into Roanoke includes museums (and the newly renovated Cen-ter in the Square), art galleries, shopping, restaurants and the oldest continually operating farmers’ market in Virginia. The parkway isn’t the only “road” that highlights the region for both visitors and residents. In 2004, the Virginia Legislature designated a series of roads throughout the Blue Ridge region as the Virginia Heritage Music Trail, better known as the Crooked Road. The trail begins (or ends) in Franklin County and winds through Floyd, Carroll and Grayson Counties, to Abing-don and Bristol, and through the coalfields of far southwestern Virginia before ending at Breaks Interstate Park, on the Kentucky border. Venues along the road offer music and Appalachian culture all year long. Find out where to listen (or join in) at TheCrookedRoad.org. Virginia’s Blue Ridge offers something different every day, as the weather and

seasons change. Immerse yourself in the region’s art and culture. Enjoy locally pro-duced food and wine. Breathe in the fresh mountain air and make plans to return again and again. Anne Piedmont is a writer, research associate and community researcher based in Roanoke. She began her career as a newspaper reporter and has never lost the journalist’s curiosity and love of writing. For more information, visit PiedmontResearchAssociates.com.

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September 2013 | Virginia’s Blue Ridge Edition | NABlueRidge.com


Get Outside Expo and Radical Reels Tour

Roanoke Outside’s annual Get Outside Expo and Radical Reels Tour will be held

on September 11 at the Jefferson Center, in downtown Roanoke. The expo will be held from 5 to 6:15 p.m. and the Radical Reels Tour will be held from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. The event is free with a donation of canned goods for Feeding America South-west Virginia. Beer, wine and food will be available for purchase. The expo, located in the center’s Fitzpatrick Hall, will feature more than 30 exhibi-tors, including local outdoor and environmental groups, causes, organizations, outfit-ters, nonprofits, volunteer groups and businesses. “Guests can learn what it means to place land in a conservation easement, volunteer their time on the Appalachian Trail, meet a guide who will teach them to rock climb, help build a trail and shake hands with the technician that tunes their bikes,” says Pete Eshelman, organizer and director of outdoor branding for the Roanoke Regional Partnership. After the social hour, a series of action sport films will be shown in Shaftman Hall. National Geograhic’s Radical Reels Tour is a traveling film festival sponsored by The Banff Centre. Each year, filmmakers from around the world visit Banff, Canada, for the “Sundance” of outdoor films. The winning films then travel the world as the Radical Reels Tour. Visitors can expect to see 10 to 12 films of varying length throughout the two-hour viewing period. Cost: Free with canned food donation. Location: Jefferson Center, 541 Luck Ave., Roanoke. For more information, call 540-343-1550, ext. 104, email [email protected] or visit RoanokeOutside.com/RadicalReels.

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CELEBRATING SUSTAINABILITYIN THE BLUE RIDGE

E V E N T S T O E D U C A T E A N D I N S P I R E

Travelers to the Blue Ridge region of Virginia can find an abundance of outdoor recreation opportunities, including backpacking, camping, music, wine trails and dozens of festivals and fairs. This month, travelers may want to immerse

themselves in events that celebrate the region’s abundant natural resources and meet the leaders who work to protect them for future generations of travelers to enjoy. In this month’s installment of Blue Ridge Green Travel, we explore three such events.


Blacksburg Celebrates Sustainability

Celebrate Sus-tainability 2013

(formerly Sustain-ability Week) will be held September 18 through 20 at various locations in Blacks-burg and on the Vir-ginia Tech campus. Celebrate Sus-tainability is a “green partnership” between the Town of Blacks-burg, Virginia Tech and the local citizen’s group Sustainable Blacksburg. It seeks to highlight the work that the town and the university have done in advancing sustainability in the community and reducing the area’s environmental footprint. Events are intended to “Cele-brate, Educate, Motivate,” showing local Blacksburg residents and VT students, faculty and staff what resources are available and how they can do their part. Celebrate Sustainability 2013 will begin on Wednesday morning, September 18, with an Active Commute Celebration on the Virginia Tech Drillfield, featuring information about al-ternative transportation in Blacksburg and a breakfast for bike and foot commuters. A tour of the Virginia Tech Horticulture Garden will be held at noon. It will be followed by an expo of local environmental nonprofits, student groups and business-es, held from 2 to 6 p.m. across the street from the Blacksburg Farmers’ Market. Friday, September 20, will feature the official unveiling of the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Silver Certification Plaque for Lav-ery Hall. LEED is a nationally recognized system for determin-ing the sustainability of buildings. Senior university leadership will be present, and a tour of the building will follow the cere-mony. Other events will include the annual tree-planting event, a presentation from the Catawba Sustainability Center, a tour of the solar Lumenhaus and a TED-style talk at the Lyric Theatre. For a schedule, maps and other information, visit Facili-ties.VT.Edu/Sustainability.

Celebrating Conservation

The Blue Ridge Land Conservancy will

honor Mrs. Lucy Ellett, an environmental leader in the Roanoke Valley, with the A. Victor Thomas Stewardship Award at its annual Conservation Celebration. The event, which is open to the public, will be held at Braeloch, near Vinton, from 4 to 7 p.m. on September 22. Born and raised in Roanoke, Ellett has been called the “champion of Roanoke’s greenway trail system,” for which she strongly advocated while president of Valley Beauti-ful. Seeing the need for an organization to assist with the acquisition of rights-of-way and transfer of property for the greenways, she then helped found the Western Vir-ginia Land Trust, which later became the Blue Ridge Land Conservancy. As a member of the land conservancy’s board of trustees, Ellett helped the organization refocus its energy on protecting and preserving the rural and scenic landscapes that make the region special. Ellett’s hard work has paid off for citizens and visitors. More than 23 miles of greenways have been built in the valley to date. Additionally, the Blue Ridge Land Conservan-cy has permanently protected more than 16,000 acres of land and 34 miles of streams. Ellett continues to serve the community as a board member of the Richfield Retirement Community, Foundation for Roanoke Valley, local BB&T Bank and Blue Ridge Land Conservancy. She is also an active member of the Mill Mountain Garden Club and Second Presbyterian Church. The celebration will include a gourmet, local-foods dinner from Blue Ridge Catering, appetizers and beverages, as well as music from the Easy Pickin’s band and a silent auction. Cost: $55 per person before September 13; $65 thereafter. Free for children under 12. Location: Braeloch, 2392 Hammond Dr., Vinton. For more infor-mation and to purchase tickets, call 540-985-0000 or visit BlueRidgeLandConservancy.org/Celebration. See ad on page 31.

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Student and community volunteers plant trees at Celebrate Sustainability 2012.

6natural awakenings September 2013

October 2013 | Virginia’s Blue Ridge Edition | NABlueRidge.com



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the Beautiful Blue Virginia’s Blue Ridge is famous for its beautiful landscape, which has drawn nature

lovers and inspired artists for generations. During the fall, Virginia’s brilliant colors attract more visitors than at any other time of the year. Appreciating, honoring and protecting this precious area is at the heart of our showcase events this month. Two art events—The “Nature Nurture” exhibit at The Jacksonville Center for the Arts and the annual Blue Ridge Potters Guild Show and Sale—feature photography, drawings, mixed-media works, and pottery, all inspired by our region and the people who live here. The Go Outside Festival celebrates our abun-dant natural resources and recreational opportunities. And the annual Green Living and Energy Expo educates us on how to preserve these resources and live more gently on the Earth, now and for years to come.

Blue Ridge Potters Guild Show and Sale

The 14th annual Blue Ridge Potters Guild Show and Sale will be held October 18

through 20 at Patrick Henry High School, in Roa-noke. The event’s hours are 6 to 9 p.m. on Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday. This year’s theme, “Clay, Fire and Art,” provides the inspiration for the guild’s potters to create unique pieces of work to enter in the juried gallery that is part of the show. The first show, held in 2000, had only a few potters participating; today there are approximately 70 potters who exhibit and sell their work. Over the years, the event has grown to include additional features as well as more potters, such as community out-reach and demonstrations and a kids’ corner, where children can play with clay. Show attendance has grown to more than 3,000 visitors. Many guild potters have come to Roanoke from other cities, states and countries to make up a broad, eclectic group with diverse ideas and experiences. The variety of pot-tery on display and the demonstrations offered will reflect those varied backgrounds and experiences. Cost: Free admission. Location: Patrick Henry High School, 2102 Grandin Rd., Roanoke. For more information, visit BlueRidgePotters.com. See ad, page 24.


Free Fun at the Green Living and Energy Expo

The 14th Annual

Green Living and Energy Expo will be held at the Roanoke Civic Center on November 1 and 2. The event’s hours are from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday. The expo will feature exhibits, speakers, demonstrations and family activities focused on energy con-servation, renewable energy, green building and sustainable living. Admission to the event is free. New this year is an expanded Youth Area, featuring Mill Mountain Zoo, Clean Valley Council and the Science Museum of Western Virginia. The zoo will bring live an-imals to the event and give brief programs about the importance of animal habitats. Clean Valley Council will have an envi-roscape and a hydro-powered toy car, as well as model solar homes and a recycling game. There will also be designated story times with readings of The Lorax and other children’s books In addition, the expo will feature a new series of “how to” workshops to help homeowners and renters save energy and money. Topics will include weather-strip-ping doors and windows, water heater in-stallation and maintenance, use of lighting, thermostat and low flow mechanisms and attic-hatch sealing. Dozens of green-living vendors will be on hand to answer questions and provide samples and demonstrations of products and services. Organizer Billy Weitzenfeld says, “The Green Living and Energy Expo encourages people to ‘take action’ and provides the necessary tools to help make it happen.” Cost: Free. Location: Roanoke Civic Center, 710 Williamson Rd. NE, Roanoke. For more information, contact Billy Weit-zenfeld at 540-745-2838 or [email protected]. For workshop schedules and topics, visit AECPES.org. See ad page xxx.

