AGRICULTURE

FFA Today
AGCO Advantage
As membership approaches record numbers, the National FFA Organization reflects the changing face of agriculture.

Garden-Fresh Preserves
Today's Diet & Nutrition
With increased concerns about food safety and the impacts of transporting produce hundreds of miles, more people are going back to basics, preserving locally or homegrown produce for use all year long.

Solar Solutions for the Farm
Grit
As solar technology grows cheaper and more efficient, powering the farm by harnessing the sun makes more sense than ever.
 

BOOK REVIEWS

The Blue Zones by Dan Buettner
SUCCESS Magazine
Lessons for living longer from the people who've lived the longest.
 
 

Fight For Your Money by David Bach
SUCCESS Magazine
How to stop getting ripped off and save a fortune.
 
 
  

BUSINESS / REAL ESTATE

All in the Family
The Washington Examiner
Multigenerational households are back in vogue in America, and 2010 U.S. census data are likely to show more than the 6 million grandparents it found who were living in homes with grandchildren under 18 in 2000. And it's not just grandparents moving in with Mom and Dad; a floundering economy and job market in many areas have adult children back in their childhood bedrooms as well.

Mentor Power: Take Your Career to the Next Level
Success for Women
If you’ve just started your own company, are looking for a way to overcome a career obstacle, or want to crash through the glass ceiling, a mentor might give you just the edge you need.

Inside Track
Hampton Roads Magazine
A look at Norfolk Southern Railway Company’s behind-the-scenes role in the history and economy of Hampton Roads.

Ranch Dressing
Club & Resort Business
Snowmass Club’s new look combines energy-efficient design with a style that reflects the surrounding Colorado ranch land.

ESSAYS

My Country Is Changing
The Progressive Farmer
The key to preserving Virginia’s rich agricultural heritage, her forested mountains and coastal woodlands, pristine waterways and scenic beauty, is in understanding how humans can very quickly, easily, and often irreversibly change her landscape.

Wind project in Highland doesn't look green close up
Virginia Business

Too many questions about the long-term environmental and economic impacts of industrial wind development in Highland remain unanswered.

The Taste of Earth
Now & Then
My suburban acquaintances clamored for a taste of the earth they did not know.  It took six years of living alongside city interstates for me to appreciate their hunger.

HEALTH & FITNESS

Best Health News You Didn't Hear in 2009
ThatsFit.com
As swine flu scares and surprising new guidelines for breast and cervical cancer screenings have stolen the limelight for health news this year, a number of new findings and studies relevant to your life have slipped quietly under the radar.

Eat Well, Spend Less
Natural Home
You don't have to sacrifice healthy eating to protect your pocketbook.

Rebecca Raezer's Instinct Saved Her Life
AOL Health.com
New Jersey mom Rebecca Raezer never expected to experience the joys of motherhood. Ten years ago, when she was only 32 years old, Raezer was diagnosed with breast cancer.

Low Cholesterol Levels May Mean a Lower Risk of Alzheimer's
Rodale.com
Eating right and exercising wards off heart disease, but now it looks like those same long-term healthy lifestyle habits will also ward off dementia as we get older.

A New Birth
Hampton Roads Magazine
As more and more women seek greater control over their birth experiences, they are bypassing the hospital for the intimacy of home births and birthing centers.

HISTORY

Lucy Morgan: A Weaving Life
Blue Ridge Country
While the Great Depression raged, one mountain teacher brought renewed prosperity to families in Mitchell County, North Carolina, and brought a once dying art international attention.

Finding George Masa: The Forgotten Immigrant Who Helped Map the Great Smokies
Blue Ridge Country
A Japanese immigrant with no known family, George Masa came to the U.S. seeking his fortune. What he found instead were the Smokies and a penchant for photography. Until recently, his legacy was nearly forgotten.

Fort Mose
American Legacy
Long forgotten remnants of a military outpost give us a new look at the lives of Africans in colonial America.  
 
 

HOME AND COMMERCIAL
CONSTRUCTION AND REMODELING

Going Efficient Without Breaking the Bank
Chesapeake Home
Forget the new super efficient HVAC system. Saving on home energy costs might be a lot cheaper than you think. Check out our analysis of the cost vs. benefits of simple home energy upgrades.

Sustainable in the City
Smart Homeowner
An urban home in Seattle features a compact design and efficient systems that reduce energy consumption.

10 Easy Ways to Cut Your Heating Bill
Grit
As fuel and electric costs continue to rise, there are ways you can minimize the hit to your pocketbook. From replacing your outdated HVAC system to simple sealing solutions, here are some energy saving techniques for every budget.

