Floyd Virginia Magazine 2022 Fall/Winter

Lichen or Knot Plant Company

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- A Family Farm LegacyGrowing with Each Generation

The Turner family has called Floyd their home for many decades, and though Turner Family Farms only became an LLC in 2020, the family has been farming in the area for much, much longer.

In the mid 1950’s, Sam and Gertrude Turner purchased a stretch of farmland on Franklin Pike where they started a dairy farm. They also grew a variety of produce. Both Sam and Gertrude were originally from Floyd and wanted to carry on their families’ farming heritage. It wasn’t long till their sons, Marvin and CW, joined them in the barns and the fields, continuing the legacy and making it a true family effort.

Sam and Gertrude continued working on the farm and milking the cattle until the late 1980’s. That’s when Marvin and CW took over.

During the transition, a few changes were introduced. The cattle operation of Turner Family Farms changed from dairy over to beef, with both Marvin and CW owning and working the cattle. CW, however, also continued growing and selling produce to local

grocery stores. It was a hard but rewarding life on Turner Family Farms. Marvin even married Rhonda Harris and started a family with two sons, Jason and Wesley.

Sadly, however, Jason and Wesley were still too young to take over the farming operation when their father passed away. As a result, Marvin’s portion of the beef herd was sold. CW managed on his own for a while, but when his nephews were older, he enlisted the help of the boys so the Turner family legacy could go on.

CW, Jason, and Wesley worked as a team until CW’s passing in summer of 2017. In 2018, Jason and Wesley officially took over the farm that their grandparents had started almost seventy years earlier. It was time for the next generation to take the reins, and just like the last transition, the new generation had ideas for changes.

Jason and Wesley decided to start having their cattle processed at a USDA facility so their beef could be sold by the individual cut, and in 2019, the Turner family started selling beef by the pound

From Left to Right: Back Row: Wesley, Julie, Wendy, and Jason. Front Row: William, Hudson, and Hadley

to local customers. Their pasture raised beef was becoming very popular towards the end of 2019, but it wasn’t until 2020, at the start of a pandemic, that the business really started to grow.

Jason and Wesley had built a small, roadside farm stand on Franklin Pike where they could directly sell their beef and produce. This small stand really connected with local folk, and it helped the Turners to build a strong customer base. The farm stand offered beef and produce, all of which had been raised and grown between the two Turner households. When the lockdowns came and people became fearful of venturing into larger stores, the stand became busier than ever. The Turners could not keep their high-quality beef stocked due to the increasing demand.

The family also began receiving multiple requests for pork. In response, the Turners began raising hogs alongside the beef cattle. They also continued selling produce grown from the same acre garden that CW had started all those years ago.

To prepare for the hogs, the brothers built a shelter and pen surrounded by an electric fence. They also purchased a small hammer mill so they could make their own hog and cattle feed. Wesley’s girlfriend, Julie, took the lead on maintaining the hogs’ daily care.

In 2021, armed with USDA grading and a new line of pork products, Turner Family Farms VA LLC was officially created. Using their roadside stand, equipped with freezers, they continued selling their steaks, roasts, ground beef, sausage, pork chops, and produce. They also sold at the Floyd Farmers Market on Thursday evenings.

Business was going so well that it was soon time to expand once again. In winter of 2021, the Turners began developing the idea for a larger store with more to offer. Construction launched in spring of 2022 at a location on Franklin Pike, just up the road from the old stand. The plan consisted of a larger store where the beef, pork, and produce could be sold, along

with goods from other local growers, artists, and more.

The new farm store opened in August of 2022 at 699 Franklin Pike, SE in Floyd. It features the ‘best meat in town’ as well as a generous variety of homegrown vegetables! Wesley’s homemade salsa is also available. Made from ingredients and produce grown on the Turner farm, it has quickly become a customer favorite!

The Farm also features a kids’ play area and plenty of photo opportunities. The Turner family strives to keep their events family friendly as well as cost effective. They want everyone to enjoy what they have to offer.

Seeing an opportunity to add to Floyd’s Fall attractions, the family is also planning a corn maze that locals and visitors can enjoy as part of their Fall activities. The two-acre corn maze features the design of the Floyd Buffalo. It was planted at the start of summer, then designed by Wesley and cut by The Corn Maze Guy out of Pennsylvania in the middle of July. Pumpkins were also planted to round out the aesthetic of the Fall festival! The inaugural opening of the Turner Family Farms Corn Maze is scheduled for September 2022. The Turners hope that the maze can become a family tradition for years to come as there are no others in the immediate area.

Looking toward the future, the Turners are already talking about adding more attractions and events, such as hosting local schools. There are plans for a sunflower patch, food trucks, and more! They are so excited to share their family farm with locals and visitors from near and far. From their family farm to everyone’s family table; they hope to help their customers create delicious meals, as well as memories and traditions to pass down from generation to generation.

Turner Family Farms • Jason and Wesley

Franklin Pike, Floyd,

540-250-5152

A New Chapter for the Floyd Country Store, Plus an Exciting TV Venture

This September, the Floyd Country Store will begin an exciting new chapter. For the first time in almost two decades, it will have a complete logo and marketing refresh. The move is motivated by owners Dylan Locke and Heather Krantz’s mission to use storytelling for sharing the magic of Floyd and the Country Store, as well as traditional Appalachian music and dance. To further this goal, Locke and Krantz are launching Floyd Country Store TV: a streaming platform that will make the Country Store and its events accessible around the world.

Since purchasing the Country Store from Jackie and Woody Crenshaw eight years ago, Krantz says, “We’ve been real careful to keep as much as we can the same for our customers and community over the last eight years.” The Floyd Country Store has been a beloved music venue and community center for generations, and Krantz and Locke have taken care to preserve its warm atmosphere and musical traditions.

Now, in light of the pandemic and post-lockdown conditions, they decided it would be a good time to invest in sharing the Country Store’s story. “We felt like it would be a good time to show people we’re still here, alive and well!” says Krantz.

For Locke, the emphasis of the Country Store’s new chapter is all about storytelling: sharing the magic of Floyd and the Store in an authentic, organic way. With the help of Roanoke-based ad agency Firefli, they decided to refresh a few aspects of the Store’s brand. The decision was not initially intentional, but it came naturally. “We consulted with Firefli to help us tell the story of the Floyd Country Store,” says Locke. “The people, the music, the traditions that reflect our lifestyle and values, and how our local friends and visitors come together and share in an experience. Through the desire to tell this story, came the idea to refresh and sharpen some of the tools that we use to tell the story.”

The brand refresh will include a merch launch with all-new

designs, featuring the new Store logo and Store colors. Krantz hopes the new look will be exciting for people of all ages and backgrounds to connect with. “We are always focused on building our community,” she says.

One of the messages at the center of the brand refresh is ‘Find Your Folk’. It’s a double entendre. On one hand, it means ‘come here to find your people. Come here to find a space you can call home, a space that will always welcome you with open arms. On the other, it’s a call to embrace the music of Appalachia, the genres of old time and bluegrass, as well as the countless variations of country and folk that have developed out of centuries of cultural mixing and melding. This is the music that the Country Store is committed to preserving. As the mantra ‘Find Your Folk’ suggests, there’s something for everyone. The Floyd Country Store invites everyone to come on in and find it! Visitors are sure to come away with more than they expected.

“We have lots of care for the Floyd Country Store community,” says Locke. “The Country Store team, the musicians, the dancers, the makers, and our guests who find us either by chance or through planned pilgrimages to see the traditions of Appalachia alive and well in a small, close-knit community. We are excited to tell our story more clearly and to a larger community because we think there is power and magic in these traditions; traditions such as music-making, dancing, sharing, and learning, making your own things, and living within a small community where you come together more than you separate.”

Community connection is at the heart of the Country Store’s mission. As Locke and Krantz believe, community involvement with music and art can be an essential means of bridging political and cultural divides. This idea of ‘art as civic repair’ was articulated by Irish poet Tess Taylor in a 2021 piece for Harper’s Bazaar titled “Getting On With It”. In the article, Taylor describes the experience

of finding herself in Floyd in 2016. After wandering into the Country Store on a Friday night, she decides to join a square dance. While dancing from partner to partner, she is overcome with hope about how such a divided country could come together again. She writes, “I did not lose my resolve to fight for the things I care about, but I also noticed how the dance invited a small mountain community into a social contract: dancing together was a way of agreeing to care for one another.”

As Locke describes, “the simple act of making music together, dancing with strangers, and upholding age-old traditions brings people together. Folks don’t spend any time thinking about the other person’s politics, religious beliefs, or anything else. They simply want to find common ground and understanding. These are simple practices that are subtle and powerful at the same time.”

Since the 1900s, the Country Store has been a space where the local community could come together and indulge in music and good company. Now, the Country Store wants to share its impact with as many people as possible.

Floyd Country Store TV is a streaming platform that shares high-quality content from the Country Store, such as dances, Friday Night Jamborees, and other scheduled performances. The content is a mix of live stream events, recorded performances, documentaries, and more. The idea for the platform sprung from the pandemic, during which the Store started streaming its events online to those who were not able to attend in person or felt safer attending virtually.

“Everyone loved it so much that we decided we needed to find a better way to continue doing it,” says Krantz. “People tuned in from all over the world and we realized this would be a great way to stay connected with all of them.”

With support from the community, Floyd Country Store TV will be able to grow and expand to contain interviews, educational content from the Handmade Music School, behind-the-scenes content from the Country Store, and more. “It’ll be like YouTube or Netflix for the Country Store,” says Locke, “or like Tiny Desk Concerts for string band music.”