Third Go Outside Festival Scheduled for October

The annual Go Outside Festival, also known as GO Fest, will be held October 18 through 20, in

Roanoke. The free event is held along the Roanoke River Greenway, near the River’s Edge Sports Com-plex on Wiley Drive. The three-day event highlights a variety of outdoor activities, including camping, biking, boating, races and geocaching. As the festival is situated along the Roanoke River Greenway, participants can try new bikes, shoes, kayaks and other outdoor supplies and equipment, as well as new activities. The 2012 festival showcased more than 50 outdoors-industry vendors, including Keen and Sierra Nevada, and more are expected this year. Atten-dance this year may top 10,000, say the festival organizers. “What’s unique about GO Fest is that it is not an ordinary sit-in-your-seat kind of event; it is designed to encourage participation and involve-ment,” says Pete Eshelman, director of outdoor branding for the Roanoke Regional Partnership. “Festival-goers walk around in the beautiful backdrop of the Blue Ridge Mountains, touch and try out gear, sample food and drink, listen and dance to live music and have fun.” Admission and demonstrations are free. Food and beverage vendors will be on site throughout the weekend. The schedule also includes a film festival and music, the highlight of which is a performance by The Hacken-saw Boys on Saturday night. “The Go Outside Festival is connecting outdoor enthusiasts to the things they love,” Eshelman says. Cost: Free. Location: Roanoke River Greenway, Wiley Dr., Roanoke. For more information, visit RoanokeGOFest.com or Facebook.com/RoanokeOutside. See ad on page 16.

Curated Exhibit Nature Nurture at Floyd’s Jacksonville Center

The Jacksonville Center for the Arts, in Floyd, announces a curated exhibit,

Nature Nurture: Reflections on the Land by Christine Carr, Genesis Chapman and Suzanne Stryk. The exhibit will run from October 12 through November 30, in the

center’s Hayloft Gallery. An opening reception will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. on October 12. The exhibit will feature three of Virginia’s renowned artists who look deeply at of nature through a careful investigation and documentation of the unique terrain of Roanoke, Bent Mountain and Bristol among other lo-cales. During the opening reception, all three artists as well as guest curator Amy G. Moorefield, museum director and chief curator of the Eleanor D. Wilson Museum at Hollins University, will be in attendance. “Throughout the compelling work on view created by Virginia based artists, Nature Nurture will challenge our assumptions of the native envi-ronment, our interventions on it and its inhabitants,” Moorefield says. Carr is a Roanoke photographer whose pigment prints capture the relationship between humans and the natural environment. Bent Mountain native Chapman depicts the environment of creeks and streams in precise India-ink drawings. Stryk’s mixed media works create distinctive images of Southwest Virginia’s flora, fauna and landscapes. Location: The Jacksonville Center for the Arts, 220 Parkway Ln. S., Ste. 1A, Floyd. For more information, call 540-745-2784, email [email protected] or visit JacksonvilleCenter.org.

9natural awakenings October 2013

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HONORING AND PRESERVING

Thanksgiving, that quintessential American holiday, is just around the corner. This year, why not take

a page out of the Pilgrims’ book and go natural and local? The Pilgrims and other early settlers did not have a choice. Their meals were all-natural and, by necessity, locally sourced. Since residents of Virginia’s Blue Ridge region are surrounded by nature’s bounty, creating a natural and local feast from wine to dessert should be as easy as pie. Start with the wine. There are 230 wineries in Virginia, many of which produce award-winning wines, says Adam Markham, beverage manager at Tinnell’s Finer Foods, in Roanoke. Markham stocks 80 Virginia wines, one of the largest selections in the area. Tinnell’s also offers products of three Virginia cideries: Castle Hill (Keswick), Foggy Ridge (Carroll County) and Bold Rock (Nel-lysford). “Cider is one of the best beverages to go with a Thanksgiving dinner,” Markham says.

Thanksgiving:Natural and Local

by Anne Piedmont

Beyond that, some of his favorites are a dry Petit Manseng from Chester Gap Cellars, near Front Royal; a Pinot Gris from White Hall Vineyards, near Char-lottesville; and a Cabernet Franc from Rockbridge Vineyard. He calls Cabernet Franc “one of Virginia’s most successful wines.” For sparkling wines, he likes the Mousseux Extra Dry from Veritas Vine-yard and Winery, in Afton, and Virginia Fizz from Thibaut-Janisson, in Charlot-tesville, which, Markham says, is made from 100-percent Chardonnay grapes. And, speaking of Chardonnay, Markham suggests both the Leesburg-based Tarara Winery’s “almost un-oaked” Chardonnay or Veritas’ Harlequin, which is oaked. Markham is also fond of Virginia beer for Thanksgiving. His favorites are Starr Hill’s Boxcar Pumpkin Porter and Park-way Brewing’s Raven’s Roost Baltic Porter and Bridge Builder Blonde. Starr Hill is located in Crozet, and Parkway Brewing is in Salem.

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Many families in the Blue Ridge area will serve dinners with food they grew, raised or hunted themselves. The rest of us will have to buy and cook our meals. Two local markets, which emphasize lo-cal and natural food, offer both complete meals and all the ingredients to make your own. Roanoke Natural Foods Co-op will offer complete Thanksgiving meals per person. John Bryant, marketing coordi-nator, says the meals will be traditional. In the past, the co-op has tried compli-cated, more exotic meals, but finds that customers prefer basic dishes this time of year. The meals will feature turkey, stuff-ing, mashed potatoes, vegetables and cranberry sauce. The co-op also will offer a variety of pies (some gluten-free), coffee cakes and breads. For those who like to make the meal themselves, there will be fresh, organic turkeys from J and L Green Farm, in Edinburg. Bryant says there will only be 150, so it’s important to order early. Frozen organic turkeys also will be available. Bryant explains that the bene-fits of organic turkeys come from the way they are raised and what they eat. “They taste better and they’re more nutritious,” he says.

The co-op also owns and operates Heritage Point Farm in Roanoke, which supplies a variety of the store’s organ-ic vegetables, including squash and potatoes, as well as eggs. The co-op also sells local wines, beers and cheese. For a final touch, shoppers can pick up some gourds to decorate their tables. The co-op’s gourds come from Good Food-Good People, a Floyd County organization that

provides locally grown and produced food to retail and wholesale buyers in southwest Virginia. Downtown Roanoke’s S&W Market, located where longtime Roanokers remem-ber the S&W Cafeteria, will sell take-out tur-key dinners for four, says general manager Clare Humphrys. This will be the market’s second holiday season, and the meals are offered in response to customer inquiries. The meals will include turkey, stuffing, vegetables, sweet potatoes, bread and pie. Cooks also can order all of the ingredients separately. S&W Market caters largely to down-town residents and workers. It sells groceries that are organic and all-natural, and local products whenever possible, says Humphrys. It also offers local wines and cheeses, as well as brines and spices. Humphrys says the store will be open the day before Thanksgiving, so downtown residents can stop by to pick up their Thanksgiving dinners on the way home. And isn’t that just what the Pilgrims would have done if they could? Anne Piedmont is a writer and research associate based in Roanoke. For more information, visit PiedmontResearchAssociates.com.

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The holidays are upon us, and that can mean travel and lodging, for guests visiting from afar, sani-

ty-restoring weekend getaways and overnight fun for the whole family. While early December might be too late for your preferred spot, last-minute deals and opportunities still exist. (And if they don’t, consider this the beginning of your 2014 holiday plans.) When planning holiday travel, don’t forget to keep the “green” in the tradition-al red and green. It doesn’t have to mean sacrificing luxury and comfort. Look for inns and hotels that value the planet and the community as well as the visitors. Roanoke’s Black Lantern Inn, which welcomed its first guests in 2009, is the embodiment of a philosophy that

wastes nothing. Innkeepers Ron Chu-man and Claire D’Alessandro bought a run-down house in the historic Old Southwest neighborhood in 2005 and spent four years rehabilitating and re-storing it. They salvaged as much of the original structure as possible, Chuman says, but also added new features such as double-paned windows, insulation and high-efficiency appliances. The back patio is made from bricks salvaged from the chimney. Energy-efficient lighting is used both indoors and out. Guests are asked to recycle, and to use their sheets more than once to save water and ener-gy. Chuman and D’Alessandro didn’t set out to open a bed and break-fast when they bought the nearly