Timeless Gem of the Blue Ridge Parkway
Precast Solutions
As the Blue Ridge Parkway celebrates its 75th anniversary, its final piece, the Linn Cove Viaduct, still stands as a crowning achievement of how precast concrete can both protect and beautify landscapes.

HOME DESIGN / RESTORATION

The Art(work) of Self-Expression
HomeFurnishings.com
Your home says a lot about your personality and lifestyle. From the style of your furniture to the colors of your walls, your choices communicate your taste. Here are some ways to ensure your artwork creates the impression you desire.

Painted Beauty
Preservation Magazine
In the foothills of North Carolina, an unusual early 19th-century house regains its vivid colors.

Rock Solid
Old House Journal
Recognizing ageless structure beneath vines and crumbling mortar, Bob and Macon Hilton turned a 1790s estate on Virginia’s western frontier into a family retreat.

LIFESTYLE

Jaclyn Smith is More Than a Pretty Face
Success
Her looks brought the Charlie's Angel fame.  Her tenacity brought her retail success.

Sharing the Bounty
SUCCESS Magazine
Art Smith, Oprah's longtime chef, shares lessons in life with at-risk youngsters.

Hitting the Road, Seas, and Skies in Retirement
Military Officer
Traveling is one of the major enjoyments of retirement. Here are the nuts and bolts of how to do it on your own, in a group, and around the world.

Three's Company
Ladies' Home Journal
Bighearted Brownie creates bonds of love between those who need it most.

NEWS & POLICY

Hospital CEOs Weigh In On Health Care Debate
AOL Health
With some Americans paying health insurance premiums bigger than their mortgages, senior citizens concerned about the bill's impact on Medicare coverage, and some 40 million Americans who have no health insurance (and sometimes no access to care either), it's obvious the system is broken.

How do we fix it?

AOL Health has asked the leaders of some of the nation's top hospitals to give us their take on health-care reform.

What Is a State-Run Health Insurance Exchange?
AOL Health
If you've been uninsured up to this point, don't have health insurance through your employer or are self-employed, there are some potential positives to the new bill, one of which is the creation of state-based heath insurance exchanges. Though not a new concept (two states already have them), more Americans will have access to them.

OUTDOOR RECREATION

Four Days...Whitewater Rafting in Gatlinburg, TN
Women's Health
Looking for a good place to try out whitewater rafting? Take a ride on the Big Pigeon River in the heart of the Great Smoky Mountains.

Bliss for 78 Miles: A Weekend Trip Down the Greenbrier River Trail
The Roanoker
If the idea of taking a weekend bike ride intrigues you, but you’re not into pedaling up and down steep slopes, check out the Greenbrier River Trail in southeastern West Virginia, for 78 relatively flat miles of pristine river and mountain scenery through national and state forests and plenty of fun side trips to boot.

The Smokies You Haven’t Seen
Charlotte Magazine
If you think the Smoky Mountains are all tourist glitz and high-elevation traffic jams, look again.  Veer off the beaten path and find vast areas of endless, uncivilized wilderness, solitary hiking trails, third-generation Appalachian crafters, and isolated luxury lodging.

Wild Weekend
The Washingtonian
Ride the rapids, hike along a creek, and walk to a waterfall in unspoiled West Virginia.

TRAVEL

A Walk in the Park
AAA World
With more than nine million visitors annually, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park can get pretty crowded on the main roads. If you want to find some peace and quiet, check out these quiet back roads and hiking trails

No Passport Necessary
Military Officer
Looking for a tropical island getaway to beat the winter blues? You don’t have to wait to get a passport. The U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico offer fun in the sun passport-free!

Southern Romance
Military Officer
Put some spice and spark into your next getaway with a visit to three of the Southeast’s most historic and romantic cities.

Taking the Waters
Virginia Living
The era of Jane Austen still lives at Virginia’s springs, where the elite resorts of yesteryear continue to cast their summer spells upon new generations of visitors.  Head to the mountains of Virginia, where ancient resorts come with loads of history, but not a hefty price tag.

WILDLIFE / ENVIRONMENT

When Water is Tight
BlueRidgeCountry.com
Often recognized for their beauty and recreational opportunities, the reservoirs of the southern mountains fuel local economies, provide clean drinking water, power homes and businesses, and protect countless acres of farmland from flooding.

Marking the Past, Preserving the Future
Blue Ridge Country
As the three great southern parks prepare for milestone anniversaries in the next three years, their keepers see those commemorations as an impetus for the future.

Where the Wild Things Are
The Progressive Farmer
A public-private partnership gives landowners the opportunity for economic gains through the beauty of nature.