Floyd Country Store TV is available online at www. floydcountrystore.tv. It is also accessible as an application on over 1000 devices including Roku, Apple TV, and Fire TV, as well as on iPhone, Android, Mac, and PC.

As the Floyd Country Store begins its new chapter, Locke and Krantz reflect on the long-term goals of the store; making events and activities accessible for more people. They also want to inspire young people, both locally and beyond, to start or continue playing Appalachian music, to perform and enjoy the dances, and to keep sharing the joy of Appalachia with the world.

“We have a real hope that the things we see day-in and day-out can spread and build a community built on traditions, care, and compassion,” says Locke.

Krantz

Phoenix Hardwoods Finds a New Home at Farmer’s Supply

The historic Farmer’s Supply building, located at 101 East Main Street, is one of the oldest buildings in Floyd. Throughout its lifetime, it has been mainly used for dry goods and hardware and has been the home of Farmer’s Supply since the 1940’s. For roughly the last hundred years, the building has been owned by the Lawson family, and is currently owned by Jack Lawson.

Farmer’s Supply was founded by Jack’s grandfather, Harry Leland Lawson, and for over seventy years, it was a valuable resource for Floyd’s predominant farming community. In more recent years, however, large chain stores, as well as an uncertain economy and supply issues, have made operating the supply store less and less viable. In 2021, long-time manager, Janice Patton, was also ready to retire. Janice started working at Farmer’s Supply in the 1970’s when her father was manager. She was such a fixture that many who didn’t know better assumed she was the owner.

Considering the uncertain economic viability of continuing to operate Farmer’s Supply, as well as facing the task of finding a replacement for the irreplaceable Janice, Farmer’s Supply closed its doors in December of 2021.

This, however, is far from the end of the story for 101 East Main Street. The closure of Farmers Supply was actually the beginning of a bright new chapter in the life of the historic building. The Lawson family had no interest in selling the building, and so they began exploring viable ways to move forward with new purpose.

“It was the right time to reinvent,” says Jack Lawson’s cousin, Lucas Thornton. Lucas is also the current manager of the property.

Lucas and the Lawson family began working through a program sponsored by the Virginia Department of Historic Resources (DHR), the National Park Service, and the Secretary of the Interior. The program takes interest in historic buildings with architecture and structure that typifies the region, as well as landmark buildings that have been used for iconic purposes, typical of the region. The program

encourages redevelopment of these properties and offers a tax credit program that helps to offset the costs of redevelopment.

Work began in summer of 2021 at the old Farmers Supply building, returning it to the glory of its youth, yet maintaining the architecture and structure from the most significant period of its use, which has remained relatively unchanged for the last hundred years. Work is scheduled to be finished sometime in September of 2022.

Not only is the building being restored, but it’s also getting repurposed. Lucas Thornton tells us that parts of the structure will be converted into five units that will serve as a small inn, booked through Airbnb. One unit will be on the first floor, with the other four units split between the second and third floors. The units will be ready for booking in October of 2022, and will be maintained and managed by Alleghany Partners, a management company from Roanoke.

Also slated for the first floor, the Farmer’s Supply building will become home to its first, non-Lawsonfamily-owned, commercial tenants!

Lichen or Knot, established and owned by Heather Barbieri, will be creating a new space at the Farmer’s Supply building. In the new location, she will be featuring mostly indoor plants while also offering workshops. Her space will have an outdoor gardening area in the back, next to the Farmer’s Market, and she plans to leave the old loading dock as a historical feature of the building. She wants to incorporate the dock and make it a featured part of the new shop.

Meanwhile, Jeff and Annie Armistead, owners of Phoenix Hardwoods, are happy to announce that their showroom will be moving to the Farmer’s Supply building, this Fall!

The Armisteads, along with their son, Ben, took over Phoenix Hardwoods in 2020 when founders and owners, Bill and Corinne Graefe, decided to retire. Prior to the change in ownership, both the workshop and showroom for Phoenix were located at 2540 Floyd Highway, North…about six miles northeast from downtown Floyd.

Jeff and Annie Armistead

Historically, Phoenix Hardwoods has utilized the trees growing in and near Floyd to create one-of-a-kind,

of

as well as

like handmade cutting

and bowls. Helping them along the way has been a talented staff of amazingly gifted woodworkers like Bradley Lawson, Eric McDaniel, and Henry VanGunten.

Wanting a visual presence that would be closer to the hub of Floyd’s tourism and shopping, Annie Armistead, who is also coowner of Troika Contemporary Crafts and Troika Home, decided to make space in Troika Home for some of Phoenix’s larger, and more spectacular pieces. Located in The Station, right across the street from Floyd Country Store, Troika Home was able to give Phoenix Hardwoods a higher profile.

Still, the bulk of the inventory remained at the workshop location. However, thanks to the redevelopment project at the Farmer’s Supply building, Phoenix Hardwoods will be moving the entire inventory to a much larger showroom at 101 East Main Street! Phoenix Hardwoods will not only be able to spread out into a much larger space, with many more items, but they will be doing so at a storefront that bears their own name, right in the heart of downtown Floyd!

“When Farmer’s Supply closed,” says Annie Armistead, “we saw an opportunity to be closer in, with more visibility and foot traffic to display our items.”

Not only will they be able to display a larger inventory from the Phoenix workshops, but the larger space will also allow the Armisteads to feature other items like home accessories, some of which would be sourced from local artists.

As the workshop will remain at the old location, it will also be able to expand. With all the inventory at the new showroom, Henry, Bradley, Eric, and all the other talented woodworkers will have more room to work on more pieces. Jeff tells us they also plan to bring on additional wood working artists to make the most of the workshop, and to allow new talents to enrich and expand the Phoenix Hardwoods brand.

For more information about Phoenix Hardwoods and their one-of-a-kind line of fine furniture and hand-crafted, wooden home items, visit online at www.phoenix-hardwoods.com.

“We are super excited about housing homegrown companies,” says Lucas Thornton, reflecting on how Floyd has changed in the hundred years since the Lawson family bought the Farmer’s Supply building. “We’d also like to express our deep commitment to the community and hope to be part of the changing community for a long time. We have connections to the past but look to the future. Our roots in Floyd are deep and we always remember those who came before us.”

Phoenix Hardwoods • Annie and Jeff Armistead 2540 Floyd Hwy N, Floyd, VA • 540-745-7475 www.Phoenix-Hardwoods.com

Jessie Peterman Memorial Library - Proving Community Libraries are Still Relevant in the 21st Century

By A. Lee Chichester

Andrew Carnegie once said, “A library outranks any other one thing a community can do to benefit its people. It is a never-failing spring in the desert.”

And so it can be said by many who have found themselves travelling all over America. No matter how far they roam, and no matter how remote the area they visit, noting the location of the nearest library can often mean the difference between being disconnected, or being able to reach out to loved ones. Using a library’s free wi-fi, or even their computers, allows many travelers to rest in comfort while reassuring their loved ones that all is well.

Within communities, these same services are crucial to impoverished families and individuals who may need to connect digitally with utilities, special services, and medical facilities. Whether travelling or exploring closer to home, a public, community library is so much more than books.

Now called the Jessie Peterman Memorial Library (JPML), Floyd’s local public library would not exist if not for the members of the 1969 Floyd Woman’s Club who first explored the pros and cons of creating a library to serve the county. Mrs. Homer Robinette chaired the committee, appointed by Woman’s Club President, Mrs. Warren Lineberry.

Their research lasted three long years, during which they learned how other library systems worked, how they were funded, what they offered their communities, and by whom they were staffed and organized. Much of their time was spent living up to the club motto, ‘Who Faints Not, Achieves’, as they covered many miles and hours, seeking sources of funding and explaining the potential benefits of a library to the citizens of Floyd County. To grow county-wide awareness, they not only attended but also hosted many meetings on the subject of establishing a library.

The group’s efforts were rewarded in the Autumn of 1972 when the Town of Floyd Council members offered a portion of the Town House, then located behind the fire station, to be used as temporary headquarters for the nascent library.

But a building does not a library make. Donations of books, desks, chairs, shelves, and carpet, as well as volunteer time from countless locals, helped to create Floyd County’s first library. It opened in March of 1973, operating twenty-one hours a week, managed by volunteers. Soon, however, the volunteers asked for assistance from the Virginia State Library (VSL). The VSL sent a consultant to help with cataloguing all the new books and materials that had been donated to the growing collection.

Because the library was able to stay open twenty-one hours a week, the unpaid staff were eligible to access Commonwealth resources, such

as their film library and the inter-library loan system. In 1974, through its ongoing affiliation with the VSL, Floyd’s library was able to join the existing Regional Library System which was based in Montgomery County. In 1975, the Floyd library moved from the Town House to the basement of the Floyd County Courthouse.

Local ceramics artist and voracious reader, Silvie Granatelli, moved to Floyd in 1981. Her mother had been a research librarian, and so a love of books was very much part of her upbringing. This, along with her extensive library experience, is what made Floyd’s courthouse basement offering one of the first stops she made after arriving in her new community.

“As a creative person,” says Granatelli, “libraries have always been critical to my life and work. I met [librarian] Pamela Cadmus, who asked what I was looking for. I told her I liked historical fiction set in foreign countries. She introduced me to ‘The Sea, The Sea’ by Iris Murdoch. I loved it and kept going back for everything by that author. Knowing what kinds of things I’d be looking for, Pamela always had a stack of books waiting for me.”

At that time, Cadmus was Floyd Library’s third paid librarian. The first had been Lucy Berry, followed by Sue Davis. Cadmus continues her involvement with the library through her current position as President of the Floyd County Library Building Fund, Incorporated (FCLBF), which is a nonprofit funding group supporting the library’s activities, not limited to buildings and expansions.