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100-year-old house. D’Alessandro eventually suggested it because she wanted to provide another nice place for people to stay in Roanoke. Her idea caught on: occupancy is up 30 percent from last year, Chuman says, and the inn is fully booked through Christmas. Last-minute travelers might have better luck finding a vacancy at Hotel Roanoke. Michael Quonce, the hotel’s public relations and advertising man-ager, says that December and January often have vacancies and some deals. The hotel even offers holiday packag-es that include breakfast and coupons for downtown Roanoke and Valley View Mall. Roanoke’s iconic hotel has been a Virginia Green Hotel and has been since 2005, one of the first in Virginia, says Quonce. The hotel has an in-house Green Committee that has established green initiatives for its dining room (the Regency Room), meeting rooms and guest rooms. Guests will notice optional laundry service, optional free newspapers, low-flow fixtures and reus-able mugs and glasses. An herb garden was added this year as well. Quonce says that hotel management listens to guests’ feedback. “It helps us see where we can be better,” he explains. Another of the region’s well-loved hotels, Bedford County’s Peaks of Ot-ter Lodge, is also committed to green practices. General Manger Robert Peters says the lodge is a Green Leaf Property through its parent company, Delaware North. The lodge, which sits on Abbott Lake at the Peaks of Otter, reopened this fall under new manage-ment. It has closed for the season on December 1 but will reopen in April. In April, guests will see a new shuttle bus, powered by propane or natural gas, says Peters. By this time next year, the lodge will have in place a program to recycle all food waste. Current initiatives include rooms with shower timers and recycling bins. The restaurant recycles its cooking oil as well. No discussion of green travel would be complete without a trip to Floyd County. Two Virginia Green Properties there, Bella La Vita Inn and Hotel Floyd, may still have vacancies for the holidays. And both tout their

green practices. Lisal and Matthew Roberts opened Bella La Vita Inn in 2011 in a geother-mally built 2001 building. Other fea-tures include passive solar, no central heating or air conditioning (though window units are available), radiant hot-water floor heat and a Jotel wood stove that heats the whole house. Lisal Roberts noted that if they cut down a tree for heat, the replant another one in its place. In the four guest rooms, they use refillable containers of biodegradable soap and shampoo, and encourage guests to use sheets and towels more than once. In the dining room, they use cloth napkins and feature local and organic eggs and other food, when possible, and local roasted cof-fee on the menu. Lisal Roberts previously had been in the business as an “inn sitter.” She says she and Matthew wanted to move to Floyd, and opening an inn was an obvious choice. “We took a risk in a bad economy, and we’re flourish-ing,” she says. “Every day is a delight.” Also flourishing is Hotel Floyd, built of green design in 2007. It has 16 rooms (two of which are pet-friendly) and is adding 24 more rooms and a conference area, says General Man-

ager Derek Wall. His family owns the hotel and has lived in Floyd for many years. Hotel Floyd is “as green as a hotel can be,” he says. The original section features geothermal heating, low-flow fixtures and low-VOC paint. The two pet-friendly rooms were built with passive house design. “It is almost off the grid,” says Wall. The new section, which will open in the spring, will include solar power and solar thermal heating, and all-LED lighting. Wall is a big cheerleader for Floyd County. “It’s a growing destination,” he adds. “We want to be green, sustain-able and enjoyable.” For more information on the lo-cations above, visit BlackLanternInn.com, HotelRoanoke.com, PeaksO-fOtter.com, BellaLaVitaInn.com and HotelFloyd.com.

Anne Piedmont is a writer and research associate based in Roanoke. For more information, visit Piedmon-tResearchAssociates.com.

The Peaks of Otter lodge reopens in April

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Tom Griffin is excited about the future of green travel in Virginia. Griffin is Virginia’s Green Program

Coordinator and his mission is to make Virginia a “Green Travel Destination.” The Virginia Green program is run through a partnership of the Depart-ment of Environmental Quality, the Virginia Tourism Corporation and the Virginia Hospitality and Travel Associ-ation. The program encourages green practices in Virginia’s tourism industry

and promotes green lodging, restau-rants, wineries, events, attractions and meetings. Griffin says the program has about 1,400 partner organizations that have self-certified their green commitments. It’s his job to work with them and make them aware of steps they can take to become greener. “We start where they are and help them get better,” he says. Griffin looks for a full commitment by the green partners to such programs

as recycling and water resource man-agement. And now that he has that commitment from the 1,400 partners, he and his agency are ready to start marketing the advantages of green travel to consumers. The Virginia Green Travel section of the Virginia Tourism Corporation’s website offers features and tips to help families and individuals plan their green vacations, says Griffin. He admits that the concept of green travel is relatively new, but growing. And it’s a new marketing avenue for facilities and companies. He said they work so hard to be green, but then forget to tell people about it. He frequently needs to remind the participants to include the Green Virginia logo in their marketing materials. Look for a new marketing push in 2014, he says: “We’re revving up the marketing.” Part of that effort was on display in December at the first Virginia Green Conference and Travel Star Awards Celebration, held in Virginia Beach. It was an opportunity for those involved in green travel to learn, network and celebrate. The conference featured technical workshops on topics such as: recycling and composting; energy efficiency; solar and tax credits; marketing Virginia Green to consumers; green conferences and festivals; and green suppliers and products. Participants even had an op-portunity to take part in a creek clean-up at the Virginia Aquarium and Marine Science Center, where the conference was held. The Virginia Green program pre-sented 14 Virginia Green Travel Star Awards for outstanding green tourism practices. Oak Grove Plantation Bed and Breakfast, located in Cluster Springs, near South Boston, was honored as the

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Green Bed and Breakfast of the Year. Seven partners also were recognized as Virginia Green Travel Leaders. Among those honored as leaders were the Ro-anoke Civic Center, the Inn at Riverbend, a bed and breakfast located on the New River in Pearisburg, and The Collins House Inn, a bed and breakfast in Marion.

The 2013 Virginia Green Travel Star Award winners are:Green Events of the Year Kingsmill Championship, Williamsburg ASAE Foundation Springtime Golf and Tennis Invitational at Lansdowne Resort

Green Restaurant of the Year Maple Avenue Restaurant, Vienna

Green Hotels of the Year Hilton Garden Inn Downtown Richmond The Westin Richmond

Green Bed and Breakfast of the Year Oak Grove Plantation Bed and Breakfast, Cluster Springs (near South Boston)

Supporting Organization of the Year Sandbridge Blue Realty Services Green Supplier of the Year RD Fresh, Newport News

Green Conference Center of the Year

• Birmingham,AL• Huntsville,AL• Mobile/Baldwin,AL*• LittleRock/HotSpg.,AR*• Phoenix,AZ• Tucson,AZ• EastBayArea,CA• SanDiego,CA• Denver/Boulder,CO• FairfieldCounty,CT• Hartford,CT• NewHaven/

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WarrenCo.,NJ• RhodeIsland• Charleston,SC• Columbia,SC• GrandStrand,SC*• Greenville,SC• Chattanooga,TN• Knoxville,TN• Memphis,TN• Nashville,TN*• Austin,TX*• Dallas,TX• Dallas/FWMetroN• Houston,TX*• SanAntonio,TX• Richmond,VA• VA’sBlueRidge• Seattle,WA• Madison,WI• Milwaukee,WI• PuertoRico

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Virginia Beach Convention and Visitors Bureau

Green Projects of the Year Virginia Living Museum, Newport News Virginia Commonwealth University 810 Market, Richmond

Green Winery of the Year North Gate Vineyard, Purcellville

Green Attraction of the Year Virginia Aquarium and Marine Science Center, Virginia Beach

Green Campground of the Year Williamsburg KOAThe Virginia Green Travel Leaders are:Adventure Kayak Tours, ChesapeakePanache Catering Company, MiddletownRoanoke Civic CenterThe Inn at Riverbend, PearisburgThe Collins House Inn, MarionHoliday Inn Express and Suites, WarrentonSandbridge Realty More information about Virginia Green is available on the Department of Environmental Quality website, deq.Virginia.gov/Programs/PollutionPrevention/VirginiaGreen.aspx. Marketing information about the Virginia Green part-ners is available through the Virginia Tourism Corporation at VirginiaGreenTravel.org. Anne Piedmont is a writer and research associate based in Roanoke. For more information, visit PiedmontResearchAssociates.com.

18natural awakenings January 2014

February 2014 | Virginia’s Blue Ridge Edition | NABlueRidge.com

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Eco-Travel:Take the High Road

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Whether we call it green travel, eco-travel or eco-tourism, the experience of traveling with

a social or environmental conscience offers us limitless opportunities for meaningful life experiences and per-sonal growth. It’s also a growing trend. Recently, the American Hotel & Lodging Association identified 43 million “envi-ronmentally minded domestic travelers” who sought significant cultural inter-change and new ways to help the planet while traveling. The opportunities are as varied as the people who seek them. We can elect to color our travel green via geo-tourism, responsible tourism, sustainable tourism or community-based tourism. We can even choose to take a trip as a traveling philanthropist or goodwill ambassador.

Travel on PurposeIn The Art of Pilgrimage: The Seeker’s Guide to Making Travel Sacred, author Phil Cousineau reveals the rewards await-ing those who travel “with a sense of pur-pose.” In his book, more than 100 vignettes from Cousineau’s lifetime of pilgrimage show how simple acts of intention and attention can “transform even a sleepwalk-ing trip into a soulful journey.” Cousineau says that physical, emo-tional and spiritual rewards come when we practice even a few principles of “re-

Expansive HorizonsThe form of eco-tourism dubbed community-based tourism is the fairly recent brain-child of ResponsibleTravel.comand Conservation International. These journeys afford travelers meaty opportunities to interact with the community life of remote tribes and villages. Both visitors and locals can benefit from an experience that helps to break down perceived boundaries between peoples, cultures and lifestyles. These community-centric programs also spark and help fund local employment, education, earth-friendly development, and conservation initiatives. Conservation International currently works in more than 40 countries, helping indigenous peoples to establish econom-ically viable practices that are less harmful to their natural environment. As an online travel agent, ResponsibleTravel.com of-fers holidays that are designed to benefit local people and their environment. “The market for more responsible holidays is growing quickly,” observes Justin Francis of ResponsibleTravel.com. “Our business has doubled in each of the past three years.” Eco-wise travelers understand that taking trains, buses and bicycles instead of cars and planes can reduce greenhouse gas emissions and glob-al warming. Statistics show that air travel alone contributes as much as five percent of total global emissions. Even a typical domestic flight releases 1,700 pounds of carbon dioxide (CO2) per passenger into the atmosphere. Something as simple as taking public transportation to and from airports, at home and abroad, can help to cut the load. Today, more travelers also are purchasing carbon offsets through organizations like Climate Care, which direct offset fees into renewable energy projects aimed to neutralize, or off-set, traveler’s current use of polluting fossil fuel. For example, a cross country domestic roundtrip flight from Miami to Los Angeles carries a $15 carbon offset fee. Voluntarily paying this helps the planet and enables us to travel guilt-free. Once we know what to look for, we discover many ways to make our travel less hurtful and more helpful.

