Videos tagged as 'Athens'

The Appalachian Center for Economic Networks (ACENet) is one of the nation's pioneers in network-based local food systems development. ACENet began their work in the 1980's,  long before the terms network weaving or social networks were even known. ACENet has specialized in cultiaving networks of farmers, small entrepreneurs, and businesses engaged in growing the local food economy in Appalachia. One of the poorest rural regions in the nation, ACENet has created economic models that provide new opportunities for low and moderate-income food entrepreneurs, creating pathways for long-term economic sustainability. This contrasts with a lot of the extractive industries that have come and gone in Appalachia, leaving landscapes and local economies struggling. Leslie talks about some of the history of ACENet and the unique culture and topography that have supported one of the most diverse agricutlural sectors in Ohio.

Leslie Schaller with the Appalachian Center for Economic Networks (ACENet) catches up Matt Rapposelli, a local food entrepreneur turned food service director at Ohio University. Matt talks about the valuable networks he formed as a small business and how that carried over into his efforts to expand Ohio University's already highly successful local food initiatives. He brings an entrepreneurial approach to food service management, overseeing the expansion of the university's facilities to more effectively process and store locally grown foods while employing a number of students and local residents. Ohio University provides a good example of going beyond local food purchasing and actually investing in the productive infrastructure necessary to provide local food year round in a cold-climate region.