“When the library moved out of the courthouse basement in early 1986,” says Granatelli, “they began to do more children’s programming. Pamela asked me if I could present a talk on cooking. I asked what kind and she answered ‘Hawaiian’. I had to use the library to figure out how to cook Hawaiian, since I knew nothing. I found a dish called a ‘pu-pu platter’, and thought the kids would love the name, at least. They did and it was a hit!”

Like many new residents in communities across the country, Granatelli discovered connections to people and places, not only through visits to the local library, but also though the programs they offered.

“It turned out to be a way for me to integrate into the wider community,” she says. “I still go to the library as a treat for myself. Everything is quiet and orderly, and while I rarely check out novels any longer, I typically do research on gardening, travel, cooking, and art from foreign cultures, especially when I feel frustrated with my work. I feel better almost immediately at the library, and I get inspired there.”

Today’s Jessie Peterman Memorial Library proudly occupies its own building at 321 West Main Street, and rests on 2.37 acres of land that was once the location of Jessie Peterman’s former home. Her niece, Marguerite

Jessie Peterman

Tise, donated the land in 1982 as part of the library fundraising effort.

Jessie Peterman was born the 26th of July 1879. Early in her life, Jessie earned a teaching degree in 1897, then taught school for five years. She then went back to college, attending National Business College and School of Shorthand in Roanoke. On June 30, 1904, she became the first female graduate from that College, and for several years afterward, she was employed at the Floyd County Clerk’s Office. After that, she became a secretary at the law firm of Joseph E. Proffit and Kyle Weeks.

Jessie was also active in the Floyd community, helping to induct Floyd County draftees in WWI and WWII. She also played a major role in setting up the Office of Economic Opportunity during the Johnson administration, making sure that newly created jobs were made available to those who needed them. She also served as secretary of the County Electoral Board for more than thirty years and was also involved with local Red Cross blood drives.

In addition to her career and civic activities, Jessie Peterman was also a noted county historian. She had an outstanding memory and knew Floyd County like a book. The information she collected and shared has proved invaluable to even current local historians.

Jessie Peterman died on June 2, 1977, at the age of ninety-seven. Marguerite thought it would be a fitting tribute to her lifetime of activities and achievements to have Floyd’s library built on the spot where Jessie had spent a portion of her life.

Construction on the new building was completed in December of 1985, and Floyd’s new Jessie Peterman Memorial Library opened its doors to the public early in 1986. The existing building was then expanded in 2007, and the expanded building was dedicated and opened in June of 2008.

Now just a few blocks west of downtown Floyd, the Jessie Peterman Memorial Library boasts 5,823 registered library users, sixty-eight of whom were newly signed up during July, alone! They circulated 7,316 items during July of 2022, as compared with 1,457 during September of 1978. July of 2022 also saw the library go officially fine free! This means the library no longer charges fines for late returns.

Floyd’s library has also joined another initiative sweeping across the nation. Food pantries and refrigerators are being set up at many of the country’s libraries, offering free food to children and families in need. In Floyd, the Jessie Peterman Memorial Library partners with Plenty! in this effort. The program is called the Floyd Free Fridge, and during its first month of operation, 933 pounds of food were given away. This included locally grown fresh vegetables.

During the shutdowns, library staff began a ‘Take-and-Make’ crafts program for both adults and children. Continuing to this day, the program first involves the design of a craft project. Materials and instructions are then collected in take-home bags. While supplies last, anyone who asks may take the kit home and enjoy the project.

From Left to Right: Back Row: Lisa Thompson, Rachel Belcher, Linessa Wheeler, Ann-Margaret Shortt, and Cheryl Mackian. Front Row: Joann Verostko, Debbie Munzing, and Eydie Clifton.

Photo in the Floyd Press showing Mrs. Warren Lineberry and Mrs. Homer Robinette unloading the first box of books donated to the library.

Board of the Floyd County Library Building Fund Back row: Susan McCrea, Laurel Pritchard, Gino Williams, and Dale Profitt. Front row: Pamela Cadmus, Geri Mattern, Betty Lineberry. not pictured: Bill Gardner

Among adults, the library’s gardening and houseplant programs are especially popular. They are offered in partnership with local professionals, as well as through peer ‘swap’ events. For the younger crowd, Jessie Peterman Memorial Library is partnering with the Master Gardeners/VTExtension to deliver a three-month program that will certify Junior Master Gardeners. At this time of this article, eleven Floyd youngsters are enrolled.

In partnership with the Floyd Drug Court, which offers alternatives to incarceration for folks with substance issues, the library also offers a major outreach program for underserved citizens. The purpose is to inform participants of resources available through the library. For example, by partnering with the Literacy Volunteers of the New River Valley, the library is working to offer financial literacy classes to Drug Court participants.

A program further seeking to assist this underserved population is offered every Tuesday at 3:00 pm, involving the 401 Peer Center in Radford. It provides certified Peer Recovery Specialist counseling to those with a substance use disorder and/ or mental health challenge.

Of course, the Department of Motor Vehicles also offers their services at Jessie Peterman Memorial Library, two days out of every month.

“It’s a wildly popular partnership,” says Assistant Branch Manager, Lisa Thompson. “Of all the questions we take over the phone, the days and hours when the DMV will be working out of our Community Room are the most frequent.”

Digital services have also been made available to library patrons. There are free apps on the eLibrary tab of the JPML website where patrons can listen to and read books, as well as borrow films. Also via the website, anyone with a library card number can access free legal resources, homework help, and in some cases, live homework assistance. There are genealogical resources, foreign language tutelage, and much, much more. The Jessie Peterman Memorial Library has brought resources and programs to Floyd County that match the needs of 21st century living.

Throughout the history of Floyd’s library, the organization that has made most of the progress possible is the Floyd County Library Building Fund, Inc. (FCLBF). Just last year, that group also supported the digitization of Floyd Press issues from 1902 through 1982. In addition, the FCLBF consistently supports various community needs, such as outreach, material acquisition, and digitization. FCLBF will be launching their annual donor campaign this fall and has its own tab on the JPML website where supporters can learn more. Visit online at www.mfrl.org/ floydendowment.php.

Jessie Peterman Memorial Library • 540-745-2947

W. Main Street, Floyd VA • Branch Manager Joann Verostko

Town Council’s Town House, the location of the first library in Floyd County, opened in 1973. (Credit: Floyd Press, March 13, 1986, pg. 6)

– Little River GalleryOne of Floyd’s Newest Art Treasures

Just half a block from the traffic light in Floyd, across from the Visitors’ Center, can be found one of Downtown Floyd’s newest art galleries! The Little River Gallery, which features a variety of items handmade by local artists, was recently opened by owners Mary Hadden and Judy MacPhail.

Before even crossing the threshold, the pleasant exterior communicates the inviting nature of Little River Gallery. The unassuming little white building features a lovely garden of blooming flowers in the front, watching over a bowl of water lovingly provided for Floyd’s thirsty fur-babies. There’s even a bench where folks cat ‘sit a spell’.

With such a modest façade, many may be surprised to find an array whimsical, locally crafted pottery, baskets, batik quilting fabric, gifts, cards, and so much more inside!

Opening an art gallery had been Mary’s dream for many years. Mary grew up in southern Ohio, in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. Later in life, however, she found herself at home in Texas. When her son began an internship near Asheville, North Carolina, Mary came to visit and fell in love with the climate, the atmosphere, and the lush terrain that reminded her of her childhood.

During the visit, she drove along the Parkway and found herself near Floyd. FloydFest was just getting started, so she stayed on for the festival. After getting to know the area and the people, Mary

returned to Texas, longing to get back to the green beauty and coolness of the mountains. A vision began to form of a life she wished to live.

That vision brought her permanently to Floyd in 2003. Mary came with her two children, Lurena and John, and bought a farmhouse outside of town. There, her garden abounds with flowers and vegetables, and in the farmhouse’s primitive kitchen, she prepares the food she has produced.

Adding a greenhouse to her homestead has allowed Mary to extend the growing season for her crops, affording her the opportunity to be even more independent, a major lifestyle choice that Mary embraces.

Also on the homestead is a studio that houses Mary’s clay and kiln. The workspace has many windows so that it almost feels like the outside is coming in. In her studio, Mary produces her famous fairies, as well as the many other wonderful pieces that can be found at Little River Gallery.

Always whimsical, her art uses soft pastel glazes, blues, greens, and pinks. If a piece of pottery has a small bird on it, it was most likely made by Mary Hadden!

Mary’s technique for clay work is to roll out the clay into thin slabs, then cut and build the pieces she creates. The legs move on her fairies. The bells tinkle on the wind chimes, and birds sit on tree branches that hang on the wall. Mary’s three-dimensional clocks

Mary Hadden and Judy MacPhail

and wall hangers for plants, as well as lovely vases, all adorn the walls of Little River Gallery.

Through a mutual friend, Mary Hadden met Judy MacPhail. The two women became fast friends, so when Mary mentioned she needed a partner for her new gallery business, Judy was happy to join her.

Judy spent her career in the newspaper business, working as a circulation director for McClatchy Newspapers in Raleigh, North Carolina. Like Mary, Judy also dreamed of retiring in the mountains, but she imagined her retirement years would be spent in Asheville. After just one afternoon visit to Floyd, however, she knew the farms, the hills, and town of Floyd was exactly where she wanted to be.