How to make a difference on your trip

eco-travelTake the High Road

BY LINDA SECHRIST

sponsible stewardship.” Conscious trav-elers get a visceral kick out of patroniz-ing businesses that conserve resources, shun overdevelopment, and apply limits and management techniques designed to sustain natural habitats, heritage sites, local culture and scenic appeal. Such an approach goes well beyond nature travel. It seeks to add to the well being of both residents and visitors. Geo-tourism in particular seeks to sustain and enhance a unique “sense of place”—the mix of unspoken character, environment, culture, aesthetics and heritage that distinguish a location. A Nigerian folk-saying holds that “The day on which one starts out is not the time to start one’s preparations.” Cognoscenti agree that taking the time to learn about a destination before embarking makes the journey more memorable. Being open to unexpected delights on the journey is another way to get the most out of our travels. In the words of 20th century American poet Muriel Rukeyser, “The Universe is made of sto-ries, not atoms.” Rukeyser understands that we often build our liveliest memo-ries from golden nuggets of conversa-tional pleasantries, offbeat remarks and casual exchanges with those we meet on our trips.


Be AwareIf eco-travel appeals to you, it helps to be savvy about potential misuse of the term, and misleading marketing. “Much of what’s touted as eco, sustainable or responsible travel is no more than spruced up conventional tourism with a public relations spin,” says Claire Hendrie, customer services manager for Green Globe Asia Pacific and Green Globe Inter-national. “It helps to read the small print, do your homework, ask questions, and look for certification and approval seals from recognizable organizations such as Green Globe.” The trend toward spending travel dollars consciously is catching on in many countries. In its recent report on travel trends in the UK, ResponsibleTravel.com reports that where there is an “ethical alternative,” demand for responsible travel can zoom ahead of conventional avenues by as much as 500 percent. Vacation planners worldwide are waking up to the fact that patronizing hotels and airlines with an environmental agenda is casting a vote for change. Travelers have it in their power to revolutionize the industry by using “green” hotels that implement water- and energy- saving measures and reduce solid waste. Additionally, guests can tell the housekeeping staff that changing towels and sheets daily is unnecessary. Turning off the lights, TV, and air conditioners in a room when exiting also conserves energy, as does leaving behind unopened bottles of amenities, or taking opened bottles home to finish off and recycle. When it comes to purchasing vacations, we can effect social change by choosing travel and tour companies that practice the most recent form of ethical travel, known as travelers’ philanthropy. Here, travel businesses pledge a percent of profits and/or goods and services to support local schools, health clinics and orphanages in host countries.

Restful Alternatives If, like Dorothy from Kansas, you be-lieve that “there’s no place like home,” you may find that the best vacation is the one spent leisurely around the house, or exploring neighborhood delights. Ignoring the “to do” list and striking out for nearby destinations

Eco-wise travelers

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and local attractions can be both energizing and surprisingly nurturing. Costs are often reasonable, and there’s no re-entry jetlag or recuperating from different time zones before heading back to work. Sometimes, a quick getaway for a weekend’s respite can be more refresh-ing than a vacation far from home. Opting for the low-impact lodging of a green spa, or an area bed and break-fast that adheres to the best practices of green travel, can be elegant, ethical fun.

Of course, regardless of where or how often we choose to travel, true eco-tourism always begins at home.

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Before dashing off to any adventure, we can remember to lower the AC/heat and hot water thermostats, unplug appliances, and turn off the icemaker. Upon arriving at our destination, the first rule of responsible travel continues to apply: “Take only pictures and leave only footprints.” Along the way we discover the larger picture of our place in the world, and gain respect for those with whom we share it. And we can change our behavior as tour-ists, so that we leave with new awareness, fond memories, a clear conscience, and appreciation for the words of writer Ald-ous Huxley, who said, “I wanted to change the world, but I have found that the only thing one can be sure of changing is oneself.” Linda Sechrist is a senior staff writer for Natural Awakenings.

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21natural awakenings February 2014

March 2014 | Virginia’s Blue Ridge Edition | NABlueRidge.com

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FRESH FOODTRENDS

Natural Trailblazers in Sustainable Eating

ROANOKE NATURAL

FOODS CO-OPLocal and Healthy

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Four Plants thatFight Off Disease

Good things happen when you eat local. You’re eating fresher food, supporting the local economy

and helping the environment. The “loca-vore” movement has taken hold in the Blue Ridge region, from farmers’ markets to restaurants to many of us growing our own food.

Local Roots restaurant, in Roanoke’s Grandin Village, is a perfect embodiment of the movement, even including “local” in its name. “We believe in what we’re doing on a cellular level,” says owner Diane Elliot. She bought the restaurant from her son, Reeves, and opened it in its present location in August 2010. Her commitment to local sustainability even extends to the tables and bar, made by Floyd’s Phoenix Hardwoods, a company that makes furni-ture from fallen trees. Elliot sums up the Local Roots philos-ophy as “SOLE: sustainable, organic, local and ethical”--and, she adds, “delicious.” The menu changes with the season and features only what is currently growing in the area. In other words, you won’t find a sliced tomato on your plate in January. Elliot notes that they do can and pickle local produce in the summer, so it may make a winter appear-ance in soups or sauces. While she won’t put a distance on “local,” Elliot sources her foods from the restaurant’s own garden and from farmers in Bedford, Floyd, Roanoke and Montgomery counties, as well as suppliers such as Good Food Good People in Floyd. She even ventures out of the local region to Prince Edward Island for mussels that she knows are gath-ered sustainably from pristine waters. She believes it is important to have a relation-ship with her sources. “It’s really a communi-ty, from suppliers and farmers to our guests,” she says.

At Natasha’s Market Café, in Floyd, Natasha Shishkevish has been serving “upscale comfort food” for five years. Her goal is to “get people back to eating real food.” To do that, she sources food that’s healthy, in season and local.

She is committed to giving back to the community by buying as much as possible in Floyd County. If she can’t find what she wants there, she’ll look farther out. In the summer, she often doesn’t have to even go out and look for produce. “We’re small enough that local farmers will be back-door suppliers,” she says. They often bring extra food from their gardens or from the local farmers’ market.

Firefly Fare was designed for its space in the Roanoke City Market Building, and opened with the newly renovated market building in October 2011. Owner Chris Parkhurst says his challenge was to bring healthy food to a quick-service environ-ment. “The name of the restaurant is a playful nod to that as well as a reminder of fresh summer produce,” he says. He tries to buy the freshest, highest-quality ingredi-ents and then “present them honestly on the plate.” He lets his family grown ingredi-ents speak for themselves. Parkhurst serves locally sourced food because it is better and fresher, and also because buying local helps keep the local economy strong and “preserves green space” by supporting local farms. His com-mitment to sustainability extends beyond his suppliers to the restaurant itself. He pro-motes environmental stewardship through composting and recycling. “In the United States, 50 percent of the food produced in

restaurants goes into the trash,” Parkhurst says. While not a fully locally sourced restaurant, Salem’s Veggies To Go is dedicated to bringing healthy food to its customers. Owner Jeff Snyder describes it as an alternative to fast food. “We’re quick, but we’re not fast food,” he says, a combination that makes it possible to be “the only restaurant in the Roanoke area where you can get collard greens at the drive-thru.” Besides vegetarian and vegan meals, as the name suggests, Veggies To Go also sells meat dishes such as pork and chicken. All year long, the food is made from scratch daily, and the vegetables are local when they are in season. Snyder’s goal is to “offer serious healthier food choices.” A real estate agent as well, Snyder returned to the restaurant business where he had spent 21 years earlier. He start-ed Veggies To Go two years ago with a colleague who always wanted to open a restaurant. “It’s a lot of fun,” he says. “I enjoy cooking for people. People make the business fun.” For diners who enjoy the experience of eating local, there are plenty of choices, offering local food and serving opportu-nities to improve the community as a side dish.

For more information on the locations above, visit LocalRootsRestaurant.com, NatashasMarketCafe.com, FireflyFare.com and Veggies To Go, Inc., on Facebook. See Local Roots ad on page 20 and Community Resource Directory, page 29.

Anne Piedmont is a writer and research as-sociate based in Roanoke. For more informa-tion, visit PiedmontResearchAssociates.com.


EATING LOCALby Anne Piedmont

Strawberry mojito made with local strawberries at Local Roots last spring. Note the table made

from fallen trees by Phoenix Hardwoods.

Kahlua mousse brownie at Natasha’s Market Café.

23natural awakenings March 2014

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April 2014 | Virginia’s Blue Ridge Edition | NABlueRidge.com

Special Edition

Green Living

Save Money andthe PlanetBackyard

Wildlife Habitats

Homemade Eco-Cleaners

Solar Power Lights Up Blacksburg

2014Annual Directory

Red wine? White wine? “Green wine?”

That’s your choice in Virginia now, thanks to the Virginia Green Wineries program. The program is part of the Virginia Green program, a partnership of the Department of Environmental Quality, the Virginia Tourism Corpora-tion and the Virginia Hospitality and Travel Association. The Virginia Green Wineries program encourages green practices in Virginia’s tourism industry, of which wineries are an important part. All attractions bearing the Virginia Green logo have self-certified their green commitments, says Tom Griffin, the Virginia Green program coordinator.

