DUFFIELD, Va. (AP) - In Virginia's southwestern tip lies a produce aggregator that's become a standout success among Appalachian nonprofits by helping farmers in remote areas sell to big grocers.
Appalachian Harvest has grown to a $1.5 million business that derives only a sliver of its budget from grants while delivering vegetables to grocers including Whole Foods, Ingles and Food City.
To develop its business from scratch, Appalachian Harvest has fine-tuned how it helps farmers while expanding from organic to conventional crops and learning a crash-course in trucking.
Inside Appalachian Harvest's 15,000 square-foot warehouse are massive coolers and packing equipment, including a 30-foot green conveyor belt-driven machine that cleans and dries vegetables. It sells produce from as many as 60 farmers.