In 2009, she made an offer on a wonderful home on three acres of land near the Blue Ridge Parkway. For the next five years, Judy came to visit in Floyd, but still lived in her Raleigh home near her family and her four grandchildren. In 2014, however, Judy’s husband, Bob, retired from the Environmental Protection Agency. That’s when the MacPhails moved to Floyd full time.

In the 1990’s, Judy had the opportunity to apprentice with a North Carolina Heritage Award winning basket maker named Thurman Strickland. He taught the old ways of finding the perfect oak or ash tree in the woods, as well as the process involved with turning it into a strong, functional basket. For many years, MacPhail made and sold her baskets in local shops and galleries, and now displays her collections proudly at Little River.

In 2007, she was scheduled to take a basket weaving class at the John C. Campbell Folk School but got a call that the class had been canceled. While refunding the class tuition, the registrar asked Judy if there was any other class being offered week that would be of interest. Though Judy was very disappointed that she would not be in a basketry class, she reluctantly agreed to sign up for the Cotton Spinning and Dying Class. What started as a disappointment quickly became a new passion!

For the past fifteen years, Judy has created gorgeous skeins of wool, alpaca, silk, and just about any fiber she can spin into yarn. With plenty of local farmers raising sheep and alpaca, her supply of raw fiber is plentiful. For her roving and more refined fibers, she shops with Paradise Fibers in Spokane, Washington, where she was born many years ago. Her beautiful spun creations are also available at Little River Gallery.

Little River Gallery includes the works of other local artists as well. There are succulent planters created by hypertufa artist Linda Hearn, as well as beeswax luminaries by Anita Brandon. Stained glass pieces by Joanna Huff are perfect for decorating any garden while the colorful, joyous barn quilt paintings by Kathleen Dawe can be displayed indoors or out.

The Gallery also features lovely prints and cards made by Mary’s daughter Rena Violet. The wonderful ‘Birds on a Wire’ pieces are by Robin Sydow, who also sews attractive bags and baskets. There is so much to explore and discover, all while enjoying the sweet aromas of the handmade soaps from Sun and Spruce Soap out of Roanoke.

Little River Gallery is also a working studio. While shopping, visitors are likely to find Mary rolling out her clay or Judy spinning her yarn. Both women are happy to talk about the art and answer questions for the curious.

Little River Gallery • Mary Hadden and Judy MacPhail 111 West Main Street, Floyd, VA • 540-230-4884 Thursday and Friday, 11am – 4pm Saturday, 10am – 5pm; and Sunday 12pm – 4pm www.instagram.com/littleriverstudiogallery

Handmade Music School’s Music of Our Mountains: An Interactive History of Appalachia and its “Mountain Music”

Since 2016, the Handmade Music School has been an essential force in preserving and spreading excitement around traditional Appalachian music. Best known for its private and group classes in old time and bluegrass, as well as traditional Appalachian music and dance, the 501(c)3 non-profit has a core mission of spreading the joy of traditional music to as many people as possible, regardless of income and ability. Following this goal in 2018, the school started its Share the Music scholarship program for music lessons, classes, workshops, and camps. This year, the Handmade Music School is excited to announce its latest project, an online interactive history of Appalachian music called “Music of Our Mountains.”

old picture of the Floyd Country Store

The music at the heart of the project, known as ‘mountain music’, was born from the coalescence of traditional English, Scots-Irish, German, French, Spanish, African, and Indigenous cultures in the American South. Despite their differences, the coexistence of these groups led to the creation of a music that made no delineations between origin and race, absorbing anything in its path. As it spread, mountain music proved to be a prolific tool for community building. It is at the heart of the Floyd Country Store’s historical and modern relevance. For over a hundred years the Store has been a hub for music and dance for the local community and beyond.

Music of Our Mountains is a free educational resource that explores the rich, disparate roots of traditional Appalachian ‘mountain music’ as well as the characters, cultures, and conditions from which it emerged. The project website, musicofourmountains.com, is a living document made up of recordings, photographs, stories, scholarly texts, and maps. These resources work together to provide an exciting and vivid understanding of the music that the Handmade Music School strives to preserve.

The structure of Music of Our Mountains is twofold. On the website’s main page, visitors will find a presentation of multimedia features that parallels an interactive Story-Map. The Map and Features together create a tour-like context for the viewer that serves as a curated guide through the content that exists within the Collections. It’s a virtual archive containing published essays, historical photographs and recordings, interviews, and new contributions. Contributions can be made by musicians, scholars, historians, or anyone with relevant stories, photos, and/or recordings to share. Public participation is welcome and encouraged.

As Music of Our Mountains explores, the history of Appalachia and mountain music is a vast story of people, cultural persecution, and upheaval. It’s a story of geography, a great migration, and industrial exploitation; and it’s a story that stretches from Louisiana and the Ozarks all the way to the mountains of New England and beyond to Québec, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland, the northernmost point of old world emigration to the Americas.

Music of Our Mountains seeks to enrich the current dialogue on Appalachian music and culture, and provide a platform for a multi-view examination of the people, places, tunes, and roots that provided the initial pulse from which country music was born.

The first phase of Music of Our Mountains focuses on the Blue Ridge Plateau, including Floyd County, Virginia, and surrounding counties such as Franklin, Grayson, Carroll, and Patrick. This first leg of exploration examines the most prominent subjects of the region up through the Great Depression of the 1930’s. It highlights the contributions of Southwestern Virginia artists, the ethos, and the recording boom that launched the country music industry.

Ernest Stoneman and his family

Albert Hash

the

the recordings and

available at County Sales, online at countysales.com, now part of the Handmade Music School, located across the street from the Floyd Country Store. This project further contributes to the Handmade Music School’s goal of preserving traditional Appalachian music and its recorded history.

of Our Mountains is made possible by Virginia Humanities and private donors. To make a donation, visit musicofourmountains.com/donate. Donations are taxdeductible. To explore the project or learn more about it, visit musicofourmountains.com. Submit a contribution or start a conversation at musicofourmountains.com/contribute.

Music School

540-251-2571

Alfred Reedand fellow musicians

Posey Rorer

dI rec Tory

16 Hands www.16Hands.com

A New Leaf Gallery www.ANewLeafGallery.com 540-745-7367

American Pie Restaurant www.AmericanPieRestaurant.com 540-745-2501

AmRhein’s Wine Cellars www.Amrheins.com/fine-wine 540-929-4632

Anahata Education Center www.AnahataEducationCenter.com 540-745-5811

Bell Gallery and Garden www.BellGalleryAndGarden.com 540-745-4494

Bent Mountain Lodge Bed and Breakfast Inc 540-651-2500 www.BentMountainLodgeBedAndBreakfast.com

Blake Alexander www.BlakeAlexanderDesign.com 540-750-6510

Blue Ridge Yurts www.BlueRidgeYurts.com 540-745-7458

Bread Basket facebook.com/BreadBasket.floydva 540-745-5382

Buffalo and More www.BuffaloAndMore.com 540-381-9764

Buffalo Hemp Company www.TheBuffaloHempCompany.com 540-745-8242

Buffalo Mountain Brewing Co www.BuffaloMountainBrewery.com 540-745-2491

Buffalo Mountain Adventures www.BuffaloMtnAdv.com 540-755-0910

Buffalo Mountain Ziplines www.BuffaloMountainZiplines.com 540-200-5234

C.W. Harman & Son www.CWHarmanAndSon.com 540-745-2252

Carter and Company Insurance jcarterinsurance@outlook.com 540-267-5054

Chestnut Springs Retreat 540-745-2345

Citizens www.Citizens.coop 800-941-0426

Cocoa Mia facebook.com/CocoaMiaChocolates 540-695-0224

Concord Corner Store facebook.com/ConcordCornerStore 276-952-3400

Country Road Realty www.CountryRoadRealtyVA.com 276-952-6582

Crockett Home Improvement www.CrockettHomeImp.com 540-382-8747

Daddy Rabbit’s Campground www.DaddyRabbitsCampground.com 540-789-4150

DeHart Tile Co www.DeHartTile.com 540-382-3271

Dogtown Roadhouse www.DogtownRoadhouse.com 540-745-6836

Dulaney’s Greenhouse www.DulaneyGreenhouse.swva.net 540-745-2994

Earth Dance Jewelry & Gems 540-230-7955

Edward Jones - David Cross www.EdwardJones.com/David-Cross 540-745-6851

Farm Credit of the Virginias www.FarmCreditOfVirginias.com 540-745-2071

Farmer’s Market / Sustain Floyd www.SustainFloyd.org 540-745-7333

Floyd Center for the Arts www.FloydArtCenter.org 540-745-2784

Floyd County Historical Society www.FloydHistoricalSociety.org 540-745-3247

Floyd Country Store www.FloydCountryStore.com 540-745-4563

Floyd County Tourism Office www.VisitFloydVA.com 540-239-8509

Floyd Event Center www.FloydEventCenter.com 540-745-4434

Floyd Family Campground www.FloydFamilyCampground.com 540-251-2250

Floyd Humane Society www.FloydHumaneSociety.org 540-745-7207

Floyd Jewelry facebook.com/FloydJewelry 540-745-4653

Floyd Yoga Jam www.FloydYogaJam.com

G.J. Ingram & Son 540-745-3201

Grateful Produce 540-988-6318

Griffith Lumber Company www.GriffithLumber.net 276-692-8754

Harvest Moon www.HarvestMoonStore.com 276-6928754

Haynes Well & Pump Service www.HaynesWell.com 540-382-8251

Heathers of Floyd 540-577-6703

Hotel Floyd www.HotelFloyd.com 540-745-6080

Jerry & Connie’s House of Collectibles facebook.com/MeadowsOfDanAntiques 276-952-1095