At the very least, a winery must verify that they:

• Recycle and reduce wastes

• Minimize the use of disposable food service products by using products that are made from bio-based or renewable resources

• Minimize of the use of pesticides, herbicides, fungicides and fertiliz-ers, and have a plan to minimize the use of chemical treatments

• Use water efficiently

• Practice energy efficiency

The green travel effort is a fairly new one, and Griffin’s program has so far at-tracted 18 wineries out of Virginia’s 248. “Our goal is to get more wineries into

the program,” he says, but notes that a barrier for some wineries is the need to use chemicals in this climate. That’s where Griffin will work with them to find a “practical point.” The use of pesticides and fungicides is rarely an issue for Paul Hric of West Wind Farm Vineyard and Winery, in Max Meadows. A former nursery owner and long-time beekeeper, Hric keeps his chemical use to a minimum. “My bees are right where the vineyards are; it makes me avoid pesticides,” he says. “And if I do, I use the most insect-friend-ly.” He also restricts the amount of fungicides he uses, spraying only when he has to. The result? “I have very few fungus problems and virtually no pests,” he says. Hric and his wife, Brenda, bought the farm from her uncle’s estate and planted the first vines in 2003. Hric says he had always wanted to run a winery. The two built their winery building in 2006 and served the first wines from the 2005 grapes. Some of their green efforts include passive heating and the use of many windows. The winery also composts waste products during the harvest and puts it back into the vineyard. Like the Hrics, Brad and Drema Sylvester had always wanted to open a winery. They planted the first vines at Bedford County’s White Rock Vineyards and Winery in 2000 and opened the tasting room five years later. Sylvester says his family is from Italy and “this was something we decided to do.” “We’re farmers, stewards of the land,” he says. “We’re dependent on the environment, so we want to make sure we get from it what we give.” That includes making sure the silt fences stay up, that every possible thing is


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The West Wind Winery building features a lot of windows and passive heating.

GREEN WINERIESby Anne Piedmont


recycled and that electricity use is closely monitored. They also make sure guests understand that the winery is green. White Rock is one of two green wineries in Bedford County. The other is Peaks of Otter Winery. It was the 50th in Virginia to be licensed in 1995 and was the state’s first all-fruit winery. Danny Johnson says his family decided to start making wines as a way to get more people onto the farm to buy fruit. Like the Sylvesters, Johnson says they try to be good stewards of the land. “When I’m gone, I hope this land will be better than I found it,” Johnson says. He was born on the farm and he and his wife, Nancy, have lived on it for 54 years. Johnson says they believe in recycling everything. They find reuses for the shipping pallets and feed the waste from wine making to the farm animals. “They go after it like a kid after candy!” Johnson says. The many corks and the bottles the winery generates go to crafts people for a variety of projects and products. “We try to do everything we can,” Johnson explains. Rik and Melissa Obiso, of Attimo Winery, in Christiansburg, fell in love

with the area when they attended Virginia Tech. Both have farming backgrounds from growing up in Sussex County, New Jersey. They have always enjoyed entertaining, says Melissa. She adds that Rik, who holds a doctorate in anaerobic microbiology and chemistry, “has been fermenting things for years and years” and making wine for friends and family. So the couple made plans to own a winery and moved back to Montgomery County. Obiso says they use green chemicals unless absolutely necessary. She acknowledges that there is a practicality

to chemical use, if the other choice is losing everything they’ve worked for. They also have bees on the property to help with pollination. They use a natural soap product that can be sprayed on vines if they find pests. Their entire winery building was built green, using recycled insulation and natural lighting. Obiso says it is a passive solar building, but is set up so they can add active solar equipment at some point. They compost the grapes and vines and add them back to the land. They belong to a program that takes used corks and processes them into other products, such as shoes and boards. Like other green wineries in the area, Melissa says, “We tread very lightly on the land.” For more information on the locations above, visit WestWindWine.com, WhiteRockWines.com, PeaksOfOtterWinery.com, AttimoWinery.com, Anne Piedmont is a writer and research associate based in Roanoke. For more information, visit Piedmon-tResearchAssociates.com.

The owners of White Rock Vineyard and Winery view themselves as

“stewards of the land.”

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26natural awakenings April 2014



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May 2014 | Virginia’s Blue Ridge Edition | NABlueRidge.com

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If you can’t find live music in the Blue Ridge region, you’re not looking—or listening—very hard. Our hills are

alive with it. Many restaurants offer music several nights a week, and local wineries feature concerts throughout the warm weather months. Floyd County’s Chateau Morri-sette, for example, offers a concert series monthly from July through October. The winery’s “Sunday Sounds” in the court-yard from June through October brings in local and regional musicians and entertainers while listeners enjoy picnic fare. The Botetourt Wine Trail offers a Summer Concert Series with events in May, June and August. Music is part of the experience at Draper Mercantile and Trading Compa-ny, in the Pulaski County community of Draper. The Mercantile has been a part of the community for more than 125 years, most recently as a furniture store, clock shop and antiques venue for 20 years, before closing in 2007. The vision of Bill and Debbie Gardner brought it back to life as much more. The Gardners already owned the New River Retreat, 34 vacation homes within about half an hour of the Mercantile, and were looking for ways to bring in more tourists. “We wanted to represent South-west Virginia as best we can,” says Debbie Gardner, which means the location includes music, food, art and the outdoors. As she’s gotten to know

the history of the Mercantile, she’s become aware of what it means to the community and the responsibility the Gardners have to maintain its integ-rity. “We renovated it and created a platform,” she says. “The people here have made it special.” It’s not just the local folks who en-joy the Mercantile. Gardner estimates that people routinely travel about an hour, depending upon the musical act. A recent appearance by Elvis (actually Stephen Freeman, a well-known Elvis tribute artist) brought fans from as far away as Florida and Tennessee. The Gardners’ first act sev-eral years ago was a sold-out concert by bluegrass legend Wayne Hender-son. Gardner likes to have a variety of music genres and often ties the music to the food at the Blue Door Café, the Mercantile’s upscale restaurant. Wind Down Fridays offer jazzy music during dinner. On the fourth Friday, Blues Night, rhythm and blues begins around 8 p.m. Sunday brunch features acoustical sounds. Gardner pairs the food with the music of the concerts, such as bluegrass with barbeque. Music was the spark that started a renaissance in Rocky Mount. The Franklin County town is the start (or end, depending on your perspective) of the Crooked Road, Virginia’s Music Heritage Trail, and it did not have a music venue, says Matt Hankins,

assistant town manager and commu-nity development director. He says the town had been working for years to open some sort of venue when a building, now called the Harvester Performance Center, became avail-able. Originally built in the 1940s as a hardware store and International Har-vester dealer, it had been turned into a multi-tenant facility in the 1990s. Raymond Loewy, the iconic designer, worked for International Harvester in the 1930s, including creating a standard prototype for dealerships. It’s that connection, Hankins says, that allowed the town to use historic property tax credits for the renova-tion. Loewy’s influence can be seen in the building’s tongue-and-groove, knotty pine ceiling, a feature that once had been covered over. The Franklin Street building fea-tures 8,000 square feet both upstairs and downstairs, which allows for simultaneous events. The town hired Hill Studios, a Roanoke-based archi-tecture firm, to do preliminary draw-ings. Construction started in June 2013, and the Harvester Performance Center recently held its first concert. The town hired Gary Jackson as the venue manager. He brings 40 years’ experience to the job, including his work at Roanoke’s Kirk Avenue Mu-sic Hall, where he handles the sound and books the acts. Jackson’s con-tacts also helped him find a buyer for The Grove, a historic home near the Harvester, which is being converted to a bed and breakfast. A former pizza place across the street will reopen soon as The Bootleggers’ Café. “It real-ly is a case of ‘If you build it, they will come,’” says Hankins, who has seen a spike in economic development activ-ity over the past six months. He and Jackson estimate that the Harvester will bring between 25,000 and 50,000 people to Rocky Mount, 80 percent of whom may live outside Franklin County. “That’s new money,” Hankins says. “They’ll be coming for the music, where they would have had no other reason to come to town.” Some of those reasons include acts such as The Indigo Girls, Jerry Douglas Band, Carolina Chocolate Drops and Rodney Crowell.

Music Venuesby Anne Piedmont

The Harvester Performance Center in Rocky Mount was originally an International Harvester dealership


Jackson has been involved with the Harvester from the beginning, hired by Hill Studio as a consultant during the design work. “I fell in love with the idea of running the venue,” he says. “This is a dream come true for me. I’ve taken all the best of ev-erything I’ve learned and put it into the Harvester.” Lexington’s Lime Kiln Theater is experiencing a renaissance as well. The performance venue, built in an abandoned lime quarry and kiln, had offered outdoor entertainment from the summer of 1967 until it closed in 2012. This season it will be back, with a full schedule of entertainment, says director Spencer McElroy. He was ap-proached by the venue’s owner, Rusty Ford, and asked to bring the theater back to life. McElroy plays guitar and drums himself, and with college friends produced the Elysian Field Music Festi-val near Winchester for four years. Now, thanks to his music contacts and knowledge, an energized board and his construction skills, the Lime Kiln is ready to welcome audiences starting this month, starting with The Infamous Stringdusters on May 17. “I’m glad that the Lime Kiln is coming back,” McElroy says. “I’ve been attend-ing shows at there since I was 8 years old.” For more information on the locations above, visit TheDogs.com, BotetourtWineTrail.com, DraperMerc.com, Harvester-Music.com and Lime-KilnTheater.org. Anne Piedmont is a writer and research associate based in Roanoke. For more information, visit Piedmon-tResearchAssociates.com.

