AGRICULTURE

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.

Leading Sheep and People
Hobby Farms
Francis Chester has learned the fine art of balancing a law practice, an agritourism business, and shepherding his flock of Columbia sheep.

Sweet Taste of Berries
The Progressive Farmer
Canning jams is more than storing food for the winter. It's also about preserving family memories.

Preserving the Family Farm
Blue Ridge Country
As more and more family farms in the Blue Ridge are sold and transformed into subdivisions, a handful of entrepreneurial farmers are turning to agritourism to increase farm profits and preserve agriculture as a viable occupation for future generations.

BUSINESS / REAL ESTATE

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 ranchland.

A New Ruralism Rising
SweetTea Journal
Seeking a firm connection to the land, a new movement in Florida and beyond signals the return to a rural past—with all the modern conveniences.

Creating Entrepreneurs
Youth Today
Poor kids absorb business lessons, but programs remain a hard sell.

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

Let Them Eat Cake...And Bread, And Cookies
Today's Diet & Nutrition
Are you or someone you love suffering from gluten intolerance? If so, you really don’t have to give up all those baked goods you love. Here are some tips for gluten-free baking.

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.

A Place to Reflect: Retreats for Body & Soul
Today's Diet & Nutrition
As the pace of our modern lives grows more hectic, our minds and bodies suffer from stress, overwork, overeating, and lack of rest. Learn to get back on track and live more joyfully at a yoga and meditation retreat.

HISTORY

A Civil War Tour of U.S. 250: Exploring the East’s Most Pristine Battlefield Sites
Blue Ridge Country
Once a vital transportation route between Richmond and the mountainous reaches of western Virginia, the old Staunton-Parkersburg Turnpike was also a staging area for some of the first battles of the Civil War.  Today U.S. 250 roughly follows the route of the old pike and offers access to some of the most well-preserved Civil War battlefields in the east.

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

Slavery & Freedom on the St. John’s River
Florida Monthly
Kingsley Plantation offers a rare view into 19th-century plantation life.  There are no “moonlight and magnolia” fantasies here.

HOME CONSTRUCTION / REMODELING

A Frank Lloyd Wright Takes Shape
Precast Solutions
Precast panels offered the strength and flexibility to build a Frank Lloyd Wright original design in Buffalo.
 

Strength in Beauty
Precast Solutions
Unique precast concrete moment framing provides design flexibility and superior strength.

Organize Your Kitchen
Smart Homeowner
The key to a better functioning, more efficient kitchen can be as simple as implementing the right storage solutions in the right place.

Outside is In!
Cooperative Living
One of today’s most popular home trends is the addition of expanded, often lavish, outdoor spaces.

HOME DESIGN / RESTORATION

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.

A happy hearth and home
Old-House Interiors
Her house has pedigree--the original log section is 220 years old, the 1937 addition designed by a prominent architect--but Luanne Murphy of Charlottesville, Va. revels in the comfort of Colonial Revival style.

LIFESTYLE

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.

OUTDOOR RECREATION

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 View of the Falls
AAA World
The first recorded human trip over the falls in a barrel occurred in 1901 when Annie Taylor rode over the pounding cascades. Today visitors to Niagara Falls can get almost as close but without risking life and limb.

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

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

Highway 81 Revisited
Appalachian Voice
One of America’s most scenic interstates is up for expansion, raising concerns about environmental impacts.

Spring Birding in the Blue Ridge
Blue Ridge Country
With their temperate valleys, chilly mountain peaks, thick woodlands, and open meadows and grassy balds, the Blue Ridge Mountains are a birder’s paradise.