LCF Group www.VirginiaMountainLand.com 540-808-4984

Lichen or Knot www.LichenOrKnot.com 540-267-6556

Liquid Fire Glass facebook.com/LiquidFireGlass 540-250-6728

Living Light River Studio www.LivingLightRiverStudio.com 540-745-5483

Main Street Mechanics 540-745-4224

McHale Arborscape facebook.com/ShaneMcHalesArborscape 540-810-1845

Mickey G’s Bistro www.MickeyGsBistro.com 540-745-2208

New Mountain Mercantile of Floyd facebook.com/MercantileofFloyd 540-745-4278

New River Valley Hearing www.nrvhearing.com 540-731-4327

On the Water in Floyd www.OnTheWaterInFloyd.com 540-838-1877

Omnibuild www.OmnibuildConstruction.com 540-745-2599

Pine Tavern Lodge www.ThePineTavernLodge.com 540 745 4428

Phillips Real Estate www.PhillipsRealEstateVA.com 540-745-3700

Phoenix Hardwoods www.Phoenix-Hardwoods.com 540-745-7475

Poppy’s MODpoppys.com 276-952-8370

Red Rooster Coffee www.RedRoosterCoffee.com 540-745-7338

Rorrer Well Drilling www.RorrerDrilling.com 540-745-6448

Schoolhouse Fabrics facebook.com/Schoolhouse.Fabrics 540-745-4561

SETEC www.SoilAndEnvironmentalTechnology.com 540-381-0309

Slaughters’ Supermarket 540-745-2908

Spencer’s Body Shop 540-745-5880

Sticks & Stones Construction 540-763-2003

StoneHaven Inn www.StoneHavenbnbfloyd.com 540-745-4018

Streamline Timberframe www.StreamlineTimberframe.com 540-230-5505

Sweet Providence - Tree Farm www.Facebook.com/SweetProvidenceFarm 540-525-8444

T & E Small Engine www.TESmallEngine.com 540-745-8383

The Maggie www.TheMaggieGallery.com 540-745-8000

The Schroeder Law Firm, PC www.Schroeder-Law.com 540-745-4435

The Woodshed 540-320-3057

Thomas & Wall Real Estate www.ThomasWallRE.com 540-745-8973

Tinbenders Inc www.TinbendersInc.com 540-334-5841

Treehouse Tavern 540-929-4242

Tuggles Gap Roadside Inn www.TugglesGap.biz 540-745-3402

Turner Family Farms TurnerfamilyFarmsVA@gmail.com 540-250-5152

Troika Contemporary Crafts www.TroikaCrafts.com 540-745-8764

Under the Sun Tattoo www.UnderTheSunTattoo.com 540-745-3080

United Country Real Estate www.EdGallimore.com 540-230-9090

Upon the Earth Construction facebook.com/UponTheEarthServices 540-239-2362

Villa Appalaccia Winery & Vineyard www.VillaAppalaccia.com 540-593-3100

Wildwood Farms General Store www.WildwoodFarmsDaylilies.com 540-745-5155

Willis Village Mart 540-789-7241

Wills Ridge Supply www.WillsRidge.com 540-745-2044

Yard-Boys 549-239-8762

YOSOURCE www.YOSOURCE.org 540-553-4378

Oxford Academy Library to be Named for Predominant Graduate

Beginning in 1875, the Oxford Academy was established as a coeducational school by Rev. John Kellogg Harris and his wife, Chloe Bigeloe Harris. Located at 428 East Oxford Street in Floyd, across the street from Floyd Baptist Church, the current Oxford Academy building was erected in 1901 by the Reverend John Kellogg Harris after an 1898 fire destroyed the previous log school. While the school taught elementary age students, it was more widely known as a college preparatory school, recognized by the University of New York State as being equal to or above the New York high schools.

As a true co-educational facility in an era of increasing but still limited educational opportunities for women, the Academy offered an advanced line-up of courses for all students, both female and male. This attracted students from Floyd and surrounding counties. The courses taught in the school included Greek, Latin, higher mathematics, and music.

The school produced many prominent persons in the areas of medicine, law, government, and education. Among the graduates of the Academy is The Honorable Wells Goodykoontz, Congressman from the then 5th District of West Virginia, in the 66th and 67th Congresses. There is also Dr. Isaac Eldridge Huff, M.D., one of the many physicians who received a portion of their education at the Academy. John W. Simmons, who succeeded Dr. C. M. Stigleman as the second Superintendent of Floyd County’s Public Schools, also attended Oxford Academy.

Simmons, who later became Olivia Helms Keesee.

Olivia Helms Simmons was born December 4, 1870, to Roley Madison Simmons and Nancy Helms. She descended from Revolutionary War veterans, George Boothe, James Howard, and Charles Simmons. She was one of seven children, her siblings being John W., Dr. Thomas W., George W., Tazwell M., Matilda A., and Hamilton ‘Ham’, who went on to become Commonwealth’s Attorney for Floyd County from 1903 to 1917. Olivia married Charles B. Keesee on October 14, 1896, in the Floyd Methodist Episcopal Church, which was located on the nowvacant lot between the Floyd Baptist Church property and Jeannie O’Neill’s studio. She died on June 25, 1944 at the age of seventy-three.

Mrs. Keesee spent her life advancing the cause of education, especially seeking to expand educational opportunities for young people. She and her husband had no children, so upon her death, she left a substantial portion of her estate to help fund the Charles B. Keesee Educational Fund, Inc., established by Charles through his will after death in 1940. To this day, the fund continues to assist young people by providing scholarships for students seeking to receive degrees in the ministry.

olivia Helms Simmons Keesee

It the late 1800’s, women’s educational opportunities were not advancing as fast as men’s educational opportunities. The Harrises, however, believed in teaching everyone. In an August 1896 letter, Chloe B. Harris wrote, “If I could only get $500 for the girls of the county to board themselves and come to school. It is their only chance.” Among prominent women to attend the Academy were Susan Harris, daughter of the school’s founders, and Olivia Helms

Her background and devotion to education and young people led to many of her life’s pursuits. She was a true groundbreaker, serving in many roles that were not typical for women of her time. Among Mrs. Keesee’s notable achievements were serving forty years as a Sunday School teacher at the First Baptist Church in Martinsville. She was also a member of the Executive Committee of the Virginia Baptist Orphanage in Salem, Virginia, as well as a member of the Board of Trustees at the University of Richmond.

Despite her many activities and obligations, however, Mrs. Keesee never lost sight of her family roots, or of the pride in being descended from American Patriots. Based on the services

of her aforementioned ancestors, she joined the National Association of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR). She later served as Regent of the Patrick Henry Chapter of the DAR, then as Virginia State Regent, then National Chair of the Committee on the Correct Use of the Flag. She also became National Corresponding Secretary General of the DAR, and in the spring of 1944, she was elected Vice President General of the NSDAR. Her death in June of that year precluded her from eventually advancing to the National Society’s highest office.

Many successes throughout the lives of Mrs. Keesee and her husband led them to establish the educational fund that bears his name. In this way, she continues to serve her community and country many years removed from her own education at that small school in Floyd County.

The attainments and achievements of Mrs. Keesee were, and remain, a credit and testament to the education she received at the Oxford Academy. Because of the many activities and accomplishments that she earned after her time at the Academy, and for her work at the local, state, and national levels of the Daughters of the American Revolution, the library and genealogy room at the Oxford Academy will be renovated and will be named in her honor.

While the renovation of the Oxford Academy is ongoing, anyone wishing to donate to such renovation is asked to forward the same to The Floyd County Historical Preservation Trust, Inc., c/o Michael J. Hatcher, Treasurer, 117 W. Main Street, Floyd, Virginia. Anyone who has questions concerning the project, or who wishes to volunteer for this endeavor, may contact The Floyd County Historical Society at 540-745-3247.

The Floyd County Historical Society 217 North Locust Street, Floyd, VA www.FloydHistoricalSociety.org • 540-745-3247 info@FloydHistoricalSociety.org

Troika Home Finally Spreading its Wings

Troika Contemporary Crafts Gallery, located in The Station at 203 South Locust Street in Floyd, has been evolving and growing ever since Abby Reczek and Annie Armistead became the new owners in 2019. Inheriting a crafts gallery that was already a discerning and unique collection of fine crafted pottery, glass items, wood items, jewelry, textiles, and mixed media art, the new owners first enhanced Troika by adding their own, distinctive creations.

Annie is a jeweler who crafts unique, wearable art inspired by nature. Abby is a potter who makes functional pottery inspired by Floyd’s rolling green hills, blue skies, and the subtler colors of the natural world. In addition to their own creations, Annie and Abby also created a monthly event and reception that celebrated a featured, contributing artist.

In 2020, the ladies also signed a lease on another space, just down the hall. They wanted to expand to add gift and home items that were not specifically crafts, but the existing space was already filled. The new space would be called Troika Home, and it would be a companion space to Troika Contemporary Crafts. Unfortunately, they signed the lease just before the lockdown’s happened.

But it didn’t stop Abby and Annie. They opened their new space slowly, filling the showroom by initially sharing the space with Phoenix Hardwoods, of which Annie is part owner with her husband, Jeff Armistead. Phoenix Hardwoods specializes in making hand crafted, luxury furniture and home items from trees sourced in and near Floyd. Among their growing inventory of gift

and home items, Troika Home also became a showroom for some of Phoenix Hardwoods’ spectacular hand-crafted items.

With supply chain issues and other obstacles posed by the global situation, Annie and Abby did what they could to get established. They began adding small-batch items such as bath and body items, sheets, apothecary items, tote bags, puzzles, and games. They focused specifically on items made in the USA, items that are eco-friendly, and items that you can’t go online and find at Amazon. They specifically wanted to make Troika Home a unique shopping experience.