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The HealingPower of

STORYHow Telling

Our Truths CanSet Us Free

MUSICIANwith a Cause

Jack JohnsonPlans Shows withthe Planet in Mind

Growing aGreener WorldComes to Roanoke

Attracting MiraclesWayne Dyer Reflects upon His Life

June 2014 | Virginia’s Blue Ridge Edition | NABlueRidge.com

It’s spring, and that means farmers’ markets are popping up around the area like new green shoots in the

fields. Perhaps the best known is Roanoke’s Historic City Market, located in the heart of downtown Roanoke and open all year long. But there are other markets in neighborhoods throughout the city and county, including the Grandin Village and West End Community Markets, Lick Run Market and Greenbrier Market, and in communities around the Blue Ridge Re-gion, such as Bedford, Blacksburg, Cataw-ba, Covington, Floyd, Salem, Shawsville, Troutville, Vinton and Wytheville. Each one is unique and worth the trip. The Botetourt Farmers’ Market is revamped and ready for the season. This is its second year at Daleville Town Center (off U.S. 220). Board President Dayna Pat-rick says the market is in a new, easy-to-find location, with 22 vendors. The market is open Saturday, 8 a.m. to noon, from May through mid-October. The original Botetourt Family Farmers’ Market was located at Ikenberry Orchards and, later, a second group split off and set up shop in the Town of Troutville. The two groups came back together last year and landed at the Daleville Town Center. Patrick says the new, energized group has been working since last fall to prepare for this season. The vendors all are producers, so

by Anne Piedmont

they can answer questions about their products. Visitors will find produce, plants, eggs, beef, breads, arts and crafts and wine from Blue Ridge Vineyards. Patrick says they also will be supporting a differ-ent local nonprofit each week, such as 4-H and a beekeepers’ group. Additionally, the market is a drop-off location for the Botetourt Food Pantry. “It’s been very well attended,” Patrick says. The Pulaski Market Place also is in its second year. Peggy White, market man-ager, says the Town of Pulaski asked the Pulaski Chamber of Commerce last year to revamp the old farmers’ market. The old market was more like a flea market, she explains, and inconvenient for local producers who wanted to participate in other markets on Saturday. They chose a weeknight so that growers and vendors could continue at the markets they attend and still support Pulaski. The Market Place is open Tuesday, 4 to 8 p.m., from May 20 through October 16, at the Historic Train Station. “It’s become an event place Tuesday nights,” White says. Also, vendors reported making four times what they had at the old farmers’ market, she adds. As the Chamber of Commerce discussed what form the Market Place would take, they studied other markets and looked at what the community wanted. They ended up with a “complete experience,” says White. Local chefs prepare meals according to the season.

FARMERS’ MARKETS

blueridgegreentravel Area restaurants participate as vendors and musicians provide live music. There are wine and beer tastings, thanks to West Wind Winery, Barrel Cave Wines (a local gourmet store) and Virginia Eagle Distributing. And there is local produce. White says the market has become so popular with producers that the spaces under the train station have sold out and vendors are bringing their own tents. The Lexington Farmers’ Market is well-established. It is open Wednesday, 8 a.m. to noon, from the third week in April to the day before Thanksgiving. Like the Botetourt market, it is a producer market, with vendors selling what they grow or make. The market sets up in the parking lot on Jefferson Street behind the Southern Inn (McCrum’s Parking Lot), and features occasional live music in a social atmosphere. “But visitors are there to buy produce,” says manager Mitch Wapner, who is one of the 18 vendors himself. He sells honey, herbal tea, vegetables, jams and seedlings. He also makes pies with seasonal produce. Other vendors, all of whom come from within a 50-mile radius, sell produce, eggs, dairy products, breads and desserts. Wapner also is one of 12 vendors at the Rockbridge Farmers’ Market, open Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon at the Vir-ginia Horse Center. Like the Lexington and Botetourt venues, it is a producer market, but it features more crafts. When Wapner isn’t selling at a farmers’ market, he is the manager of the Rockbridge Farmers’ Alliance, a community-supported agricul-ture organization, or CSA. “I think it’s the future,” Wapner says. Anne Piedmont is a writer and research associate based in Roanoke. For more information, visit PiedmontResearchAssociates.com.

Seedlings for sale at the Lexington Farmers’ Market

The Botetourt Farmers’ Market is open Saturday

mornings at Daleville Town

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July 2014 | Virginia’s Blue Ridge Edition | NABlueRidge.com


It’s summer, and a good time to head out to the country with fam-ily and friends. Camping is a great

way to enjoy the outdoors and loved ones, without paying for an expensive resort vacation. Susan Martin didn’t camp until she was in college, but once she did she was hooked. She and her husband, Tim, took their children camping when they were young and ended up owning one of the places where they camped. They bought Middle Creek Campground in 2006 and operate it every year from April 1 to Novem-ber 30. Martin says it is a true family campground, and, as they home-school their children, their whole family is involved. Located in the Jefferson National Forest near Buchanan, Middle Creek offers both tent and recreational vehicle sites, a pool, ponds, playground and views of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The campground is near the Appalachian Trail, the Blue Ridge Parkway and the James River and everything that they have to offer. Martin notes that they get a lot of Appalachian Trail hikers. “We

meet a lot of neat people,” she says. Martin says her favorite thing about operating a campground is being able to see children spy deer or turkeys, or catch their first fish. Because families come back year after year, Martin has been able to watch those children grow up. She makes a good case for camping. “We need to go outside and connect with other people,” she said. “And it’s a chance to eat well. There’s always a designated cook in any group.” Owning a campground is like “having a party at your house every weekend.” Bedford County’s Camp Karma bills itself as an “upscale primitive camp-ground.” Owner Eric LaBorie explains that while primitive camping involves going out into the woods and setting up camp, his campground offers designat-ed tent camping sites (no RVs), bath-rooms, hot water and a store. He and Linda Frisbee have operat-ed the camp for five years on land that Frisbee has owned for 30 years. “It was her idea to eventually do this,” he says. “It’s a beautiful piece of property.” Located two miles off Virginia 122 and about three miles from Moneta, Camp Karma is close to Smith Mountain Lake, wineries and other local attractions. Guests also can stay at the 42-acre camp and wade, swim and fish in Goose Creek. Camp Karma’s official season runs from March through November, but, because Frisbee and LaBorie live on the property, they will accept campers any time they are home. There is an off-sea-son discount as well. Unseasonably warm winter days often bring visitors from urban areas as far away as Wash-ington, D.C., Richmond and Charlottes-ville. “It offers a sense of getting back to nature,” says LaBorie.

Camp Easter Seals offers the camping experience to people of all abilities. Located in Craig County, it was established in 1957 to provide a typical summer camp experience to children and adults with disabilities, and to their families, says camp director Alex Barge. Activities include swimming, ar-chery, canoeing and horseback riding, and campers sleep in cabins equipped with electricity. Barge says an average summer will bring in 400 campers. The camp offers weekly sessions, based on age, and campers can sign up for one, two, three or four weeks. There is a family week at the end of the summer and weekends for campers and families in the spring and fall. The camp also is available for group rentals. Barge notes that while the weekend sessions attract campers from the region, weekly sessions tend to attract campers from as far away as Raleigh, Charlotte and Richmond. The campers at Easter Seal gain more than just a good camp experi-ence. The camp fosters independence, since it offers them a chance to spend time away from their parents, try new things and socialize in an accepting atmosphere. “First of all, they have a good time,” says Barge. “And they get to be outside.” For more information, visit MiddleC-reekCampground.com, CampKarmaVir-ginia.com or CampEasterSealsUCP.com. Anne Piedmont is a writer and research associate based in Roanoke. For more information, visit Piedmon-tResearchAssociates.com.

Family-Friendly CAMPGROUNDS

by Anne Piedmont

Fishing in Goose Creek is a favorite activity at Camp Karma

One of the two ponds at Middle Creek Campground

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Many of us dream of a luxurious spa getaway. Thanks to the vision of three women, we

need not look any farther than Central Virginia for a green, natural or unique spa experience. For London’s Salt Spa, in Forest, it all started with allergies. Owner Deb-bie Naff says that when her allergy-suf-fering husband and son found relief at a salt spa, she embarked on a plan that resulted in Central Virginia’s only salt spa, and the second on the East Coast. After spending a year researching salt caves, she found an ideal building off U.S. Highway 460, bought 21 tons of pink Himalayan salt and opened her spa in November 2012. It is modeled after Poland’s Wieliczka Salt Mine, the world’s largest underground reha-bilitation and treatment center. Salt therapy was discovered in 1843, when physician Dr. Felix Boczkowski noticed that people with pulmonary and respi-ratory problems experienced healing effects after breathing the air in the Wieliczka salt mines. Naff explains that pink Himalayan salt is filled with more than 80 min-erals, including calcium, magnesium,

people to meditate, listen to music or just “take your glasses off, breathe deeply and take a nap.” It’s a chance to “go someplace else for a while,” she adds. Massages and facials also are available, and Naff has created her own, all-natural products, including a salt scrub made with coconut oil. At The Labyrinth Spa, in Bedford, owner Chastaneyka Willcox says her goal is to “provide a space of healing.” She be-gan her massage career in Bedford more than 20 years ago. She moved away briefly, but was drawn back by her love of the area and founded the spa, located in a pre-Civil War home on Main Street, in January 2010. Willcox says she offers “a little bit of serenity in the middle of everything,” with spa treatments in a “simple, home-grown atmosphere.” Her expansion plans include a café that will feature local food and produce. Willcox’s green philosophy embrac-es recycling and reusing, and she buys new materials only when necessary. She uses locally sourced, fair trade and organic products and works hard to reduce waste and eliminate products with a high waste impact, replacing them with reusable, recyclable, repur-posable and/or compostable products. The labyrinth, from which the spa gets its name, is located in the back yard and is made from used bricks donated by a

NATURAL SPASin Central Virginia

by Anne Piedmont

potassium, copper and iron, which saturate the air inside the cave so that it is 10 times purer than outside air. The oxygen and negative ions improve lung function, which speeds healing and boosts organ function, leaving guests both relaxed and energized. Visitors relax in anti-gravity chairs, under blankets (they can bring their own or use one provided). Naff encourages

Visitors to the Salt Cave at London’s Salt Spa, in Forest, can relax in anti-gravity chairs.