Two years later, and things are finally getting to the point where Abby and Annie can focus on their original visions for Troika’s companion store. In Fall of 2022, Phoenix Hardwoods will be moving its showroom to the restored Farmer’s Supply building at 101 East Main Street, allowing Troika Home the room to spread its wings.

Even during the wait, however, the new store was evolving. What originally started out has a home store, will emerge this Fall as a home, gift, and specialty shop! Not only will Abby and Annie be increasing the inventory of the items already available, but they plan to add new items like baskets, picnic baskets, and crafted woodworking.

Visitors will also find Abby’s handmade pottery, as well as handmade woven aprons, towels, and napkins by Deanna Lynch from North Carolina. Troika Home will also feature yard sculptures by Amy Hart, a talented sculptor from North Carolina. There will be handmade journals by Becca Imbur from Floyd,

Abby Reczek

Annie Armistead

leather,

for

or

and Abby are also excited to announce that Troika Home will features items from Burn Bags USA! Burn Bags USA is a small company, located in Greensboro, North Carolina, whose products are all made from repurposed firehoses. They make totes, handbags, messenger bags, fanny packs, dopp bags, wine carriers, firewood carriers, belts, dog mats, dog toys, and collars! Part of each sale goes to Firefighting organizations local to the company, but inside each item is a canvas bag that can be filled and donated to your local fire station.

help operate the new location, Annie and Abby have hired Elise Warmbrod, who also works at fellow Station store, Jeanie O’Neal’s. The two stores will be sharing her adept dedication to making each visit a positive experience of discovery for every customer!

ahead, Abby and Annie will be growing their

what folks are asking for. As of now, however, they know they will be adding

such as books

camping, farms,

from

to Floyd.

as well as wild-crafted

Troika Home located at the back of the Station

Floyd VA Fall & Winter Happenings 2022

located atop the magnificent Blue ridge Plateau in southwestern Virginia, Floyd is a haven of natural beauty, where the people are renowned for their hospitality. Floyd has a vibrant culture of music, arts, local foods and wines, and outdoor recreation. With nearly forty miles of the Blue ridge Parkway running through it, Floyd is a wonderful place to visit during the Fall and Winter months. For more information about below and other events, go to VisitFloydVA.com or call Visitor center at 540-745-4407.

SAMPLING OF MAJOR EVENTS:

September 1 - 4 • Floyd yoga Jam • Willis, VA www.floydyogajam.net/

September 10 • Floyd county Fair • Floyd Family campground www.floydfamilycampground.com/wp/

September 16 - 17 • VW Bus campout • Floyd Family campground • www.floydfamilycampground.com/wp/

September 17 • Hispanic Heritage celebration

Warren G. lineberry Park • www.floydcare.org/

September 18 • Floyd Americana and Art Festival

Warren G. lineberry Park • tinyurl.com/floydamericana/

September 24 • John Bullard concert Floyd center for the Arts • www.floydartcenter.org/

October 1 - 2 • Floyd Arts & crafts Festival Floyd High school • floydcountywomansclub.org/

October 9 • Missy raines & Allegheny • Floyd country store www.floydcountrystore.com/

October 22 • Tour de dirt • Floyd Family campground www.plentylocal.org/

October 22 - 23 • 16 Hands spring studio Tour www.16hands.com

October 25 • spooktacular Gala • Floyd Family campground www.floydchamber.org/

October 30 • Halloween Kids Fest • Floyd center for the Arts www.floydartcenter.org/

November 27 • Floyd christmas Parade • downtown Floyd

December 3 - 4 • Winterfest craft & Holiday event Floyd center for the Arts • www.floydartcenter.org/ VisitFloydVA.com for additional Holiday activities!

WEEKLY

Music is happening in the town and county every Thursday through Sunday (Thursdays through October)

Hotel Floyd Music in the Mountains series: free Thursdays 6:00-8:00pm, continues through september.

Floyd Country Store: Friday Night Jamboree: Saturday afternoon American Afternoon music 12:00-3:00pm; Sunday afternoon music Jams, Oldtime and Bluegrass.

Wildwood Farm General Store: an affiliate site of crooked road, has free bluegrass music every Saturday night throughout the year and sunday music Jams every 1st and 3rd sunday afternoons.

Dogtown Roadhouse: features music Friday, Saturday, and Sunday evenings, downtown Floyd.

Chateau Morrisette Winery Music in the Courtyard Series: Free music on Saturday and Sunday afternoons in the courtyard through October.

Floyd Farmers Market: saturdays through november, 9:00am1:00pm, downtown community Market.

Buffalo Mountain Brewery: hosts free music many nights, Thursday through Saturday, and Sunday afternoon.

Floyd Historical Society

September 17 • FcHs program – “Preserving Floyd’s Historic records” • Floyd center for the Arts, 10:30am – 12:00pm

October 22 • FcHs program – “1945-1960, Floyd county” Floyd center for the Arts, 10:30am – 12:00pm

November 19 • Floyd county Historical society Annual Meeting/ program - “Panel – Genealogy research w/ visit to clerk’s office at the courthouse” • Floyd center for the Arts and Floyd county courthouse, 10:30am – 1:00pm

For more information on FcHs events call 540-745-2316 or email info@floydhistoricalsociety.org.

Cycle Floyd

Fall and Winter are perfect times to check out Floyd’s Floyd county Bike Guide /Map in print and on-line. Available at the Floyd Visitor center and on VisitFloydVA.com.

noTe: The above events are scheduled as of Floyd Magazine printing. We suggest that you check with the event organizers and visit our VisitFloydVA.com site and calendar for continual updates.

More information is available online at www.VisitFloydVA.com. Or, you can visit or contact our Floyd Visitor Center, open and staffed seven days week by calling 540-745-4407 or emailing info@visitfloydva.com.

Pat Sharkey’s Earth Dance Comes to The Station

Pat Sharkey, former Floyd County Tourism Director, is refocusing on her love of rocks and gems! After retiring from Floyd tourism in Fall of 2021, she didn’t imagine a return to her past would be her next step forward. However, right before holidays, a small retail space became available in The Station downtown Floyd. When she stepped into the space, she just knew it was right. She signed the lease immediately and Earth Dance was reborn.

Pat had originally created Earth Dance in the mid 1980’s and managed the business full or part-time for decades prior to formal tourism work. “After retiring from tourism, I was looking for just a temporary pop-up holiday market space - thinking I could do such for the holidays and then figure out my next employment step. I had not thought I could get back full-time into gems and jewelry because prior with Earth Dance I had done shows – and lots of them. At this stage of my life, shows with continual travel and constant booth set up and tear down is not a great fit.”

A small and simple retail location right in her hometown,

however, was perfect!

Pat began making jewelry and selling/trading rocks and gems in the mid-1980s. Her formal education was more in political and community work not art and craft, but when she moved to rural Floyd in the ‘80s, she wanted, and somewhat needed, her own independent cottage industry.

She started in jewelry with gem wire wrapping and bead work and then later incorporated silversmithing. For decades, she traveled to craft shows and gem and mineral shows sharing her jewelry and trading in gem and mineral specimens. Trading in the gem industry for so long, gave her knowledge of rocks and minerals which she brings to her new retail shop.

She has been employed by, and studied under, other jewelers. She was also a member of the Roanoke Valley Mineral and Gem Society and has since rejoined that group. She served as Standards Chair for the Virginia Mountain Crafts Guild and helped start and manage Winterfest holiday craft show almost twenty-seven years

Pat Sharkey

ago at The Floyd Art Center. Pat serves on the board of the Floyd Art Center and on the board of ‘Round the Mountain (RTM) SWVA Artisan Trail Network. Finally, Pat worked as Artisan Trail Development Coordinator for RTM in twelve counties across Southwest Virginia.

Her shop features her own hand-crafted gem jewelry, gem and mineral specimens for both kids and serious collectors, and select gem jewelry and art that she acquires from around the world.

Pat is also gathering local and regional rocks and information to display, “So we can all see and learn about what is right under our own feet.” Local folks are welcome to bring in their finds to share.

Earth Dance is set up to be accessible to all rock lovers, featuring fun and educational experiences for both kids and serious collectors.

“It’s all about the rocks!”, smiles Pat. “I was just always a rock lover even as a kid. I love the earth and I’m still continually amazed by the diversity and beauty of the earth crust we walk upon. It’s wonderful that both jewelry lovers and geologists enjoy the shop.”

Earth Dance includes a variety of minerals and gem jewelry, as well as meteorites, fossils, faceted gem jewelry, and raw natural rocks and gems, also set in jewelry. In addition to jewelry and specimens, Pat carries rock and gem carvings, candles, chimes, brandy glasses, and gem plates; continually adding new rock items all the time!

She admits that she has never been one to gravitate toward the formal end of jewelry, featuring gold and diamonds. “While I do love the sparkle of faceted colored gems, as opposed to clear diamonds, and have them available at the shop, I love rocks in the raw form and sharing both raw and colored faceted gems is a theme at the shop.”

For Pat, jewelry, especially hand-crafted, is more than a commodity. It often reflects personal stories and relationships, becoming part of family history and culture. Humans have made body adornment and art of earthly objects since the beginning of time.

Located at 203 South Locust Street, Suite L, Earth Dance can be found in The Station, across from the Floyd Country Store in downtown Floyd, right behind Monkey Business. Check the Facebook and Instagram pages for updates on store hours, usually Thursday through Sunday. Additional hours are sometimes possible, especially during holidays.

Earth Dance Jewelry and Gems • Pat Sharkey 540-230-7955 • EarthDanceJewelryGems@gmail.com www.EarthDanceJewelryAndGems.com

Andrew Murray

After Forty Years, Harvest Moon Changes Hands

On July 16 of 1982, in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Floyd, twenty-eight-year-old Margie Redditt received her business license for the Harvest Moon Food Store. That day, in that moment, her dream was brought to life. Margie’s goal had been to provide the town with shelf-stable, healthier-option foods, while at the same time operating her own business.

The idea evolved and developed in Margie’s mind while she was working for the Floyd co-op, which was located at the old Epperly Mill. The main objective was to provide locals with easier ways of purchasing high quality, locally grown, organic foods without having to go to a typical, chain grocery store. But Margie also had an entrepreneurial spirit. Rather than continuing to work at the co-op, she wanted to create her own business that featured these healthy, local foods.

She wasted no time. While scouting possible locations for her new store, Margie found her way onto Main Street in Floyd, across from the Country Store. County Sales currently occupies 117 South Locust Street, but in 1982, it became the spot from which Harvest Moon would

begin to grow. It was a pivotal point in Margie’s life, and it proved to be a significant point in Floyd’s history, as well.

As it turned out, Margie’s idea paid off. Her store was not only successful, but it also became a reliable fixture of downtown Floyd for the next two decades. By the early 2000’s, however, the store was beginning to outgrow its walls and it became obvious that Margie would need to find a larger location.

Rather than looking for another building to rent, however, Margie commissioned the construction of a brand-new building. Completed in 2005 and located at 227 North Locust Street, the current Harvest Moon can be found right off Route 8 as you come into town.

Thinking ahead, the building was designed with two floors. Harvest Moon occupies the lower floor, with easy access from the parking lot. The upper floor was then made available to other commercial tenants. Over the years, the upstairs has hosted multiple businesses, but is currently home to the beloved Parkway Grille restaurant.

Fast forward to July 9 of 2022, just a week shy of forty years since

Margie Redditt picked up her business license. Ready to retire, Margie passed her dream into the capable hands of another twenty-eight-yearold with that same entrepreneurial spirit.

Andrew Murray and his family have been living in Floyd for a little over three years. Andrew is originally from Tazewell, Virginia, and his wife, Bailey, is originally from Manassas Park. In the beginning, the move to Floyd was an effort to ‘meet in the middle’, but after three years with their four children and three dogs, Floyd has become their home.

Both Andrew and Bailey are Radford University graduates, having met at O’Charleys in Christiansburg while still attending college. At Radford, Andrew majored in Finance while Bailey received her degree in Health and Human Performance. It was Andrew’s love of working with numbers combined with Bailey’s love of health that made them the perfect successors to the forty-year institution built by Margie Redditt.

Andrew comes from a family where most of his relatives were self-employed, so he has known from a very young age that he, too, wanted to go into business for himself. What’s more, he also knew he wanted to open and build his business in a small town.

“It’s special. It’s like having a huge family that you care about and look after,” says Andrew, explaining what growing up in a small-town community meant to him. “I genuinely enjoy everything about this small town and am looking forward to raising my children here. The fact that I am running a business with my wife while raising our children to be good people along the way is overwhelmingly exciting. I am truly blessed. We couldn’t have picked a better place to call home and look forward to really becoming a part of the Floyd community.”

The road between imagining and doing, however, it not always as smooth as most would hope. As life threw curveball after curveball, however, Andrew kept swinging. Over the years and throughout their marriage, Bailey remained a source of support and encouragement. She would always tell him to keep working hard and one day they would have their own business.

“I honestly thought that Andrew would run his own restaurant one day,” says Bailey, reflecting on the outcome of their dream. “I’ve always thought he was really good at that, and maybe that was the path he was meant to be on.”

However, after ten years working in the restaurant industry, Andrew knew that it might be time to consider other paths to make that ultimate dream come true.

As fate would have it, Andrew regularly passed by Harvest Moon on his way to work in the New River Valley. One day, he noticed the For

Sale sign on the edge of the road.

He mentioned it to Bailey one evening, but as Bailey had not traveled into the town of Floyd very often, she was unfamiliar with the store.

“You have to go in there”, he told her. “That is the neatest little store I’ve ever been in.”

Big decisions that involve big risk always come with feelings of trepidation. Bailey was understandably nervous about taking such a big step. But Andrew took her to the store and told her about Margie’s story. They discussed the dayto-day operation of the retail food store, as well as its mission. Ultimately, however, the beauty of the property was the major factor behind Andrew being drawn to this particular business.

Bailey came around to his enthusiasm. “You don’t know until to you try, and it doesn’t hurt to talk to someone.”

As it turned out, Andrew had been looking for a small business opportunity in a small town for quite some time, so he had already been speaking with his father, Chad Murray, and his brother, Josh Murray, about possibilities. When Andrew approached them with his idea of buying Harvest Moon, they were both on board pretty quickly.

In July of 2022, Harvest Moon officially changed ownership, and was placed into the care of Andrew and Bailey Murray.

“It’s been a learning experience,” says Andrew, citing his years of working with food a good starting point. Though he has ideas for enhancements and upgrades, he plans to continue following the mission that Margie had embraced for the store’s first forty years – to provide good, quality, locally sourced, organic products to his customers. The Murrays also want to assure customers that information regarding memberships will remain.

Among the upgrades to be implemented immediately is a new point of sale system that has been put in place to ensure the best quality products effectively. There have also been countless conversations about plans to add various features to the property in the future. Follow all the news online at www.harvestmoonstore.com to stay up to date on all the developments!

Andrew and Bailey are excited to continue the legacy of Harvest Moon, and to become part of something that has been such a landmark and part of the identity of the Floyd community. They look forward to learning all there is to know, and they especially look forward to meeting everyone who has made Harvest Moon part of their lives.

Harvest Moon • Andrew Murray and Bailey Murray

540-745-4366

9am to 6:30pm

Sunday 12:00pm to 6:00pm

Bailey, Andrew, Madelyn, Leighton, General, & Leroy.

From Left to Right: Josh Murray, Chad Murray, Margie Redditt, Andrew Murray

How a Somber Wake-Up Call Led to Primitive Coffee Market

In 2020, just before the shutdowns, Matthew and Kayla Galecki moved from Orlando, Florida to Charlotte, North Carolina. There, they started new careers with United Healthcare. It was an extremely busy year for the two of them, plunging into new projects despite 2020 being a difficult year for many. Still, along with another group that had also moved up from Orlando, they managed to build a new team and set up a new office space.

Things were going well and looking up for the Galeckis. They had their feet planted firmly on the road to success and were off to a great start! On the road map of life, their itinerary had much in common with most other adults: start a career and reach for financial success! Reach for the stars!

Many can relate to such a plan, but in the end, what we think we should be doing with our lives often differs from what we’d want to be doing with our lives. Later that same year, the Galeckis got their wake-up call, and were able to change the course of their destinies.

In November of 2020, a good friend, Brian, lost his battle with melanoma. He was only twenty-six and his death came as a great shock. Everyone had thought he was getting better, so there was no sense of urgency when lockdowns kept everyone apart. The text he sent out on his birthday, just two days before his passing, was made even more poignant as they didn’t know it would be the last time they heard from him.

The Galeckis flew to Orlando to speak at the funeral. Once surrounded by church community and best friends, talk began about how short life was. Amongst themselves, the Galeckis started talking about what they really wanted to with their lives together, considering the short amount of time they would also be given.

A farm was something they’d been talking about for several years. They particularly liked the idea of a bison ranch. A few years earlier, Matthew had read a book by Yvon Chouinard for the Patagonia company, called “Let My People Go Surfing - The Education of a Reluctant Businessman”. The book is a reflective memoir of a man who brought doing good and having grand adventures into the heart of his business life. It is about environmental responsibility, and well as entrepreneurship. This book inspired Matthew. It made him curious about ranching and food quality. Still, it felt like one of those ‘someday’ dreams.

As the Galeckis were waiting for their flight back to Charlotte, they had a serious conversation about making ‘someday’ happen quickly. With the tragedy of their friend’s passing and the perspective of mortality as a catalyst, the Galeckis decided that they were going to start looking for land and possibly a farm.

When they landed back in Charlotte, Kayla’s mom, also in Florida, texted her with more bad news. Kayla’s Grandma had suddenly been put into hospice with an estimate of mere days left to live. Kayla turned right around and went back to Florida to be with her immediate family. After her grandmother’s passing, it became 100% clear to the Galeckis that they should take that risk, make the change, and try something new.

Matthew called his parents, Sharal and Kevin, who were living in Washington DC at that time. He asked if they’d be interested in buying a farm together. They said yes, right away.

Sharal had run retail antique booth in Orlando and participated in many antique shows throughout the southeast. Growing up, however, her father was a rodeo cowboy. Sharal’s family traveled frequently to local rodeos where he eventually began training horses. More than Kevin, Matthew, or Kayla, Sharal had the most experience in the farming world.

Kevin, was heavily involved with restoring antiques while primarily working with Century Link as a real estate developer. Later, he, too, ended up at United Healthcare as an insurance advisor for small businesses, as well as self-employed individuals. Despite maintaining that career to this day, Kevin was also eager to join Kayla and Matthew.

The first order of business was to find a house and farm. As it happened, Meadows of Dan was the first place they chose to look. Kayla was immediately enamored with the area, saying to Matthew how cute the town was and how perfect a place it would be for a coffee shop.