The Labyrinth behind its namesake spa, in Bedford, is made from reused bricks.


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local man. Willcox’s goal is to become a zero-waste facility. Lynchburg’s Isis Spa and Salon is the dream of Samantha Harvey, who moved to Virginia from the Napa Valley of California. She offers a full-service day spa with an extensive menu of options, including massages, body care, relaxation facials, exfoliation peels and hair removal. She also offers spa packages. Harvey blends organic and natural products and approaches with cosmeceutical-grade skin care.

Harvey opened Isis in 2004, bring-ing with her 20 years of spa experience. She also has an extensive background in photography, makeup artistry, health care and beauty. “Isis is a friendly and artistically relaxed atmosphere, with customized service and where the very best products are used generously,” Harvey says. Isis also offers its own line of organic body oils and polishes. All staff members are licensed estheticians, massage therapists and cosmetologists. “Our goal is to make you feel beautiful inside and astonish-ingly striking esthetically,” Harvey says. For more information, visit Lon-donSaltSpa.com, TheLabyrinthSpa.com and IsisSpaAndSalon.com. Anne Piedmont is a writer and research associate based in Roanoke. For more information, visit PiedmontResearchAssociates.com.

The Salt Massage Room at London’s Salt Spa.


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It was an unseasonably cool Sunday af-ternoon in August as Virginia Mountain Vineyards hosted Yoga with Wine. As

the 10 guests stretched out on their mats for Savasana (or “Corpse Pose”), the relax-ation pose at the end of a yoga session, they were visited by a hummingbird. Its hum mingled with distant conversations and other winery sounds. Yoga away from the studio, church basement or gym brings a new aspect to the ancient practice. “Yoga” is an umbrella term for physi-cal, mental and spiritual practices aimed at transforming body and mind. While the origins date as far back as the fifth century, yoga began to gain popularity in the western world in the 1980s. Yoga studios and other practice opportunities abound in the Blue Ridge

region, but sometimes it’s nice to get away and focus on the yoga itself. “Sometimes we just need to retreat,” says Debbie Stephens, owner of The Yoga Center, in Roanoke. She partnered with the Botetourt County vineyard for the Yoga and Wine event and led the yoga session. “I like to do events like the Virginia Mountain event, because they allow us to align ourselves with nature, to connect with the natural world,” she says. “There are fewer distractions and it’s easier to stay focused. It’s important to set aside time for ourselves.” Stephens started The Yoga Center 16 years ago, and it has been in its Grandin Road location since 2010. Her intention was to create a space dedicated to yoga, away from other settings and other dis-tractions. The Omni Homestead Resort, in Hot Springs, added yoga to its fitness offer-ings about a year ago, says Lynn Swann, director of marketing and communi-cations. The resort undertook a major renovation of its famous spa at that time, adding the Spa Garden. In addition to the River Reflexology Walk (to stimulate reflex points on the soles of the feet) and historic hot springs, the Spa Garden also is the site of Yoga in the Garden. Swann says the daily yoga classes, including Yoga Foundations, Vinyasa Flow (move-ment synchronized to breathing and involving poses flowing together) and Restorative Yoga, also are available in the fitness area.

Yoga was added to the lineup when the resort enhanced its fitness offerings, including a summer “Yoga for Kids” class. “The response has been very positive,” Swann says. The nearby Greenbrier Resort, in White Sulfur Springs, West Virginia, offers classes for all levels of yoga practitioners. Gentle Yoga is for beginners, and the intermediate YogaFit features a mix of gentle poses with a Vinyasa-style flow. The Yoga Walk is a two-mile power walk finished with Vinyasa Yoga by the resort’s Meditation Trail. The Greenbrier also is offering a Yoga Retreat and Unlimited Golf week-end, October 31 through November 2. The yoga portion of the weekend features luxurious accommodations, intermediate and advanced classes and an invitation to the Gatsby at the Green-brier Party.

Primland, a luxury retreat in the Blue Ridge Mountains at Max Meadows, created a space for yoga when the spa opened in 2010, says spa director Melissa Dillon. She notes that they wanted to incorporate fitness and yoga into the spa vision. “Yoga is a form of exercise that brings harmony and balance to those who practice it,” she says. “It allows us to disconnect from our daily lives.” The spa offers private sessions, as well as complimentary (for guests) classes on weekends. It features two types of yoga: Ashtanga and Kripalu. Ashtanga involves synchronizing the breath with a progressive series of pos-tures, which produces intense internal heat and a profuse, purifying sweat that

Toby the dog visits Yoga and Wine at Virginia Mountain Vineyards last April.

(Photo from The Yoga Center)

Virginia Mountain Vineyards is a relaxing setting for yoga.

RETREATSby Anne Piedmont


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detoxifies muscles and organs. Kripalu uses inner focus, meditation, standard yoga poses and breathwork to develop relaxation. No discussion of yoga retreats would be complete without Yogaville, a spiritual community and retreat located on 750 acres in Buckingham. Yogaville offers programs year ’round, says Bill Geoghe-gan, director of social media marketing, especially training for teachers, at basic, intermediate and advanced levels. Outside teachers also come to the retreat and offer their own programs. “The class-es are pretty diverse,” he adds. For people looking to get away for yoga, he recommends the Welcome Weekends, which run from Friday afternoons through Sunday afternoons. Guests can choose from private rooms, dormitories or tent sites. The week-end involves yoga classes, meditation and vegetarian food. Geoghegan says guests can do as much or as little as they choose during the weekend, although he does encourage them to walk around the grounds and visit the Lotus Shrine Meditation Hall. “It’s a meditative experi-ence,” he says. For more information, visit VMVines.com, TheYogaCenterInc.com, The-Homestead.com, TheGreenbrier.com, Primland.com and Yogaville.org. Anne Piedmont is a writer and research associate based in Roanoke. For more information, visit Piedmon-tResearchAssociates.com.

Lotus Shrine Meditation Hall at Yogaville.

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Even if you’ve never set foot on one of the Roanoke Region’s greenways, never ridden your

bicycle at Carvin’s Cove or never pulled into an overlook along the Blue Ridge Parkway to enjoy the view, you’ve still benefitted from these local assets. Clean air, clean water and miles of greenways and hiking trails are en-hancing the Roanoke Region’s image as a “vibrant community,” says Pete Es-helman, director of outdoor branding for the Roanoke Regional Partnership. His job involves building brand rec-ognition of outdoor recreation and its increasing role in making the region a desirable place to live, work and invest. His efforts have included developing the comprehensive website, Roanoke-Outside.com, and founding the Blue Ridge Marathon, known as “America’s Toughest Road Marathon” as well as

the Anthem Go Outside Festival. Eshelman says local economic

developers are being asked more often about quality of life, add-

ing that emphasis on outdoor amenities and activities is es-pecially attractive to entrepre-neurs and other people who can work anywhere. He calls the greenway system “one of

the greatest things that has happened to the region” and

the nearly 24 miles of paved trails a “gateway resource” that beckons

people of all ages and abilities to enjoy the outdoors. “They are making us all healthier,” Echelman says. The greenways are just part of the 270.9 miles of walking, biking and hik-ing trails that run through the region, according to the 2013 Roanoke Valley Greenways Annual Report. In addition to the 27.3 miles of paved greenways, there are seven miles of cinder-surfaced trails, 82 miles of bike lanes and routes and 158.3 miles of natural-surfaced trails, including the Appalachian Trail. A newer initiative is the develop-ment of the Roanoke River Blueway, or water trail. Shane Sawyer, a regional planner at the Roanoke Valley Allegha-ny Regional Commission, says that the effort to formalize the 45-mile stretch from the South Fork Roanoke River ,at East Montgomery County Park, to the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries Hardy Ford boating ac-cess, at Hardy Road in Bedford County, at Smith Mountain Lake, began about a year ago. The blueway includes

sections of the South Fork Roanoke River, Tinker Creek and Back Creek and flows through or borders the cities of Roanoke and Salem, the counties of Montgomery, Roanoke, Bedford and Franklin, and the Town of Vinton. Sawyer says the Blueway Stakeholder Committee has been working to get the word out by connecting with tourism groups, RoanokeOutside.com and the news media. Next steps will include unobtrusive signage and developing additional access points. Sawyer says the blueway initiative is not just about paddling. He wants the awareness of the river as a recreation re-source to bring people to it for fishing, wildlife observation and simply enjoy-ing it. He also hopes that greater aware-ness of water quality will be educational and will lead to greater stewardship of the Roanoke River. He notes that the river offers something for everyone: some parts of it are undeveloped and some parts are urban. There are fishing pools and rapids. He says that while many people see the shallow sections of the river near the greenway, there also are sections that are wide and deep and are appropriate for boating. Beyond the Roanoke River, there are designated blueways in Botetourt County on the Upper James River, in the Alleghany Highlands encompassing the Jackson and Cowpasture Rivers, Douthat State Park and Lake Moomaw and in Franklin County on the Pigg and Blackwater Rivers. The outdoors, and various ways to enjoy it, takes center stage at the Anthem Go Outside Festival, October 17 through 19 at River’s Edge, in Roanoke. The event, now in its fourth year, is a partnership with the Roanoke City