Kayla had worked in the craft coffee industry for many years in Orlando, with friends Nathan Seta and Lisa Puckey. They owned a cafe called Duo58. Kayla volunteered with them for two years during their start-up in college, then came on full time as a Barista Manager and Catering Sales Manager for a little over a year.

Despite how perfect Meadows of Dan looked for a coffee shop, however, they didn’t find a home or farm there. The search continued,

Kayla and Matthew Galecki

with wistful thoughts of Meadows and coffee shops behind them. The couple drove all around North Carolina and Virginia, looking at over thirty properties before finally making a decision.

In January of 2021, the Galeckis bought their new home and farm in Woolwine, about twenty miles northeast from Meadows of Dan. The funny part was, at the time they bought the farm, they didn’t realize how close it was to that little place Kayla had found so charming.

Once the new home had been found, however, it was time to get down to some serious work. While still in Florida, Matthew had worked at 4 Rivers BBQ from the time he was seventeen until he was twentyfour. He held several positions with the company, but eventually became Kitchen Manager. After leaving 4 Rivers, he became Fishing Manager at Gander Mountain until they closed the company. He then joined Kayla at United Healthcare where he worked for over five years as an insurance sales agent before moving up to Manager. When he and Kayla moved to Charlotte, Matthew had worked his way up to Field Sales Leader. It was in this capacity that he was to assist with opening a new office there.

In different ways, each job contributed to Matthew learning farming. Though he had no formal training or prior experience with farming, he jumped in with both feet and started learning as much as he could as fast as he could. Many locals were generous with their knowledge, and every month, a visiting friend or family member would help out. The Galeckis are grateful to everyone who gave their time so generously, expecting nothing in return. “You don’t find people like these on the regular!” says Kayla.

To learn more, Matthew watched lots of Youtube videos and started attending conferences. He even hired farm manager, Luke Kidwell. Luke had been working for several years for a farm in Maine, focusing mostly on pigs. The Galeckis tell us that Luke has been a blessing, and that he plans to grow the pork production of Primitive Farms in 2023.

With a primary focus of providing quality food to the community, and with each member of the family contributing significantly, Primitive Farms currently produces poultry, eggs, pork, and lamb; supplying meat to many local restaurants and farmer’s markets.

With the first few months of farm work under their belts, the Galeckis found themselves driving along the Parkway close to home.

About twenty miles southwest of home, actually. Imagine their surprise when they realized they were back in the first place they’d visited when searching for a farm! They had no idea that Meadows of Dan was so close by. While exploring and rediscovering the tiny hamlet, they just happened to see a ‘for rent’ sign hanging on space number four at 2577 Jeb Stuart Highway. They met with Sarah, owner of Mod Salon, as well as building owners, Casey and Felicia Sheilor. It all just felt so right. Even though they’d just bought a new home and started a farm only five months earlier, they wasted no time. In June of 2021, the Galeckis signed a lease on Primitive Coffee Market in Meadows of Dan!

Suddenly, there was a second business venture to focus on, but no need to worry about Matthew’s parents being left holding the feed bucket! While all still living in Orlando, they had talked about one day creating a shop together. With the opportunity now before them, they decided

to combine all their passions: Kayla with her coffee, Matthew with his farming and food, and Sharal and Kevin with antiques and home goods.

The primary focus, however, is in the name. Because Orlando is a thriving coffee hub, Kayla had the opportunity to not only learn from a population of coffee enthusiasts, but to also gain different cultural perspectives. She also traveled to Turkey, Greece, Asia, and many other areas around the globe. With every trip, she kept a journal in which she sketched the cafes she visited and made notes on what she loved about them. She also took notes about the different drinks and the preparation methods behind them. Her goal was to combine anti human trafficking efforts with a coffee shop of her own.

During her travels in Asia, she had the chance to work with a bakery/ cafe that rescued women from human trafficking. The business provided these women with work and housing as they healed from the trauma.

Kayla fell in love with the industry and the power it had to connect with people. She realized, however, that if she wanted to own her own coffee shop one day, she’d first have to work in a different career to save up the capital. From the coffee scene in Orlando, she transitioned several times. She launched her own wedding coordinating company, then an art company, then established herself full time with United Healthcare. For ten years, Kayla saved until the tragic events that set her and Matthew on the path to Primitive Farms.

It took about four months to get all the permits approved and to remodel the property. It was more hard work, and even Kayla’s mother came up from Florida to help out. On October 9 of 2021, however, Primitive Coffee Market opened to the public!

Primitive Coffee Market also contains a farm store inside, featuring farm items from Primitive Farms, as well as many other local producers. Visitors can also find homemade baked items, home goods, restored antiques, and local farm produce!

It has certainly been a fun and challenging adventure for the Galeckis, with moving to a new state and opening two new companies in the first year. They were amazingly supported by their community in Florida, as well as by their new community in Virginia. They are grateful and thankful for all the really good friendships they have made along the way.

“Life is short,” says Kayla. “No one is promise tomorrow. It’s worth taking risks and pursuing a life you actually want. To live in the present. You only get one.”

“If you would have told us before Brian died,” Kayla continues, “that we would be one day living in Virginia running a cafe and farm, we would have laughed at you and disagreed. We had a comfortable, good life in the city.”

The Galeckis feel, however, that a higher power used a tragic moment to redirect them and to challenge them. They also feel that if Brian were still alive, he’d have already joined them.

Primitive Coffee Market • Primitive Farms • Kayla and Matthew Galecki Open daily: 8:00am – 5:00pm • closed on Wednesdays

The 28th Annual Winterfest

Every December, the Floyd Center for the Arts hosts Winterfest – an annual winter festival celebrating the artistry of the surrounding area. Around twenty-five vendors travel to the twoday festival to set up booths for selling their handmade art wares to an eager audience looking for holiday shopping. Winterfest is the Center’s most traditional event, being one of the first events that was offered when it was just a dairy barn with dreams of becoming an art center. The first Winterfest, twenty-eight years ago, was designed as a year-end showcase of local artisanship and creativity. It has always been scheduled in time for local residents to begin their holiday shopping, as many folks in Floyd have a policy of buying locally made, handcrafted gifts for friends and family.

The first Winterfest was held under tents in the parking lot of the barn, with eager shoppers bearing the cold temperatures to get their hands on handmade art. As Winterfest approaches its twenty-eighth year, it remains the best opportunity for shoppers to find a wide variety of handmade, local, unique gifts all offered in one place. The event also allows shoppers to connect with makers and crafters, learning the stories behind the gifts.

In addition to artist vendors, Winterfest also features the famed Festival of Trees and Wreaths. The Center has partnered with treasured Floyd businesses and organizations to celebrate the holiday season and encourage shoppers to visit local outlets for gifts, decorations, and food for the season. Typically, the Festival of Trees and Wreaths has over fifty participating businesses, each decorating their own tree or wreath with products, gift cards, and more. Each pre-decorated, tabletop holiday tree or wreath is then placed on display at Winterfest, to be bid upon in a silent auction at the end of the event. Walking into the gallery space with all the trees and wreaths on display is a breathtaking experience, sure to brighten anyone’s holiday spirit. Winners then take the trees and wreaths home for the holidays.

Along with being the best opportunity for holiday shopping, Winterfest has also long been known as a community gathering event for the vendors, the artisans, and their supporters within Floyd County. Festivalgoers often bring their friends and family,

having included Winterfest into their own holiday traditions. Many vendors return year after year, becoming familiar faces that are staples for the event.

Visitors can find handmade pottery, jewelry, baked goods, soaps, baskets, photography, wood-turned bowls, and more!

The Winterfest Cafe, now a ten-year old addition, is another favorite attraction for the weekend, featuring delicious baked goods, soups, and sandwiches.

Located in the town of Floyd, Virginia, a few miles north of the Blue Ridge Parkway, the Floyd Center for the Arts is a seven-acre campus on the site of a former dairy farm. The Center is now home to an arts and cultural facility for the traditional and contemporary arts. Year-round, the Center is alive with art exhibits, social events, and educational programs for artists and non-artists of all ages and abilities. Some of the events that can be experienced through the Center include opening receptions for art exhibitions in the three gallery spaces, as well as classes such as pottery, blacksmithing, drawing, bookmaking, stained glass, flameworking, photography, and more. The Center also regularly provides fun and engaging youth programs, such as Kids Art Camp and youth classes.

Holiday events, such as Mayfaire and Halloween Kids Fest, are also on the calendar every year, providing outreach and art fun for the community. There are also larger events hosted by the Center, such as Artisan Trail, which partners with over thirty artists who open their studios to the public for the weekend. For those seeking a classical music experience, concerts can also be attended in the Center’s Community Hall, featuring performances from a variety of musicians and time periods. The Floyd Center for the arts strives to offer artistic experiences for everyone. The Center also supports the artistic endeavors and creativity of their fellow artists and art lovers.

Main Street Mechanics

McHale Arborscape

Mountain Mercantile of Floyd

river Valley Hearing

cabinetry

real Estate

phoenix Hardwoods

rorrer Well drilling

ryan L. pry Attorney-at-Law

Schoolhouse Fabrics

Slaughters’ Supermarket

Southern Heritage Homes

Spencer’s Body Shop

Sticks & Stones construction

StoneHaven Bed & Breakfast

t & E Small Engine

the Schroeder Law Firm, pc

the Woodshed

thomas & Wall real Estate

tinbenders

treehouse tavern

troika contemporary crafts

tuggle’s gap restaurant & Motel

turner Family Farms

united country real Estate

the Earth construction

Virginia Furniture Market - Mattress Store

Wildwood Farms general Store

Willis Village Mart

Wills ridge Supply

Yard-Boys

YOSOurcE

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