Roanoke Region Focuses on

THE OUTDOORSby Anne Piedmont


Department of Parks and Recreation. “It’s 100-percent free,” says Eshelman. “Its mission to move people to connect with the outdoors.” The festival attracted approximately 15,000 people last year, up from 4,500 its first year. There also will be local food vendors and local craft beers. This year’s activities, vendors and demonstrations are organized into three categories: Try It, Watch It and Race It. Try It will offer festival-goers opportunities to try out gear such as mountain bikes, stand-up paddle boards, kayaks, slacklines and fly fishing rods. There also will be skills workshops and clinics, and fun activ-ities such as a zipline and a portable bike pump track. Watch It will feature Jeff Lenosky Bike Trials Demos, a Pro Town BMX Stunt Show, Gibbon Slackline team shows, the Ultimate Air Dogs, Red Bull Extreme Films and live music. Race It offers a variety of racing and sports events, including a Star Cross exhibition event, a Go Cross Cyclocross Race, the Hometown Trust Superhero Fun Run/Walk (which benefits Family Promise of greater Roanoke), the Wild Gear Chase urban scavenger hunt, the Odyssey Mill Mountain Trail Half Marathon, the Bank of Fincastle Fall 5K and 10K run, the Ultimate Frisbee Hat Tournament and the Ultimate Frisbee Team Tournament. “The festival is structured so people can see what’s available, try it out and get more engaged,” Eshelman says. For more information, visit Roa-nokeOutside.com. Anne Piedmont is a writer and research associate based in Roanoke. For more information, visit Piedmon-tResearchAssociates.com.

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The Virginia Green Program continues to evolve. Earlier this year, a new 501c3 non-profit organization, the

Virginia Green Travel Alliance, was formed to support and expand its marketing and outreach efforts. The program is a partner-ship of the Department of Environmental Quality, the Virginia Tourism Corporation and the Virginia Hospitality and Travel Association. The Virginia Green Program encour-ages green practices in Virginia’s tourism industry, and promotes green lodging, restaurants, wineries, events, attractions and meetings. More than 1,450 tour-ism businesses and organizations have self-certified their environmental commit-ments with the Virginia Green program. The new organization was created to expand consumer-based marketing and the resources and services provided to Virginia Green partners. Virginia Green Coordinator Tom Griffin is the executive director of the new organization. John Cario of the Hilton Garden Inn is the chair of its board of directors. Operating out of office space in Rich-mond’s trendy Carytown Shopping Dis-

trict, VGTA will initially focus on staff-level training and certification opportunities, technical assistance and auditing services and innovative marketing partnerships. The new organization will be able to pur-sue grants, sponsorships and promotional partnerships that support its mission of supporting green tourism in Virginia. In a recent conversation, Griffin explained the importance of Green Travel Certificate training programs for both facilities and their staffs. The facility part-ners benefit from having staff trained and knowledgeable in green practices, while employees will earn credentials that will allow them to work for Virginia Green-cer-tified partners.

Initial certificate trainings include:

Virginia Green All-Staff Certificate: A complete orientation of what it means to work in a Virginia Green-certified facility. The class will cover core commitments, ex-pectations, recycling systems, tracking of environmental progress, green meetings and cost savings. It has been designed for all new-hire orientations.

Virginia Green Meeting Profession-als Certificate: In-depth instruction on how to be ready for, and attract, more green meetings business. The class will include instruction on how to design a green meetings sales package and how to address green requirements in requests for proposals. If educating facilities and employees on being green and staying green is one side of the coin for Griffin and VGTA, edu-cating the public is the other. To that end, the organization wants to increase public awareness of opportunities to “Travel Green in Virginia.” That includes asking travelers to provide constructive feedback on partner organizations and/or to fill out Virginia Green’s customer feedback cards. In addition to its outreach efforts to tourism organizations, VGTA is asking many businesses and non-profit organi-zations for simple commitments to the program and to promote green travel to their staffs and member organizations. For instance, organizations can challenge members and affiliates to hold green meetings and conferences. They also can look for green-certified options when travelling, and “meet green” by having meetings and conferences at green-cer-tified facilities and working with staff to plan green events. Another way VGTA is reaching consumers is through the certification of green festivals and events, which is an opportunity to engage and educate the public. In keeping with that initiative, VGTA’s first regional green tourism project was the “Greening of the Richmond Folk Festival” in October. VGTA led the recy-cling and volunteer Green Team efforts for the event. Griffin and the VGTA want to work

Virginia Green Travel Alliance

by Anne Piedmont


with convention and visitors bureaus and other regional tourism organizations to market their communities, attractions and events as “Virginia Green Travel Des-tinations.” As they did with the Richmond Folk Festival, VGTA hopes to work with Virginia festivals to help them become as green as possible through joint market-ing and partnership arrangements.

Furthermore, VGTA will offer:

Green Event Sponsorships: VGTA will work with certified festivals and events to find sponsors to help pay for recycling, composting, signage, staffing, eco-dispos-ables and additional costs associated with green events.

Green Event Volunteer Networks and Training: The organization will work with local communities to develop and train volunteers and staff to support recycling and other green activities for festivals and other events.

For more information, visit VirginiaGreen-TravelAlliance.org.

Anne Piedmont is a writer and research associate based in Roanoke. For more information, visit PiedmontResearchAs-sociates.com.

The Second Annual Virginia Green Con-ference and Virginia Green Star Awards Celebration will be held December 8 and 9 at the Virginia Science Museum in Richmond. Griffin says there will be workshops, tours and a Green Market-place featuring Virginia Green Suppliers and partner organizations.

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December 2014 | Virginia’s Blue Ridge Edition | NABlueRidge.com

Grandin CoLab

Working Cooperatively

SpiritedAction

Five Pointers toChange the World

EdibleHoliday Rituals

Bringing Joyto the Table

Special Issue

Awakening Humanity


As sure as fall turns to winter, consumers are bombarded by holiday ads from large retailers.

And, for many, the holiday shopping season starts before Halloween. But a new voice is emerging, encouraging us to shop local and to buy art as gifts. Opportunities abound in the Blue Ridge Region, with its many galleries, local art cooperatives, museums and working artists. “Buying art in our own region, community or neighborhood guarantees publicity and support for local artists, which they very much need to survive,” says Ibby Greer, a Roanoke-based author and artist. “The arts community in the region is astounding, with authors, jewelers, potters, painters and more.” One place to find art and the artists who make it is at The Jacksonville Center for the Arts, located in a former dairy barn in Floyd, just off the Blue Ridge Parkway. The center’s mission is to facilitate and showcase artistic endeavors and creativity and to provide education in the arts throughout the community and region, something the organization has been doing for 20 years. Jeff Liverman, Jacksonville’s executive director, calls it a “resource

that connects artists to art lovers.” He says he sees the center’s two main roles as supporting working artists and providing opportunities for learning. It offers a robust class schedule, featuring accomplished local artisans who teach disciplines as varied as blacksmithing, glassblowing, jewelry making, pottery and painting. Liverman says there are several reasons to buy original, local art. “It’s unique and one-of-a-kind; it supports the local economy, and it supports the artist,” he explains. Plus, he adds, when a person buys a piece they love, it may lead to making something like it. “It can become a jumping-off point for learning,” Liverman says. The Jacksonville Center is holding its 20th annual Winterfest Crafts Festival on December 6 and 7, at which art lovers can purchase local art. Like the center, the event has grown over the past two decades. The first Winterfest was designed as a year-end showcase of local artisanship and creativity. It was timed for local residents, many of whom have always bought local, to do some holiday shopping. Now, 20 years later, organizers say it remains the best opportunity for shoppers to find a variety of handmade, local, unique

Buying Art for the Holidaysby Anne Piedmont

Artist-made ornaments at the Market Gallery

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gifts in one place. Buying from local artists is fun and unique, says Greer, who likens her search to buy art from artists she knows as “a treasure hunt.” So, how does one find and connect with local artists? It might be as easy as visiting galleries or studios in one’s community. Most artists have Facebook pages, where they will post information about their works and events. An excellent resource is the Artisan Center of Virginia, the official state artisan center, which works to promote Virginia artisans and their communities. The Staunton-based organization has created artisan trails

throughout Virginia that connect artisans, venues, galleries and retailers with local points of interest, restaurants and accommodations. The network allows arts tourists to plan their own adventures while they explore the state’s back roads and artisan culture. The center also publicizes events and other helpful information. Art is for sale every day at galleries all over the region. The Market Gallery, in downtown Roanoke, is a cooperative gallery. Each of its 26 member artists takes turns working the front desk, greeting visitors and answering questions. “Buying art is a way for artist and collector to make connections that add to the community,” says member artist Bill White. “Art is a choice someone makes because it speaks to them in a personal way.” He adds that art will last a lifetime, far longer than the latest must-have fashion or toy. “It’s always valuable to have the experience of knowing my work is appreciated in the same community,” White says. For more information, visit JacksonvilleCenter.org, MarketGalleryRoanoke.com and

ArtisanCenterOfVirginia.org. Anne Piedmont is a writer and research associate based in Roanoke. For more information, visit PiedmontResearchAssociates.com.

The crowd at Winterfest 2013

Interior of The Market Gallery


Blue Ridge Green Travel 2013-2014

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